《How a Black-Haired Barbarian Survived the Labyrinth in Another World》 Chapter 1: Transition At 23 years old, Jeong Yushin fell into another world. It was an unexpected event. He was on his way back home from a convenience store in the early morning, having bought cigarettes and drinks. It was the time when everyone was asleep. Jeong Yushin stood in the middle of the road, cigarette in mouth. Chiik, chiik. The lighter wouldn¡¯t work. "Dammit, why isn¡¯t it working?" He grumbled, pulling the lighter again, and finally, a flame appeared. He lit the cigarette and took a long drag, the smoke filling his lungs. "Fhww... Hmm?" When he looked up and exhaled the smoke, he realized he was standing in the middle of a forest. There were women with long ears and beautiful features, bound by ropes, kneeling on the ground. They resembled the elves depicted in books and movies. Turning his head, he saw some humans standing nearby, their faces rough, holding swords and bows, making them appear even more menacing. A one-eyed man cautiously asked, looking at Jeong Yushin. "Who are you?" "And who are you? Where is this place?" "...." The men stared at him with suspicion but didn¡¯t move. "Where is this? I was on my way home for sure. What the heck." With a sharp sound, his head became hot. The ground suddenly rushed up to his face. As his mind flickered and darkness crept in, a loud, frivolous voice came from behind. "Boss! I caught him." "That fool of a magician, huh? Well done." Jeong Yushin lost consciousness. Clattering. Jeong Yushin opened his eyes due to the shaking. A gag was in his mouth, and his hands and feet were bound in shackles. He had been hanging his head down for so long that his neck ached. "Mmm." Looking around, he saw the elves. They too had gags in their mouths and were staring blankly at the floor of the cart. Clack! The cart stopped, and a coarse voice rang out. "We camp here for the night!" "Ah, I¡¯m dying. This is tough, real tough." Jeong Yushin could hear grumbling from around him. Screech. The back door of the cart opened, and the one-eyed man from earlier appeared. "Drag out that magician. We need to interrogate him." At the one-eyed man¡¯s command, two young men stepped forward and roughly dragged Jeong Yushin out of the cart. The men forcefully pulled Jeong Yushin and threw him to the ground. "Ugh!" Skrriiing. A sharp sword was pointed at Jeong Yushin¡¯s throat. "Hey, magician. If you talk wrong, you¡¯re done. Don¡¯t even think about casting a spell." The gag in Jeong Yushin¡¯s mouth was removed. "I¡¯m not a magician." "Then what¡¯s this artifact?" The one-eyed man pulled out the lighter. "That¡¯s a tool for starting fires." "How do you use it?" "Just turn the round part while pressing the button." After a few failed attempts, the one-eyed man finally managed to create a flame with the lighter. "Heh! This is a pretty interesting thing. But you say you¡¯re not a magician?" "What¡¯s a magician? Where exactly am I?" The one-eyed man chuckled. "This guy¡¯s really funny." "Eh?" "Buddy, let¡¯s think about this logically. If someone suddenly falls from the air, and he¡¯s not a magician, what is he? Do I look funny to you?" Jeong Yushin felt a headache. The one-eyed man¡¯s tone grew more menacing. ¡®Should I just tell the truth?¡¯ Looking at the one-eyed man¡¯s face, Jeong Yushin didn¡¯t think he would believe him. "Answer me." Jeong Yushin swallowed. "It seems I came from another world. I don¡¯t really know either." "Hahaha!!" The one-eyed man and his subordinates burst into loud laughter. They laughed heartily for a while, unable to stop. When the laughter stopped abruptly, the one-eyed man grabbed Jeong Yushin by the hair. "Kneel." The subordinates kicked Jeong Yushin¡¯s knees, forcing him to kneel. The one-eyed man pressed his gleaming sword to Jeong Yushin¡¯s throat. "Do you know what I hate most after ten years of being a slave hunter?" "....." Jeong Yushin froze at the sudden threat to his life. "Lying. They say things like, ''I¡¯m this kind of person, I have this kind of ability, I¡¯m worth something, so please let me go, save me.''" The one-eyed man continued. "Lying bastards have a very poor ability to see themselves objectively. They have no reason to be confident in deceiving others." The one-eyed man went on. "Magician, if you want to deceive others, at least try." "I¡¯m telling the truth! I fell from somewhere else!!" The one-eyed man let out a soft laugh. "The magician still doesn¡¯t get it. I can see you¡¯re stalling, thinking your friends are coming to save you, but it¡¯s too late. Farewell." "Dammit." The blade dug into his throat. The one remaining eye of the one-eyed man was cold. Is this how it ends? Whoosh. Thud! An arrow shot from somewhere pierced the one-eyed man¡¯s head. He fell without even screaming. "Boss!" "A surprise attack!" The men hit the ground and quickly crawled toward their weapons and shields. But the arrows were faster. Every time the sound of air slicing through could be heard, screams followed. Thud! A large wolf beastman landed in front of Jeong Yushin. "Don¡¯t move a muscle, human." "Eh?" As the evening sky began to darken, a wolf beastman with red ears and tail emerged from the forest. "I¡¯ve found him, Karin." The beastman, named Karin, wagged his tail. "Release him." A few beastmen who followed Karin entered the cart. Clink! Clink! Clink! The sound of shackles breaking echoed. Everyone inside the cart was freed. "Ugh." The red wolf beastman stretched his arms up, and the top of his leather armor almost burst open, revealing his full chest. The situation was quickly handled. Ten muscular wolf beastmen gathered and used swords to cut down the humans hit by the arrows. There were many screams, but few sounds of swords clashing, and no groaning. Jeong Yushin, who came from the modern world, could feel it. There was an enormous difference in skill between the slave hunters and those wolf beastmen. Thud. Human heads rolled in front of Jeong Yushin¡¯s eyes. "Black hair? Why is a northern barbarian here?" Jeong Yushin, kneeling, looked up. A red-haired wolf beastman, arms crossed, was looking down at him. Was his name Karin? "Kneel." A rough hand grabbed Jeong Yushin¡¯s head and slammed it into the ground. "Ugh." Blood from the slave hunters'' necks flowed onto the floor, and Jeong Yushin¡¯s face became smeared with it. The blood of the hunters tasted fishy and sticky, like iron. "Speak." As the grip on his head tightened, Jeong Yushin¡¯s face was pushed deeper into the ground. "Randolf, take your hand off his head." "But Karin..." "Randolf." "Understood." The grip loosened, and Jeong Yushin lifted his head. "So you¡¯re not going to speak? What¡¯s a northern barbarian doing here?" Barbarian. It meant a savage. These people were already defining him as someone from this world. He had seen both elves and beastmen. With evidence right in front of him, he couldn¡¯t deny the reality. He had # N§àv§Ölight # fallen into another world. And people were treating this fact almost like a joke. He didn¡¯t want to go down the same path again. He didn¡¯t want to be threatened again. Especially not by someone stronger than the slave hunters. It was better to give a simple answer. "I was walking through the forest and got caught." "Heh!" Karin scoffed. Then, he picked up the lighter that the one-eyed man had dropped. Click. Click. Karin easily made a fire with the lighter. "Interesting. Randolf, release this human¡¯s chains." "Yes." With a short reply, the sound of chains breaking filled the air, and Jeong Yushin¡¯s hands and feet were freed. "Alright, human. Let¡¯s go our separate ways. I¡¯ll take this artifact." Karin pocketed the lighter and led the elves and wolf beastmen away from the clearing. Jeong Yushin straightened up from his kneeling position and sat down on the ground. He wiped his face, covered in dirt and blood, with his palm. Looking around, he only saw severed heads and bodies. The only one alive was himself. "Spicy, damn it, another world." He had no clue why he ended up in this world. "Status window!" Nothing came to mind. "Status." No response. "Damn it." Jeong Yushin stood up. He couldn¡¯t just sit still. He had to gather resources to survive. He couldn¡¯t solve the mystery unless he stayed alive. He rummaged through the headless corpses. He found coins, water, jerky, and hard bread, stuffing them into his bag. He took the best condition hard leather armor and wore it. It was easier to take off since there was no head. Among the decent weapons, he grabbed a bastard sword and strapped it to his waist, holding a round shield in his left hand. He was about to leave the clearing, but it was already dark. Night had come. He had enough courage to sit calmly by the severed heads, but not enough to walk through the forest in the pitch-black night. Tonight, he would stay in the cart. Jeong Yushin decided this and entered the cart. The night passed, and dawn broke. Jeong Yushin opened the cart door and stepped outside. The surroundings were just as they had been yesterday. The severed heads and bodies were scattered all around. Jeong Yushin sat down on the ground, leaning against the wheel of the cart. Grrr. His stomach growled. He drank from his canteen and chewed on a piece of jerky to quell his hunger. Where should he go? A sense of helplessness made it hard to breathe. Slap! Jeong Yushin slapped his own cheek. "After leaving the forest, I¡¯ll head to a nearby village." He voiced what needed to be done. The rest, he would figure out when he got there. Jeong Yushin stood up, packed his belongings, and didn¡¯t venture into the dense forest for adventure. Instead, he retraced his steps along the cart¡¯s wheel tracks. He thought that safety was more important than adventure. The two horses that had been pulling the cart were ridden by Karin, the red-haired wolf beastwoman, and a massive male wolf beastman named Randolf. He couldn¡¯t forget the name of the one who had smeared his face with blood-soaked mud. Had they turned back along the cart¡¯s wheel tracks as well? He saw the horse tracks in the dirt. Jeong Yushin frowned. Following Karin and her group didn¡¯t sit right with him. But he was sure it was the better choice. He walked for a long time. It must have been about three or four hours, he guessed. Instead of the usual smell of grass, a fishy, metallic scent of blood filled the air. Jeong Yushin immediately drew the bastard sword from his waist. The weight of the sword, different from a kitchen knife, made his body tremble with tension. He moved into the bushes along the side of the path, moving as slowly as possible. The scene of the massacre on the road became clear before his eyes. Chapter 2: A disaster "Wow." Green skin, a childlike stature, a grotesque face. It was a goblin. The goblin was lying dead on the road, its body hacked into pieces. There were about twelve of them, but none were alive. Judging by the circumstances, it seemed right to assume that Karin¡¯s group had killed them. Avoiding the gruesome scene in the middle of the road, Jeong Yushin continued forward. After about ten more minutes of walking, he finally reached the end of the narrow path. As he left the forest, a vast plain stretched out before him. The hill was quite high, and from there, he could see the horizon clearly. A gentle breeze swept through Jeong Yushin¡¯s hair as he looked down and saw people walking in groups along the road. If I just follow this road, I should come across a village or two. Not bad. Jeong Yushin approached the road. There were people who looked like merchants, others armed with various weapons, and groups of traveling performers with musical instruments. There was a variety of races and appearances. Jeong Yushin was momentarily stunned by the unfamiliar sights he had never seen before in his life. He stood by the road, watching them pass by in a daze. A passing cat beastman casually spoke. "Hey, have you been drinking? Get a grip. You¡¯re young, tsk." A human walking beside the beastman laughed. "Oh, how can you tell if he¡¯s young or old?" The cat beastman purred. "If there¡¯s no beard and no wrinkles, he¡¯s a young one. Don¡¯t underestimate him." "Heh. How do I look?" "You looked younger last night, but today you look older. You should shave." The two exchanged light-hearted banter as they passed by Jeong Yushin. Jeong Yushin couldn¡¯t help but smile quietly and stepped onto the road. That evening, Jeong Yushin arrived at a village. Though it was small, since it was near the road, the village entrance was already bustling with people. Among them, there were many soldiers dressed in regular army uniforms. One soldier guarding the village gate smiled and said. "Welcome to the road village, Arentzville." "Hello." "Is this your first time?" "Yes." "The toll is five coins. The inn is full, so you can only eat here. You¡¯ll have to sleep outside or find a local to take you in." "I see. Thank you." Jeong Yushin took some coins out of his pocket and handed them over before entering the village. The inn was right next to the village¡¯s central plaza. The sounds of instruments, singing, and loud chatter echoed from the building, making it immediately obvious what was inside. As he entered, a wave of heat hit his face. Seeing the various people talking loudly made him dizzy for a moment. "You there, black-haired young man!" A woman in her thirties, carrying food, shouted. "Yes?" "Are you alone?" "Yes." "Sit anywhere. One more meal coming right up!" Since the seats were all taken, sharing a table was a must. Jeong Yushin sat down at the nearest available spot. Two short men who looked like dwarfs and a rabbit beastman were already sitting at the table. They didn¡¯t pay much attention to Jeong Yushin, eating, drinking, and conversing. They seemed to be talking about something serious, but it was hard to understand what they were saying. I need to gather information. Jeong Yushin thought, sighing inwardly. He quickly gave up on gathering information. Turning his head, he watched the people playing instruments in the corner. Bang! "Alright! The meal is here." The woman in her thirties set the food down on the table. There was white wheat bread with a soup containing tomatoes and potatoes, a sizzling piece of meat, and yellow wine in a wooden cup. "How much?" "Is this your first time here?" "Yes." "Ten coins." Jeong Yushin took the coins from his pocket and politely handed them over. "Such a polite young man." "Thank you." "How cute. Enjoy your meal." "Yes." Of course, I should be polite. Just yesterday, I almost had my head chopped off by a slave hunter because I didn¡¯t take this world seriously. When you don¡¯t know anything, you should live humbly. The hot soup filled him with warmth, and his hunger began to dissipate. He had filled his stomach with jerky in the morning and had walked for a long time, so being hungry was a given. He carefully tore a piece of bread and chewed it. The rich ? N§àv§ÖIight ? (Read more on our source) scent of wheat filled his mouth. As he took a bite of the meat, juices flowed out. "This is really delicious." The meat juices balanced out the bread¡¯s heaviness, while the tomato soup¡¯s acidity neutralized the rich fat of the meat and revived his appetite. The bread then helped to cover the soup¡¯s sourness with a wheat flavor. It was truly a harmonious combination. He ate quickly, feeling touched and thankful. When he felt full, he drank the wine from the wooden cup. The sticky feeling of honey and the fresh fruit scent blended together, washing his mouth before sliding down his throat. With how strong the fruit flavor was, it didn¡¯t seem like just simple honey wine. Could the brewery have a special secret recipe? The thought passed quickly. "Ah." It was truly satisfying. "You really eat well, huh?" The dwarf with brown beard sitting across from Jeong Yushin smiled and said. "Yes. It was really delicious." "The food in Arentzville isn¡¯t bad." Another dwarf sitting next to him added. The rabbit beastman nodded as if in agreement. "Is this your first time in Arentzville?" The rabbit beastman asked. "Yes." "You¡¯re alone, huh? Are you a pilgrim?" A pilgrim? "What¡¯s a pilgrim?" At Jeong Yushin¡¯s question, all three of them widened their eyes. "Are you a northern barbarian?" Jeong Yushin frowned. The dwarf seemed flustered and waved his hand. "Just calm down. I didn¡¯t mean to insult you. People from the north are unfamiliar with these kinds of religious stories, so I jumped to conclusions." "Yes. I understand. But what is a pilgrim?" "How much do you know?" "Nothing." "You¡¯re really straightforward. Could your father or mother be from the north?" "I think they might be." Jeong Yushin stroked his chin. His father had been a big, strong man with sharp eyes, covered in thick fur. The man who, in minus 40 degrees, took an ice-cold shower and smiled, saying, "Ah, this feels good." The man who kicked a wild boar away when he encountered it in the mountains. The image of the boar flying through the air still lingered in his memory. In contrast, his mother had been the epitome of femininity. Quiet and gentle, always with a soft smile as she petted his head or hugged him. His parents made a good pair. [H-Honey, Yushin is watching.] [Let him watch.] [Hmph.] His father, grabbing his mother¡¯s cheek with one hand and giving her a deep kiss, while his mother¡¯s cheeks bulged out from the strength of his grip, and her tongue flicked. The image of their close relationship was still vivid in his memory... "Damn." "Why is that?" "I think my father is a barbarian." "I see." "So, what exactly is a pilgrim?" "It¡¯s an old story. So, here¡¯s what happened..." The dwarf began telling a lengthy tale. Jeong Yushin finished the last sip of his wine. As he processed the dwarf¡¯s story in his head, the tale unfolded. In the past, when monsters flooded the world, a member of the Spirit Church traveled from the west to the east, gathering all the monsters and sealing them in a large city in the east. The man from the Spirit Church was revered as a saint, and the path he took became known as "The Pilgrim¡¯s Path." The path Jeong Yushin had walked was that same "Pilgrim¡¯s Path." Those who followed the Spirit Church believed that by walking this path alone, they could understand the history of the church and the heart of the saint. People viewed them as pilgrims. Now, however, many people walked the path for their own reasons, so the original meaning had become diluted. Even so, there were still many believers in the Spirit Church, and a significant number of followers continued to walk the pilgrim¡¯s path. The dwarf and his group finished their story and stood up. "Black-haired young man. We¡¯ll be heading out first. We need to sleep before the alcohol wears off." "Yes. Thank you for the good conversation." "Take care." They left the inn. The inn was now quiet, as the dwarf¡¯s story had taken quite a while. Jeong Yushin crossed his arms. During the dwarf¡¯s explanation, the term "Great Labyrinth" had come up. At the end of the Pilgrim¡¯s Path, the city where the Spirit Church¡¯s saint had sealed all the monsters. Entering and exiting the Great Labyrinth was said to grant miraculous abilities. On a small scale, you could gain increased physical strength or faster movement. On a larger scale, your gender or race might change. There was also a very small chance of acquiring a talent you didn¡¯t have, or an ancient vision magic that had long since disappeared. Because these abilities were "engraved" into the soul, people sometimes referred to it as the "Engraved Labyrinth." "Alright." If I¡¯m lucky, I might be able to find a way home while exploring the labyrinth. Even if I don¡¯t, that¡¯s fine. At least I¡¯ll get stronger. If I get stronger, I¡¯ll be less worried about being noticed and will be able to find a way to return more quickly without fearing for my life. ¡®I¡¯ll go to the Great Labyrinth.¡¯ Jeong Yushin decided what he would do next and stepped out of the inn. The central plaza was packed with camping tents. He walked a little farther and exited the plaza. Most people had gathered together, wrapped in blankets and leaning against wooden fences, sleeping. Jeong Yushin also found a quiet spot and leaned against a wooden fence. It was a little chilly, but thanks to the alcohol, it was bearable. He unwrapped the blanket tied to the top of his backpack, covered himself with it, and closed his eyes. As dawn arrived, Jeong Yushin woke up. The roofless night was tough. Thanks to the alcohol, he was able to sleep a little, but a single blanket was hardly enough to endure the cold dawn. Creak. When he got up and stretched, his bones creaked loudly. The others were already packing their things and heading to the inn. A dog beastman, whose fur was drooping from the heavy morning dew, grumbled. "Sleeping outdoors never gets easier." A priest-looking companion walking beside him retorted. "Be thankful there was a wooden fence to lean on." "I¡¯ll admit that. But sleeping outdoors until the next village... Ugh." The next village. Not knowing how long it would take to get there, Jeong Yushin wanted to replenish his supplies if possible. He entered the inn, which smelled of delicious food. "One coin." The innkeeper from last night placed a wooden bowl on the table. It was steaming oat porridge. "Thank you. Do you sell jerky or dried meat?" "Yeah. How much do you need?" "How long will it take to get to the next village?" "Well, where are you headed?" "I¡¯m going to the Great Labyrinth." "If it¡¯s the Great Labyrinth, just follow the road. It¡¯ll take about three days to get to the next village." "Then, I¡¯ll take enough dried meat for three days." "Alright. How cute." The innkeeper gave a sly smile and left. Jeong Yushin took a bite of the hot porridge. It tasted amazing, especially with the meat and potatoes in it. The warm meal helped him relax after the cold night. "Here, three days'' worth of food. Including breakfast, that¡¯ll be 21 coins." As Jeong Yushin finished his porridge, the innkeeper came back. The dried meat was carefully wrapped in large leaves. Jeong Yushin took the coins out of his pocket and handed them over. "Here you go." "Thanks. Come again next time." After finishing the porridge, Jeong Yushin left the inn. People were chatting among themselves as they left the village. He didn¡¯t hesitate this time. He knew exactly where he was going. The Great Labyrinth. He began walking in the direction of the rising sun. Chapter 3: Misunderstanding ¡°Wow, finally!¡± Jeong Yushin, who had become a beggar in appearance, shouted in front of the village. Thinking about the hardships of the past three days, tears welled up in his eyes. The survival guide his father taught him had been of no help whatsoever. [Dad, teach me how to make fire.] [Aah, this is how you make fire. Watch carefully.] His father stood up, scraping the outer surface of a dry log. As the rays of light passed over the log, smoke began to rise. His father threw some straw onto the log and stood back, folding his arms. After a moment, flames rose, as if they were waiting for it. [See, easy right?] "It¡¯s not easy." His father¡¯s tough-guy survival guide included many other techniques, but none of them helped. At night, he had to climb trees to sleep, and during the day, he kept walking. Thankfully, there had been no monster attacks. Perhaps it was because there were so many soldiers patrolling the road? He wasn¡¯t sure. Jeong Yushin brushed his matted hair aside and approached the village guard. ¡°Are you from Arentzville?¡± The scruffy guard asked. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Five coins.¡± ¡°Here you go.¡± As Jeong Yushin was about to enter ? N§àv§Öl?g?§ä ? (Continue reading) the village after handing over the coins, the guard raised his hand to stop him. "Did anything unusual happen on the way here? I¡¯ve heard that slave hunters have been appearing around the roads recently." The memory of his first arrival in this world flashed before his eyes. Even if he said he had transferred to another world, there was no guarantee that the guard would believe him. Besides, he¡¯d have to make up some story about his identity, and since he didn¡¯t know much, it would be easy for his lie to be exposed. Wouldn¡¯t it be easier just to deny meeting them? ¡°No, nothing happened.¡± ¡°I see. You seem to have a pretty nice sword. Let me take a look.¡± Jeong Yushin handed over his weapon. The guard drew the sword and held it up to the sunlight. ¡°Most slave hunters come from the Western Empire. Do you know how they hunt?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t.¡± A sense of dread slowly started to creep up on him. Should he have just told the truth? The guard continued to examine the sword while speaking. ¡°They don¡¯t gather in one place to hunt. Ah! Do you know where the hunting grounds are? This is the Eastern Union territory. They sneak in one by one, pretending to be harmless, pretending to be pilgrims, tricking people while hiding, getting ready for the hunt.¡± Jeong Yushin remained silent. ¡°When they gather individually, it¡¯s hard to tell who¡¯s a hunter, right? That¡¯s why they carve a mark somewhere on their sword. A mark that looks like this.¡± The reflection of the sword in the sunlight dazzled him, and for a moment, he had to close his eyes. Thud. He felt a cold sensation on his neck. ¡°Today¡¯s your lucky day. Follow me, you scum.¡± The guard grabbed him and dragged him into a building at the corner of the village square. ¡°Captain, I caught one.¡± Inside, there were two people. A middle-aged man looking over some documents and a person wrapped entirely in a gray robe. At the guard¡¯s words, the middle-aged man looked up. ¡°A black-haired one. It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve seen a barbarian. Judging by his weak appearance, he must be a half-blood. Most of the information has already been given to him, so it¡¯s not really necessary. Take him to the nearby forest, interrogate him, and dispose of him.¡± ¡°No, wait! It¡¯s a misunderstanding! This is all a misunderstanding!¡± ¡°Where did I misunderstand? Is it that you¡¯re a half-blood?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s the part where you think I¡¯m a slave hunter.¡± The middle-aged man briefly stroked his chin. ¡°Cut him open and kill him. Make it as painful as possible.¡± ¡°Wait, wait! I was also captured by slave hunters! The red-haired wolf beastman named Karin saved me!¡± Both the middle-aged man and the guard froze. ¡°You...¡± Did they finally realize it? Had his honest plea reached their hearts? ¡°A barbarian crying. This... is truly rare.¡± The middle-aged man looked at Jeong Yushin with astonishment. Damn. ¡°I wasn¡¯t crying. My eyes just got a little moist from frustration.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what they call luck. Send him off quickly. Tsk.¡± ¡°Captain, it seems like he¡¯s the one that was saved by that person, Karin. Shouldn¡¯t we verify this?¡± At the guard¡¯s words, Jeong Yushin shouted in agreement. ¡°That¡¯s right! Please let me meet Karin. She¡¯ll confirm it immediately.¡± The middle-aged man sighed. ¡°Karin is the daughter of the representative of the Beastman Alliance. Someone like you doesn¡¯t get to meet her. Besides, she¡¯s been gone for quite some time. Just go quietly.¡± ¡°Is it really okay to kill an innocent person like this?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll need at least four soldiers to take him in. But all of them are out patrolling the roads. There¡¯s no one left in the village. And can money just sprout from the ground? No. Will this paperwork for the trip just take care of itself? No. How many people must suffer just because of you? Barbarian, just go quietly.¡± The middle-aged man¡¯s eyes reddened as he spoke, growing agitated. The guard scratched his head and looked at Jeong Yushin. ¡°I think the captain¡¯s right.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take him with me.¡± The person in the gray robe spoke. ¡°Really?¡± The middle-aged man seemed relieved. ¡°Yes. I need to meet Karin anyway. I¡¯ll help the platoon leader with his tasks. I¡¯ll go.¡± ¡°Shimus...¡± The middle-aged platoon leader seemed almost speechless, touched by the gesture. When Shimus, the man in the gray robe, pulled back his hood, his appearance was revealed. He was a middle-aged human with some white in his hair. He smiled when his eyes met Jeong Yushin¡¯s. ¡°Well, well, it¡¯s been a while since I traveled with a barbarian.¡± ¡°Thank you. I don¡¯t know how to repay this favor.¡± The platoon leader immediately stood up and bowed. ¡°As a follower of the Spirit Church, it¡¯s only natural.¡± Shimus waved his hand dismissively, then continued. ¡°We should leave now.¡± Shimus and Jeong Yushin left the village immediately. Jeong Yushin was allowed to take his belongings, but his sword was confiscated. Though his hands and feet weren¡¯t bound, it seemed they didn¡¯t want him carrying any weapons. Jeong Yushin walked along the road. Shimus muttered something to himself, occasionally taking out a strangely shaped necklace from his chest and kissing it. Aside from when absolutely necessary, Shimus didn¡¯t speak to Jeong Yushin. His earlier claim that it had been a long time since traveling with a barbarian seemed meaningless now. Jeong Yushin didn¡¯t have anything to say either, so they walked in silence. For breakfast, Jeong Yushin casually admired the wildflowers growing along the road. For lunch, they rested under the shade of a large old tree beside the road. For dinner, they gazed at the vast horizon of the plain, watching the setting sun on the other side. The journey remained strange and silent until the fourth day after leaving the village. It was that evening, while sitting in a corner of an abandoned ruin on the highland and chewing on jerky, when something unusual happened. Shimus looked up. ¡°Monsters.¡± ¡°Eh! What should I do?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s just a few goblins.¡± Shimus stood up from his seat. Chikik! Kreee. About thirty goblins, having gathered, approached the light from the campfire. Shimus, smiling, stood up. "Looks like they let their guard down because there are only two of us. Normally, they just shoot arrows from the darkness. You stay still." Kyaa!! The goblins all screamed and charged together. As Shimus threw off his gray robe, his black priestly attire became visible. He clenched his fist and assumed a stance, and a strange, intense aura enveloped him. Bang!! The sound of a drum came from the goblin¡¯s stomach as it was pierced by something. A large hole appeared, and the goblin fell. Jeong Yushin¡¯s eyes widened. The punch was so fast that he missed it entirely. And the destructive force that made a hole in the goblin¡¯s stomach. Whooosh!! Shimus¡¯ low kick landed like a whip, striking the goblin¡¯s shoulder. The goblin was slammed into the ground, crushed. The ten goblins charging straight ahead froze. They seemed to realize something, but it was already too late. Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! The priest¡¯s light jabs cracked the goblins¡¯ skulls. The goblins screamed and tried to flee into the darkness, but... ¡°Stop.¡± Shimus spoke calmly. The goblins froze in place, unable to move. Jeong Yushin realized that the strange, dangerous aura Shimus had been emitting was what had trapped the goblins in place. Shimus raised his finger and cut a line through the air. The goblins¡¯ heads cleanly fell off, dropping to the ground with a thud. Jeong Yushin gaped at the scene. ¡°Crazy.¡± It immediately dawned on him. The reason they hadn¡¯t bound his hands and feet. Shimus¡¯ words earlier, telling him to try running if he wanted to. When Shimus could slice off monster necks as easily as pulling out coins from a pocket, handcuffs and restraints didn¡¯t mean a thing. The only reason he was still alive was one thing: Shimus didn¡¯t want his head. ¡°Ugh!¡± The sight before him, the smell of blood, made Jeong Yushin¡¯s stomach churn. He quickly brought the water pouch to his mouth. Glug, glug. ¡°Phew.¡± ¡°Barbarian.¡± At Shimus¡¯ words, Jeong Yushin snapped back to his senses. ¡°Yes, yes, sir.¡± Shimus smiled faintly. ¡°You should wash your hands. Pour me some water.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Jeong Yushin poured the water from his canteen into Shimus¡¯ hands. ¡°Barbarian. Are you trembling?¡± It was true. His hands were shaking, which caused the canteen to tremble, and the water spilled out. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t apologize.¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m sorry. I won¡¯t apologize.¡± ¡°Ha, a barbarian trembling. This will be an interesting journey.¡± Shimus shook his hands to dry them and then returned to the campfire. Jeong Yushin trembled. What in the world was a barbarian? He limped toward the campfire and sat down. The smell of blood lingered in the air. He remembered the day Karin left. The night he spent alone in the cart, smelling the blood. Shhh. A strange wind brushed past him, and the scent of blood seemed to vanish. ¡°The spirit of the wind, huh? I¡¯ve sent the smell of blood up, so it¡¯ll fade a bit. We¡¯ll have to leave early tomorrow.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you think we should move the camp somewhere else?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Well, if he said so. He wrapped himself in the blanket and closed his eyes. His heart was still pounding from the horrifying scene. ¡®Will I be able to sleep?¡¯ Chapter 4: Explanation "Barbaroi, wake up." "Huff!" Jeong Yusin quickly jumped out of his seat. Seeing the daylight, it was morning. "Was I sleeping?" "Yes. You were sleeping quite soundly." "Hah." Jeong Yusin scratched his head and pulled out some jerky from his bag. Simus also pulled an apple from his robe, showing it to Jeong Yusin before munching on it. "I was in the forest." "Yes." Jeong Yusin thought that the old priest was talking more than usual today, while chewing on the jerky. Simus opened his mouth again. "Lady Karin has gone to the Great Labyrinth." "I know. The squad leader told me." "After going to the Great Labyrinth, where do you plan to go? Where did you originally intend to go?" Jeong Yusin tilted his head. His tone suggested that he was certain he wasn¡¯t aligned with the slave hunters. "I''m not going anywhere. The Great Labyrinth is my original destination anyway." "I see." Simus chuckled lightly. The two packed their things and left the abandoned ruins. On the last day of their journey, in the afternoon of the seventh day, Jeong Yusin arrived at his destination. "Wow." The city seen from the high hill was enormous. As Simus had mentioned the night before, the claim that this was the second capital of the Eastern Alliance wasn¡¯t an exaggeration. Countless roads leading to the city and masses of people that looked like ants. The city walls, towering like modern buildings. The river flowing majestically from the north wrapped around the enormous city wall and flowed south. It was a whole different level compared to the cities Jeong Yusin had seen from a distance. "This is a really big city." At Jeong Yusin''s admiration, Simus laughed. "Don¡¯t you hear people saying you''re not good with words?" "Sometimes." "You really resemble her." "Who?" "No one. Never mind." Simus took the lead. They thought they''d be stuck for hours at the city gates due to the massive crowd, but that concern proved unnecessary. "Hey, Simus!" The gatekeeper of the city shouted when he saw Simus. The gatekeeper was a bear beastman, his face marred by a large scar that made him look rather intimidating. The bear beastman ran up and bowed sharply to Simus. "Welcome to the Labyrinth City. I''ll report to the committee right away." "No need for that. We only intend to see Lady Karin for a moment and leave." "Understood!" The bear beastman looked disappointed and coiled his body in a sad manner. Jeong Yusin thought he resembled a bear playfully trying to charm honey. "Who is this person, though?" The bear beastman pointed at Jeong Yusin. "I have one thing to confirm with Lady Karin regarding this Barbaroi." "Is this related to the slave hunters?" "Yes." "Leave this troublesome matter to me." The bear beastman slapped his chest proudly. "You filthy human! What are you hiding? Speak now!" The enormous bear beastman glared at Jeong Yusin, growling, and the crowd''s attention immediately shifted toward them. People murmured, and a few guards ran up, holding their spears tightly. Simus waved his hand dismissively. "No need for that. This is something I¡¯m doing willingly." "Understood. Please, come in." The bear beastman immediately changed his attitude. The inspection at the gates proceeded smoothly. The elf with glasses managed the inspection, and his dark circles indicated how tired he looked. "Barbaroi." The elf spoke. "Yes." "Just remember one thing." Jeong Yusin tensed at the elf''s serious words. "Marriage hunting is prohibited in this city." "Excuse me?" Did I just hear that right? Jeong Yusin tried to clear his hazy mind and asked again. "Don''t look so shocked. I respect the culture of the Barbaroi, but actions that cause chaos in this city are not welcome. Frankly, it¡¯s not a virtue worth encouraging." The elf scrutinized Jeong Yusin¡¯s eyes, as though seeking his agreement. "Yes... yes, I understand." The elf sighed deeply. "For example, don¡¯t kidnap another man¡¯s wife, spend three full days with her, turn her into a mess, then go to the husband and say, ''Hmm, your wife lost consciousness during intercourse, so she¡¯s not suitable to be my wife, so I¡¯ll return her.'' Don¡¯t do that." Jeong Yusin grabbed his dizzy head. Barbaroi. What kind of crazy people are these? He barely managed to speak. "Yes. I won¡¯t do marriage hunting." "Another thing." Is there more? "You shouldn¡¯t have sex without explicit consent from the woman." "Yes." Why is this elf talking about such obvious things? "Don¡¯t grab random women and force yourself on them, then say, ''Well, this female was wiggling her hips and seduced me, so I couldn¡¯t help it.'' That¡¯s what I¡¯m saying." "Yes. But is that marriage hunting? It sounds more like... rape." The elf scowled. "If you directly translate the Barbaroi¡¯s term, it¡¯s ''female hunting.'' But how do people who learned such vulgar terms even use them? They tone it down." "Yes. Female hunting. I won¡¯t do it." "Say ''marriage hunting.'' It sounds more proper than mindless female hunting. Now, go." Jeong Yusin stumbled out of the inspection area. Simus was standing with his arms crossed, leaning against a wall. "Would you like to rest for the day?" "No. Let¡¯s go quickly." "Lady Karin might not recognize you." Jeong Yusin shuddered at Simus''s nonchalant tone. He shook his head. "That Karin beastman has my artifact." "Artifact?" "Yes. Something like flint." "Did you give it to her?" "No. She just took it." "Ah, that''s unfortunate." Simus stroked his chin. Even this monstrous priest seemed to covet artifacts. Jeong Yusin found Simus''s human side amusing and quietly laughed to himself. "Well, it¡¯s not a great magical tool, so I¡¯m not too disappointed." "No, not the magical tool." "Hmm?" "Then what are you disappointed about... Ah!" Jeong Yusin realized it. Simus chuckled. "If Lady Karin doesn¡¯t recognize you, I was going to deal with it myself." "Deal with it?" A cold sweat ran down his back. "Even a villain like a slave hunter has a chance for redemption. I was planning a leisurely journey for both redemption and obedience, but it¡¯s unfortunate." "..." Jeong Yusin wanted to meet Karin quickly and clear up the misunderstanding. "I don¡¯t really remember?" Jeong Yusin¡¯s mouth fell open at Karin¡¯s indifferent words. "Wait a second!" They had managed to pass through the outer gate checkpoint and arrived at the inner city gates, where only the high-ranking individuals could stay. Perhaps Simus¡¯s message had reached ahead, as Karin was standing just outside the inner gate. "You saw me back then! The three elves together!" Jeong Yusin hurriedly continued speaking. "Hmm." A smile full of confidence and sharp eyes. Jeong Yusin hadn¡¯t been able to see her clearly when they first met, but now ¡ô N§àv§Öl?g?t ¡ô (Only on N§àv§Öl?g?t) he could. Her tall frame, complemented by a heavy chest, strained under her thin linen shirt, while her thick thighs pressed her leather pants tightly, revealing her shape. Her tail, a soft reddish color, swayed gently. It was like fire. Not just her tail, but the whole of her. "You took my artifact. The one that produces fire." Jeong Yusin, struggling to suppress the overwhelming feeling, spoke boldly. "I don¡¯t remember at all." How could she not remember? Did she suddenly get dementia? "Is that how you ask someone to remember? Maybe you should kneel. Then I might remember." Karin¡¯s tail swayed lazily. It looked like a wolf playing with prey it had already captured. Jeong Yusin bit his lip tightly. Pride? He discarded it. He¡¯d rather smash his head here than go on a journey of redemption, atonement, and obedience with a middle-aged man. Without hesitation, he knelt and bowed his head. "Should I lick your feet?" A cold glare descended from above. "Enough. I thought you were hiding something big, but it¡¯s nothing. Boring. Simus, this person is not a slave hunter." Simus clicked his tongue. "That¡¯s unfortunate. You could have been good company for my journey. By the way, can we talk separately?" Karin tilted her head. "What about?" "I want to speak in a place without people." "Understood. Barbaroi, get up and go." Jeong Yusin got up and gave a small bow. "Yes. I hope you both have a good time." "Sure." "Shit." Though he was annoyed by Karin¡¯s sarcastic tone, he didn¡¯t show it. "Simus, have a good journey." "Take care. I hope we can meet again." Jeong Yusin left them behind and exited through the inner gate. He had planned to go to an inn he had seen earlier while passing through the outer district. "Damn." He walked around for a while, but he couldn¡¯t find the inn he had seen before. Reluctantly, he entered a different one nearby. "We don¡¯t accept Barbaroi." At the innkeeper¡¯s cold refusal, Jeong Yusin asked. "Why?" "Why? Hah!" The innkeeper seemed ready to rant, uncrossing his arms and placing his hands on his hips. "Only your kind would break into women¡¯s rooms in the middle of the night, rape them, and turn them into a mess. Every black-haired barbarian who¡¯s come to this inn has done the same. And then what? ''Isn¡¯t it fine as long as we¡¯re both happy?'' Get out before I call the guards!" Jeong Yusin felt dizzy from the innkeeper¡¯s tirade. ¡®These crazy Barbaroi.¡¯ Seeing the innkeeper¡¯s expression, he knew no words would get through. A rat beastman sitting nearby, sipping alcohol, snickered. "Oh, the innkeeper is really fired up. Could it be because you¡¯re a young Barbaroi?" "No. I just believe in the laws and justice of this city." At the innkeeper¡¯s words, the people drinking around him burst into laughter. Jeong Yusin ignored the laughter and left the inn. The city was vast, and there were many inns, but not a single one welcomed Barbaroi. After being turned away from the twentieth inn, Jeong Yusin stepped outside, and the surrounding area had already darkened. Streetlights lit up, and he could see people who had finished exploring the labyrinth entering taverns, chatting loudly. A sudden bad feeling crept over him. ¡®Am I screwed?¡¯ He had expected it would be difficult to adapt in a strange world with limited knowledge, but the reality was worse than he imagined. He had no way to adapt because his appearance made it impossible to blend in. The bad reputation built by the crazy Barbaroi was like a towering wall blocking his path. "Still, it doesn¡¯t make sense that out of all these inns, there¡¯s not one that will accept me." With hope, he wandered the streets. But after the thirtieth rejection, he leaned against a wall, feeling defeated. The night had deepened, and people were heading home. ¡®This is the last time.¡¯ Resolved to sleep on the streets, he kept walking. Soon, he saw a shabby inn at the corner of a street. The sign was unreadable. Thinking about it, it was strange. How could he, who didn¡¯t know how to read, speak the language of this world naturally? ¡®Now¡¯s not the time to worry about that. I¡¯m about to end up on the streets.¡¯ Jeong Yusin opened the wooden door and entered the inn. Chapter 5: Settle down "Are you a Barbaroi?" The bear beastman sitting at the counter spoke. "Do you have a seat?" Jeong Yusin asked with an eager expression. "Yes." The bear beastman stood up. He looked much larger than the gatekeeper bear beastman he had seen earlier. His leisurely movements made him seem like a giant ball of fur rolling toward him. Jeong Yusin took a small step back. "How much?" "Five fairy tales. Including breakfast." Jeong Yusin pulled five fairy tales from his bag and handed them to the bear beastman. "Wait." The bear beastman raised his arm and stopped him. "What is it?" Just as Jeong Yusin was about to blurt out that he was a good Barbaroi who doesn''t commit rape... "There¡¯s one rule you must follow in this inn." Jeong Yusin swallowed nervously. The large ball of fur looked at him seriously, making him feel tense for no reason. "What is it?" "If there¡¯s fur in the food or bedding, don¡¯t complain." Certainly. So far, most of the innkeepers he had encountered were humans. Dwarves were common, but beastmen were rare, especially ones with such fluffy fur. "I understand. Here are the five fairy tales." Only then did the bear beastman accept the fairy tales and hand over the key. "It¡¯s the third room on the right on the second floor." "Thank you." Jeong Yusin expressed his gratitude as if finding light in the darkness. He went up to the second floor and opened the door. The room was bare, with only a bed, a desk, and a chair. It was dark, as there didn¡¯t seem to be any lighting fixtures. Jeong Yusin unpacked his things and removed his leather armor. After days of travel, he smelled faintly sour from sweat. "Phew." He took out his water flask, wet a towel, wiped his body, and collapsed onto the bed. "Ah, finally." Is it finally starting? Tomorrow, he would go to the labyrinth explorer''s guild, get his exploration license, gather some equipment, and dive into the labyrinth. His heart raced. He had heard that there was a small chance of obtaining something called "Engraving" after entering and leaving the labyrinth. If he was lucky, he could become stronger quickly. His desire to grow stronger had only increased after arriving in this world. Perhaps it was because he had been beaten down so much here. He instinctively felt that if he kept struggling in this narrow world, he would eventually die in a futile attempt. With a mix of hope and resolve, Jeong Yusin fell asleep. "Really big." In front of the massive building, Jeong Yusin couldn¡¯t help but marvel. The Explorer Guild. The building, made of white marble, resembled a temple. He was glad he had gotten up early and left the inn. There was no need to ask for directions¡ªhe could clearly see the countless people carrying their gear heading toward it. Inside the building, dozens of counters and guild members were moving in an orderly fashion. Jeong Yusin stood in line. The line was quickly getting shorter as the guild members worked diligently. "How can I help you?" It was his turn. The female guild member smiled, not even wiping the sweat from her brow. "I''m here to get an exploration license." "Is this your first time?" "Yes." The woman raised her hand and pointed to the left. "Go to the farthest left. New explorers receive their licenses at that counter. The one here is for intermediate explorers, so be mindful in the future. Have a nice day." "Thank you." Jeong Yusin went to the relatively empty far-left counter and stood in line. "How can I help you?" Finally, it was his turn. "I''m here to get an exploration license." "Okay. That will be ten silver coins." "Here you go." Jeong Yusin handed over the silver coins. "Got it. Do you know how to read?" "No." "Please provide your basic information verbally. I will write it down for you." Here it comes. Would they believe him if he honestly said he fell from another world? Or would they think he was crazy and report him to the guards? He didn¡¯t want to test his luck. Even if they believed he was from another world, it would be problematic. Couldn¡¯t explorers, digging through the mysteries of the labyrinth, easily dissect a person from another world? Who knows. At least until he had the strength to protect himself, it seemed safer to lie about his origins. Fortunately, he had a suitable identity to use. Jeong Yusin opened his mouth. "A Barbaroi who has lived his whole life in an unnamed village in the north." The receptionist nodded. "Lastly, please provide your name. Oh! Of course, it can be an alias. Only for Barbaroi." "Why do I need an alias?" Jeong Yusin wasn¡¯t embarrassed by his name, but to reduce suspicion, he thought of a few aliases. But it seemed odd that the receptionist was the one suggesting the alias. The receptionist¡¯s face turned pale at his question. "I don¡¯t know much about Barbaroi culture, but I know this. Barbaroi reveal their true names only to people they will live with or close friends." "Ah." As the receptionist¡¯s words sank in, a few words came to mind, arranged and pieced together. He realized. The Barbaroi¡¯s practice of hunting "females" and turning them into "semen-drenched" trophies was a form of play¡ªa Barbaroi''s way of announcing that they intended to turn someone into a lifelong female sex slave, by any means necessary. In other words, a rape proposal. "Uh..." His mind went blank, and his lips dried. He licked his lips, and the receptionist¡¯s face grew even paler. "I have a boyfriend!" Not wanting to argue any longer with the receptionist, Jeong Yusin quickly got to the point. "Alright. I¡¯ll go with the alias ''Skah.''" "Skah. Nice name." The receptionist hurriedly wrote down the details with trembling hands. After the registration was complete, the receptionist handed him a small metal tag with some writing on it, but he couldn¡¯t understand it. It was probably his alias. "You don¡¯t have to come to the main guild every time. There are guild branches throughout the city, so you can use them. The pay is higher at the main guild, but the branches are more convenient for new explorers. The main guild is mostly for intermediate or higher-level explorer parties, so they don¡¯t pay as much attention to newcomers." The receptionist spoke quickly. Was she trying to get rid of him fast? "Alright." Jeong Yusin nodded and left the Explorer Guild headquarters. At least one important task was finished, and he felt a sense of pride. "Now I just need to gather my equipment and supplies." He had only a few fairy tales and about two silver coins left, but he thought it would be enough. He already had hard leather armor from the slave hunter, so he just needed to get a sword and shield. The shield had been confiscated by the gatekeeper yesterday. His expectations were off. "Five silver coins for this?" At Jeong Yusin¡¯s question, the dwarf¡¯s face scrunched up. "Yes. It¡¯s the cheapest longsword. This shield is three silver coins." The dwarf pointed to a round wooden shield. Eight silver coins. Since 100 fairy tales equaled one silver coin, that meant he needed a total of 800 fairy tales. Jeong Yusin let out a hollow laugh. "What? Barbaroi, how much is your budget that makes you laugh like that?" "Two silver coins." "Get lost. Tch, spitting sounds!" He went around several blacksmith shops, but the prices were all similar. Jeong Yusin trudged back to the inn. By noon, the smell of delicious food was coming from the inn. The bear beastman was sitting at the counter. "Lunch is two fairy tales." "Are you hiring workers by any chance?" "The innkeeper is a Barbaroi. Giving fish to a cat. Want to have sex and earn money? No shame? Get lost." The bear beastman responded calmly. Despite his demeanor, Jeong Yusin calmly explained his situation and asked for help. He needed a job to buy a sword and shield for his exploration but couldn¡¯t afford it. He asked if the innkeeper could introduce him to a job, anywhere. The bear beastman crossed his arms. "How can I trust you?" "Here¡¯s a freshly issued explorer license. Can¡¯t you use this as collateral?" Jeong Yusin pulled the small metal tag from his robe and handed it over. The bear beastman fiddled with the metal tag. "Skah, do you know the meaning of an explorer handing over their identification?" "I¡¯m new, so I don¡¯t know." The bear beastman clicked his tongue and put ? N§àv§ÖIight ? (Read more on our source) the ID tag in his pocket. Seeing this, Jeong Yusin felt a chill at the back of his neck. "Owner. I just realized, giving my explorer ID away might make me look like a fool. Could you give it back?" "I¡¯ll find you a job. Eat. And my name is Darmong." Darmong. For a big bear beastman with thick fur, his name sounded a bit cute. Ignoring Jeong Yusin¡¯s request and speaking only his own words wasn¡¯t cute, though. Darmong brought lunch, which was free and delicious. It had a bit too much fur in it, but Jeong Yusin ate it as if he were removing fish bones. The job was found faster than expected. The next morning, Darmong called for Jeong Yusin. "Beast dismantling, huh?" "Yeah." "Alright." When Jeong Yusin agreed without hesitation, Darmong¡¯s eyebrows twitched. "It¡¯s a tough job." "Don¡¯t worry. How tough could it be?" "I wasn¡¯t worried. Don¡¯t cry later." "Can I quit if I cry?" "No." Darmong¡¯s firm response made Jeong Yusin laugh bitterly. He had a bad feeling creeping up his spine, but he ignored it. "Can you read?" "No." Darmong marked something on a piece of paper and handed it to Jeong Yusin. It was a tourist map of the labyrinth city. The marked area was at the far western edge of the city, in the outermost outskirts. "I marked it. Follow the map, and you won¡¯t miss it. The dismantling place has a strong smell of blood, so you won¡¯t miss it. Just tell the boss there I sent you, and they¡¯ll understand." "Thank you." "Thank you will come later." Jeong Yusin left the inn and headed toward the beast dismantling building. As Darmong had said, when he went further west, he found a large building with a strong smell of blood. A building made of red bricks. He immediately realized. People were hauling animal carcasses he had never seen before on carts and taking them inside the building. Jeong Yusin followed them into the building. Inside, it was noisy with the sounds of workers and very busy. "Excuse me, where is the dismantling boss?" He asked a passing dwarf. "New guy?" "Yes." "New guy!! Boss, a new guy¡¯s here!!" The dwarf suddenly shouted, and the surrounding area quieted. Jeong Yusin could feel dozens of eyes on him. "A new guy?" "Yeah, probably here for a tour. Probably. Who knows." The surroundings whispered. A few people quietly approached. Jeong Yusin felt uneasy and took a step back. Crack!! His legs wouldn¡¯t move, and when he looked down, the dwarf was holding him tightly with his strong hands. "Boss!!" "I got it. I¡¯m coming." A person working in the back answered and leisurely walked over. An elf man, covered in blood, wearing a black eye patch over his left eye, exuding a decadent aura as he walked. The elf swept his blonde hair with his blood-soaked hand. "Are you the one Darmong sent?" "Yes." Jeong Yusin felt like a mouse in front of a cat. "Yeah. Malon, you¡¯re in charge of training this new guy." "Yes! Understood." The dwarf holding Jeong Yusin¡¯s leg responded cheerfully. As the elf turned away, he spoke. "If you¡¯re going to run away after a day, leave now." "Yes." "Oh! Just kidding. You can¡¯t leave." "What?" "Darmong recommended you to me, and I trust him, so I accepted you. If you run away, I¡¯ll have a hard time trusting Darmong. Please uphold my trust, Barbaroi." The weight of that trust was too much. He had asked Darmong for a job, but it felt more like he had been initiated into a martial arts sect. "Haha! The boss may say that, but his heart is warm. Follow me, newbie." ¡®What, I¡¯m going to die?¡¯ Jeong Yusin thought to himself as he followed the dwarf to the changing room. Chapter 6: Demon Dismantling Center "Late in the evening, Darmong sat at the inn''s counter, resting his chin on his hand. The few remaining customers had already left, and those staying for the night had already gone to bed. Clunk! The door opened, and Jeong Yushin staggered in with a wobbling gait. Like an octopus, he flopped down into the chair across from Darmong. ¡°Darmong, give me a drink,¡± he slurred. ¡°It¡¯s past business hours.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t sleep like this.¡± Darmong clicked his tongue and retrieved a bottle from the shelf, pouring a small amount into a glass. Jeong Yushin, with trembling hands, took the glass and poured it down his throat. The fire of the alcohol spread down his esophagus and filled his stomach. As the warmth spread, the pain that had been gnawing at his body subsided a little. ¡®Will I be able to wake up tomorrow?¡¯ Jeong Yushin thought seriously. ¡°Tonight¡¯s on the house. From tomorrow, it¡¯s two silver coins per drink.¡± ¡°Two silver coins for this little glass?¡± ¡°It¡¯s expensive liquor.¡± ¡®It just tasted like soju.¡¯ Jeong Yushin smacked his lips and got up from his seat. ¡°Then I¡¯ll head to bed first.¡± He was too tired to chat any longer. ¡°Alright.¡± Jeong Yushin entered his room and collapsed onto the bed. ¡°Ugh.¡± He let out a strange sound and passed out cold. A month passed. Jeong Yushin¡¯s routine was monotonous. He woke up, spat out the fur of a bear-man beast he had in his mouth, and had breakfast. Then, he headed to the monster dissection workshop. After draining the blood of the monsters delivered that day, he skinned them and removed their flesh and innards. The monsters varied in size. Some were small, like goblins, while others were massive, easily surpassing six tons. Jeong Yushin looked at the enormous monster carcass and clicked his tongue. ¡°How on earth do you catch a monster like this?¡± The decadent elf supervisor gave a simple answer. ¡°Skill.¡± After a brief break for lunch, he went back to work in the afternoon. In the evening, he changed out of his work clothes, washed the blood off in the shower at the dissection workshop, and then gathered with the others to eat. The location was unusual¡ªit was in the corner of the dissection workshop¡¯s front yard. Meat sizzled on the grill. The meat was leftover from the ~N§àv§Ölight~ monster dissection, and the charcoal was sourced from the nearby forge. For almost a month, they had grilled meat and eaten this way every evening. The dissection workshop staff shared the alcohol they had brought. ¡°Here, new guy, have a drink.¡± The senior dissection worker, Malron, handed him a bottle. ¡°Thank you.¡± It was a dwarf-made strong liquor. After just one sip, his stomach felt warm. ¡°Is the work manageable?¡± Malron asked, looking at Jeong Yushin. Jeong Yushin looked at his hands. His hands were covered in scars and hardened calluses. They were no longer soft and supple like before. Moreover, during today¡¯s work, he had nearly lost a finger. If not for the elf supervisor¡¯s healing magic, he would have had to rush to the doctor with a nearly severed finger in his hand. After seeing Shimus¡¯s spirit magic, he thought he¡¯d be less impressed, but he was wrong. Magic was always fascinating. Jeong Yushin raised his head. ¡°Yes. It¡¯s manageable.¡± Malron laughed loudly. ¡°I like you! How about we go have a drink somewhere else?¡± ¡°No.¡± The elf supervisor interjected sharply. ¡°The new guy is to head back to the inn as soon as the meal is over. Darmong is waiting for him eagerly, like a newlywed waiting for his bride.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The elf¡¯s mouth twisted into a slight smile. ¡°Heh. To think Darmong is waiting so eagerly.¡± The elf suddenly burst out laughing. ??? He was laughing at his own words. Jeong Yushin and Malron watched in silence as the elf laughed. Malron snapped out of it and clicked his tongue. ¡°What a waste. We should have a drink next time when we get the chance.¡± ¡°Sounds good.¡± Jeong Yushin took a piece of the sizzling meat and chewed it. Even though it was only seasoned with coarse salt, the meat filled his mouth with a savory flavor, with no gamey smell. ¡®Alcohol and meat. This is the real deal.¡¯ Two months passed. The routine remained the same. Except for a few changes. First, the elf supervisor started calling him by name. Though it was a fake name. ¡°Ska, there¡¯s no need to overthink it. You can¡¯t eat the gargoyle. Just gently peel off its skin.¡± Jeong Yushin tried to stab his knife in, but the skin was so tough that it wouldn¡¯t go in. Seeing this, Malron stepped in. ¡°No, don¡¯t use too much force. Do it gently, like on your first night with a virgin. Nice and gentle.¡± Slap!! The elf supervisor slapped Malron¡¯s cheek. Thud. Malron fell sideways, holding his cheek, staring at the supervisor with a bewildered expression. ¡°Malron, are you seriously using such a vulgar analogy?¡± ¡°Sorry.¡± The three men fell silent for a moment. Suddenly, the elf supervisor started chuckling. ¡°Heh, first night with a virgin, huh. I can¡¯t take it.¡± Eventually, a loud laugh erupted. Malron, rubbing his cheek, also laughed. Jeong Yushin couldn¡¯t bring himself to laugh. ¡®Is this elf crazy?¡¯ What part of that was funny? He gave up thinking about it. Jeong Yushin shook his head and focused on the gargoyle. Another change was in Jeong Yushin¡¯s insight. When he looked at the wounds on a monster, he could identify the vital points. There were many battle wounds, but the fatal ones were always the same. He brushed the gargoyle¡¯s chest. There was a small hole in the spot where the scales were missing. A vital point. This was the third time he had dissected a gargoyle, and each time there had been a hole in the same place on its chest. He asked Malron and got confirmation. He also guessed why Darmong had sent him here. Money aside, wasn¡¯t it to help him improve his insight? The tsundere bear-man wouldn¡¯t admit it, but still. The last change was in his body. He had gained some muscle on his previously thin frame, and his jawline had become a little sharper. His stamina had increased significantly compared to before. The steady carnivorous diet, the intense labor, and the consistent lifestyle had brought about this change. Swoosh. Finally, the knife pierced the skin. But the real challenge began now. It was a delicate task to slowly cut the skin with consistent force to create boundaries. His arms were shaking, and his face was drenched in sweat. If he used too much force, the knife would veer off course, and the boundaries would become distorted. If he peeled off the skin following the distorted lines, the shape would be off, and the merchants would lower the purchase price. It would be a loss for the dissection workshop. But he couldn¡¯t ease up either. If he didn¡¯t put enough force, the knife wouldn¡¯t move forward, and the work would slow down, ultimately leading to a loss for the dissection workshop. ¡°Phew.¡± After struggling for a while, he finally created the boundaries. Jeong Yushin wiped the sweat from his forehead. The rest was easy. He just had to slide the knife between the skin and the flesh and gently scrape it off. It was similar to the work of inserting a needle between a toe and pulling out the toenails. After completing all the steps, Jeong Yushin sat down. ¡°Slow.¡± The elf supervisor¡¯s words made Jeong Yushin scratch his sweat-soaked head. ¡°Still, this should be enough for one person¡¯s share.¡± At the elf¡¯s next words, he couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°Wow, to think you¡¯re skinning a gargoyle after two months. You¡¯re a newbie with talent. My insight wasn¡¯t wrong.¡± Malron puffed his chest proudly. ¡°Why are you so proud? It¡¯s my insight that discovered Ska.¡± ¡®They didn¡¯t expect much from me anyway,¡¯ Jeong Yushin grumbled inwardly. Three months passed. There were no noticeable changes. He became more accustomed to the dissection work. His muscles had grown, and his stamina had increased further. If there was any gain, it was that he learned the elf supervisor¡¯s name. Aldein Ashwood. Darmong had reluctantly told him. It sounded crazy, but sometimes this tsundere bear-man could be cute. It was probably the influence of the eccentric sense of humor of the one-eyed elf supervisor. The night after skinning the twin-headed ogre, the elf supervisor approached. ¡°Ska, today¡¯s your last day. Take this.¡± Jeong Yushin looked up from chewing the meat on the grill. Aldein handed him leather gauntlets and leather boots reinforced with iron. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Here are ten silver coins. I added a little more.¡± ¡°Wow! Thank you.¡± ¡°Thank your thanks to Darmong.¡± Aldein turned quickly and went back to his spot. ¡°Hey! New guy, too bad. It¡¯s not much, but take it.¡± Dwarf Malron handed him a bottle of dwarf liquor and a note. ¡°My cousin runs a forge. If you mention my name, they¡¯ll give you a discount.¡± ¡°Thank you, Malron.¡± ¡°Yeah. A dungeon explorer... you¡¯re a friend dreaming a hard dream. Stay strong.¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll work hard.¡± Malron smiled, gave Jeong Yushin a pat on the back, and returned to his seat. After dinner, the dissection workshop staff left, giving Jeong Yushin words of encouragement. ¡°Ska, if you quit exploring, come back.¡± ¡°Yeah. If you lose an arm, come back and I¡¯ll take you.¡± ¡°You guys! Stop saying crazy stuff. Ska, honestly, I thought the city guards would come find you for a rape charge, but that never happened. I admit it. You¡¯re a good barbarian who doesn¡¯t rape. I hope we meet again with smiles.¡± ¡®You¡¯re the craziest one.¡¯ Jeong Yushin smiled and saw them off. The last one, Aldein, escorted him out. ¡°If you need help, call me.¡± ¡°Yes. Anytime.¡± He walked toward the inn under the evening streetlights. It was tough, but he felt proud. He had earned ten silver coins in a month. After working for three months, with all the money he had collected, he now had over thirty silver coins¡ªa small fortune. And with the gauntlets and boots, he could save on equipment costs and start exploring the labyrinth with relative comfort. A tune hummed involuntarily. As he entered the inn, Darmong was there. ¡°I¡¯m back.¡± ¡°I heard today¡¯s your last day.¡± ¡°Did Aldein tell you?¡± ¡°Yes. Here¡¯s your ID.¡± Darmong handed him a metal plate. It felt warm, as though it had been kept close to his body. ¡°So, are you planning to buy equipment and head straight into the labyrinth?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a class for new explorers at a nearby branch. Go take that class first.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°The great labyrinth is a dangerous place. Preparation must always be thorough. Don¡¯t rely on luck.¡± Darmong gave a bitter smile. ¡°Darmong, were you an explorer?¡± ¡°Did you just figure that out?¡± ¡°I had my suspicions. Well, I¡¯ll take the class first.¡± Jeong Yushin decided to follow the bear-man¡¯s advice. There was another reason too. The countless monster corpses he had seen at the dissection workshop. Even though they were corpses, their grotesque, bizarre, and massive forms had overwhelmed him several times. Courage alone wasn¡¯t enough. He had to gather information and prepare for the worst. But he was skeptical about how helpful the class provided by the explorer guild would be. If he paid five silver coins for the class and it turned out to be useless? He¡¯d be so pissed. How hard had he worked to gather that money? Originally, he planned to listen to the talks of the explorers at the tavern or buy drinks for senior explorers to get information. But he had just discarded that plan. He abandoned the doubts about the class and the plan to gather information through alcohol. He trusted the bear-man. The reason he had been sent to the monster dissection workshop. To make him aware of the dangers of monsters and instill vigilance. At the same time, he had earned money, built stamina, and honed his insight. This was his first arrangement. If he believed that, the explorer guild¡¯s class would be his second arrangement. Darmong smiled. When he reached for the liquor on the shelf, Jeong Yushin stopped him. ¡°I got a bottle of dwarf liquor. Let¡¯s drink with this.¡± ¡°Sounds good.¡± In the quiet corner of the inn, two glasses clinked together, filled with liquor. Chapter 7: Explorer Class Jung Yu-shin grabbed his head and got up. His head was pounding from the hangover. It was natural since the two of them had been drinking high-alcohol dwarf liquor. He changed his clothes while holding back his nausea. He put on the linen shirt and pants he bought at the market and the walkers he had received as a gift yesterday. When he went down to the first floor, Darmon was there. ¡°You¡¯re coming down like a leisurely bear.¡± ¡°This is the first leisurely morning I¡¯ve had in three months.¡± Darmon brought out the food. A sandwich with lots of meat and potato soup. The taste was incredibly good. There was a lot of bear hair in the soup, but he treated it like willow leaves floating in cold water. He thought it was Darmon¡¯s consideration because he was worried that if he ate too much because it was so delicious, he would get sick. Jung Yu-shin got up from his seat, pulling out the bear hair stuck in his teeth. ¡°I¡¯ll be back.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± I went out and walked down the street. The inn where Jeong Yu-shin was staying was in the southern part of the city. It was neither poor nor rich, but a commoner area. It was a district for people who made a living in the labyrinth city. After walking for about 30 minutes, I saw a fairly large wooden building. The branch of the Labyrinth Explorers¡¯ Association. I had seen it several times on my way home from work. I had never gone in. So it was familiar, but at the same time, unfamiliar. I pushed open the wooden revolving door and went in. The inside of the building was quite deserted. It seemed that everyone who was leaving had already left. As I approached the window, I saw a female receptionist. ¡°How may I help you?¡± ¡°I heard there is a class for new explorers. Can I register?¡± The woman smiled brightly. It was a dog named Suin with floppy ears, and her smile was cute. ¡°Of course! Can I see your ID?¡± ¡°Here it is.¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Ska. I checked. The tuition is 5 silver coins.¡± He took out a silver coin and handed it to me. ¡®It¡¯s cute.¡¯ The receptionist explained the class time and content in a friendly tone. I felt the sharp gaze of a human woman at the next window, but I ignored it. Since the first business was over, it was time for the second. I left the Explorers¡¯ Guild branch and went straight to the western blacksmith district. I showed the note Malone had given me to someone and asked around for a while, and finally found it. ¡°One longsword costs 10 silver coins.¡± Malone¡¯s cousin, Boron, said. ¡°Huh?!¡± My hands shook. It was almost a month¡¯s salary. ¡°I heard they¡¯re giving it to you for a low price.¡± ¡°They gave it to you for a low price. It was supposed to cost 15 silver coins.¡± There¡¯s nothing to say about that. Moreover, Boron¡¯s impression was severely wrinkled. If he made a mistake, he would be kicked out. ¡°How much is this shield?¡± ¡°It¡¯s five silver coins.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll buy the sword and shield, these two.¡± ¡°And the helmet?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°The helmet is the most important. This costs five silver coins.¡± The dwarf brought out an iron helmet. It had a T-shaped hole and was very narrow. It looked similar to Barbuta. Their eyes met briefly. Boron sighed deeply. ¡°Listen carefully. If it weren¡¯t for my cousin¡¯s introduction, you would have kicked my butt and kicked me out a long time ago. Don¡¯t bargain or look for a cheap price in front of a dwarf blacksmith. It¡¯s insulting.¡± There was a reason he was upset. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Jeong Yu-shin apologized honestly. The dwarf grumbled as he seemed to have calmed down a bit. ¡°One of the reasons why new explorers have such a high mortality rate is because of the lack of armor. Especially the head. It¡¯s uncomfortable, hard to see, and the noise is confusing. It¡¯s cumbersome and expensive, so they don¡¯t wear it often. Then they get hit in the head and die. It¡¯s a really rookie-like ending.¡± ¡°Thank you for the advice.¡± ¡°Thank goodness you understand. What other armor do you have?¡± ¡°I have hard leather armor and gauntlets.¡± ¡°Okay. Here¡¯s a scabbard and whetstone for free.¡± Jung Yu-shin took the equipment the dwarf had given him. He wore his longsword on his waist and held his shield in his left hand. When he put on his helmet, his vision narrowed significantly. It was exactly as the dwarf had said. ¡°I¡¯ll come back later.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t come.¡± Jung Yu-shin left the blacksmith shop with the dwarf seeing him off. The way back to the inn wearing his helmet was arduous. Because of the narrowed field of vision, I almost bumped into people several times. But I kept using it. I needed to get used to it. ¡°I¡¯m here.¡± I saw Darmon sitting at the counter. ¡°Are you here? Have you already gotten your gear?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Buy the rest after class. Still, you did well to buy the helmet.¡± ¡°Class starts tomorrow.¡± I was able to quit my job of dismantling monsters at the perfect time, neither too late nor too early. Was I lucky? Or was it Darmon¡¯s plan? In fact, there was a journal full of training plans for myself in Darmon¡¯s room drawer? It was a little creepy to imagine. Could there really be such a thing? Still, I was curious, so I asked honestly. Darmon looked at me pitifully. ¡°Excessive self-consciousness.¡± ¡°Oh, yes.¡± I went to the Explorers¡¯ Guild building early the next morning. The building was crowded with people. The request board was crowded with people, and all the tables in the corner were full. The window wasn''t as empty as yesterday, so I waited in line. Boom!! Someone slammed the reception desk. It was the boy right in front of Jeong Yu-shin. "No! Why do you keep forcing me to take classes!" "This is for new explorers. It''s important for survival and exploration..." It was the human female who had glared at him yesterday. She was speaking calmly, but the eyes reflected in her round glasses were cold. The boy cut off the woman. "Do I look like an idiot? If you ask me, I''ll tell you that I''m selling knowledge that everyone else knows for 5 silver coins? Even if you don''t have a conscience, you should have a moderate amount. Even if I''m a new explorer, I''m not ignorant. Don''t think about taking advantage of others and just do your job properly." "..." The female receptionist''s eyes turned sharp for a moment at the boy''s words. ¡°I have received your request. Defeat 10 hobgoblins and collect 10 lowest-grade magic stones. Is that correct?¡± ¡°Uh.¡± ¡°You can submit the request here or at the union exchange in front of the labyrinth. Goodbye.¡± ¡°Tsk.¡± The boy clicked his tongue and returned to the party members waiting for him. Two men and two women. They all looked like new explorers. After the boy left, Jeong Yu-shin went to the counter and held out his iron shield. ¡°I¡¯m here to take a new explorer class. Please check attendance.¡± His eyes were not just fierce, but he quickly got to the point. ¡°Yes, Ska-nim. I have confirmed it. You can go to the basement of the building.¡± Thump! ¡®This is it.¡¯ The receptionist put the iron shield down on the reception desk. It was too weak to say that he put it down hard. However, the sound was too irritating to say that he put it down lightly. It was a vague way of venting anger. I understand being angry, but isn¡¯t it a bit much to take it out on someone else? Jung Yu-shin put the iron sword in his bosom. He missed the bright smile that the cute dog Su-in had made yesterday. He left the window and went down to the basement. There were three people standing there. Mole Su-in. A human male in his early ? N§àv§Öl?g?t ? (Official version) 20s. A plump female dwarf. ¡°Hello.¡± Jung Yu-shin greeted first. None of the three greeted him. They just stared at his face blankly. ¡®You¡¯re acting like a dog.¡¯ ¡°Are you Barbaroi?¡± The human male asked cautiously. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Oh! I see. I was flustered because it was the first time Barbaroi greeted me first. I¡¯m Jackson.¡± He was starting to dislike Barbaroi more and more. ¡°I¡¯m Scar.¡± The other two finally opened their mouths and introduced themselves. ¡°Tig.¡± ¡°Alon.¡± The mole was Tig. The dwarf was Alon. The names were easy to understand. While they were talking, someone came down from above. A silver-haired woman with brown skin. She was wearing a tank top on top and loose pants for easy movement on the bottom. She had a muscular body and a solid six-pack. The woman stood in front of them. ¡°Is this all?¡± She looked over the four of them with a languid voice and even more intense eyes. No one answered. ¡°Am I the only one talking?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s all or not. I¡¯ve been waiting for quite some time.¡± ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°Ska.¡± ¡°Ursula. I¡¯m the branch leader here.¡± Even though it was a branch, it was shocking that the guild master would personally teach the newbies. Ursula scratched her head in annoyance. ¡°Damn it. I heard there were a lot of new explorers this time, but this is all there is?¡± No one answered. To be honest, you have to know something to answer. It was the first time I heard that there were a lot of new explorers. ¡°Whew. I can¡¯t help it. Let¡¯s start.¡± 8 hours passed. Contrary to her lax attitude, Ursula taught the class with sincerity and detail. If there was something you didn¡¯t know, you could ask questions as much as you wanted, and she explained it repeatedly until you understood. ¡°Tomorrow, we¡¯ll learn about the types of monsters that appear in the shallow layers and how to deal with them. You don¡¯t need to bring weapons. They¡¯re prepared in the underground training grounds. Do you have any questions?¡± Jackson raised his hand and said. ¡°Is the union leader still teaching?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯ll only do it until tomorrow. Then another teacher will come.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be disappointed. They¡¯re just as good as me.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± Ursula turned around and went up first. Jackson wiped his forehead with his hand. ¡°I was honestly surprised that there was so much to know.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Still, I learned a lot. There were some parts that surprised me. Especially the reason why only a handful of people have reached the depths of the Great Labyrinth in a thousand years.¡± Tig nodded at Alon¡¯s words. ¡°That¡¯s right. Party collapse due to negative imprinting. That¡¯s shocking.¡± Imprinting. An ability given to those who enter the Great Labyrinth. It sounded good at first, but it wasn¡¯t. There were three types of imprinting. Positive imprinting. Neutral imprint. Negative imprint. Positive imprint is literally an imprint that blooms the owner''s talent or grants new abilities. Neutral imprint is an imprint that is either liked or disliked depending on the owner''s needs and preferences. For example, there is an imprint that makes hair grow a lot. It was an imprint that was not necessary for water people, but was necessary for bald people or dwarves. Lastly, negative imprint. An imprint that has a negative effect on the owner or the city. Those with this imprint suddenly became bloodthirsty or transformed into monsters. Ursula did not explain negative imprints in detail. She only mentioned a few representative examples. "It was a total luck-based gacha game." "Huh?" Alon asked back at Jung Yu-shin''s grumbling. "No. Thank you for your hard work." He mumbled and left the basement. When I returned to the inn, Darmon was sitting with his chin resting on the counter. ¡°I¡¯m home.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Jung Yu-shin sat down across from Darmon. ¡°Darmon, I have something to ask you.¡± ¡°The reason I look hairy is not because of the imprint. It¡¯s because I shed my fur.¡± The ghostly bear-like guy. ¡°How did you know?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the thoughts of a rookie explorer. It¡¯s obvious. Eat something.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± After dinner, he went to his room and lay down on the bed. ¡°What should I do if I get a stupid imprint?¡± He sounded even more stupid when he said his thoughts out loud. Survival is the first priority, but imprinting? I should just sleep. Jung Yu-shin closed his eyes and tried to sleep. Chapter 8: Entering the Labyrinth The new adventurer class lasted for a week. There was certainly a lot to learn. Of course, it was knowledge in the head, not knowledge absorbed by the body. But there were a few things that could be applied right away. Like how to pack a backpack or simple first-aid techniques. How to form formations, and the rules that must be followed in each tier. Simple trap detection and types of hand signals. Once he learned these, things started to become more visible. It could be called the guild''s philosophy. A direction began to take shape. Entering the labyrinth, slaying monsters, and advancing through the levels wasn¡¯t everything. That alone wouldn¡¯t be enough. It was about reducing risks through thorough preparation and advancing steadily, even if slowly. This was the part emphasized throughout the entire week of classes. The next morning. ¡°Is today the day?¡± Darmong asked. ¡°Yes. I¡¯m heading out,¡± Jeong Yushin replied. ¡°Don¡¯t expect much.¡± Darmong poured cold water on his excitement, but the fluttering in Jeong Yushin''s chest couldn¡¯t be helped. Finally, it was time for the party match. Five people gathered to form one party. Sometimes four formed a party, but that was rare. Most adventurers joined parties by responding to recruitment notices on the bulletin board. However, new explorers could have the guild arrange the party for them. Darmong recommended the latter. Although it was up to the receptionist, he had heard that the guild helped new explorers who took the class form parties together. The guild building was packed with people. To save time, Jeong Yushin stood in the shortest line. Then he immediately regretted it. It was the receptionist with the venomous expression he had seen last time. ¡®Ah, shit. That face again.¡¯ There was a reason the line was short. Now, he didn¡¯t want to switch to another line. Before long, more people crowded in, and the line grew longer. He didn¡¯t want to wait any longer. ¡®Guess I¡¯ll just think of it as stepping in shit. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m dying.¡¯ His turn came. ¡°New explorer party matching, please.¡± ¡°Confirmed. There is only one party looking for a vanguard right now. I¡¯ll place you there. Go to table 6.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± He quickly left the counter and made his way to table 6. The tables were filled with about 30 groups, and it was noisy. He finally found the table marked with a number 6. Familiar faces were sitting there. It was the boy who had slammed the counter and shouted last time. At the table, there was the boy and one man and two women. One man from last week¡¯s group was missing. ¡°Hello. I¡¯m Ska. I was referred by the guild.¡± ¡°Hello. I¡¯m Kaal, the party leader.¡± His voice was bold and full of confidence. Kaal introduced each of his party members. The other man¡¯s name was Dean, the scout. The red-haired woman¡¯s name was Anne. She was one of the rear guards and used a bow. The other rear guard was a brown-haired woman named Marie. She was a trainee priest of the Earth God from the Spirit Guild. Kaal briefly explained the party situation. They had entered the labyrinth for the first time last week and had successfully overcome the first level without much difficulty. However, on the second level, one of the members injured their foot, so they were looking for a temporary replacement. That person was Jeong Yushin. The party had two quests: Goblin slaying.Magic stone mining. The payment would be fairly divided into five parts. The activity scope would be limited to the first level of the labyrinth. After all the agreements were made, Jeong Yushin and Kaal¡¯s party members decided to meet at the guild branch tomorrow morning and left the table. Jeong Yushin returned to the inn and met Darmong to talk about Kaal and the party members. ¡°Darmong, didn¡¯t you say most new explorers are matched with people who took the same class?¡± ¡°That¡¯s strange.¡± Darmong rubbed his chin thoughtfully. ¡°Well, anyway, I¡¯m leaving tomorrow.¡± ¡°Be careful, Ska.¡± Jeong Yushin nodded at Darmong¡¯s serious warning. The night passed, and morning came. The day he had been waiting for, to enter the labyrinth. He woke up early and checked his equipment. He checked if the sword drew smoothly and if the shield straps weren¡¯t too loose. He checked the joints of his hard leather armor to make sure they weren¡¯t too stiff. He inspected everything he could, even though it was a bit lacking. He gathered all his gear and packed the items necessary for the first level of the labyrinth. ¡°Alright.¡± He strapped his helmet to his waist and went downstairs to the dining area, where Darmong had prepared breakfast. ¡°This is the last meal you''ll have in society,¡± Darmong joked. ¡°Stop with that nonsense.¡± A well-cooked steak and a mountain of garlic were piled up. ¡°Is it alright to give me this much?¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to starve for a few days in the labyrinth, I¡¯m sure. That¡¯s why I¡¯m giving it to you.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll eat well.¡± Jeong Yushin cleaned his plate without leaving anything behind. ¡°Phew.¡± He patted his full stomach, and Darmong handed him something wrapped in paper. ¡°Jerky and biscuits. Eat them sparingly.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll accept it gratefully.¡± He didn¡¯t refuse. He didn¡¯t want to ignore the kindness of the cute tsundere bear-man. Plus, he didn¡¯t have any money. ¡°I¡¯m off now.¡± He said his goodbye before packing up his things. ¡°I told you, be careful.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± He took Darmong¡¯s advice to heart and walked toward the explorer guild branch. At the guild branch, he sat at an empty table and waited for Kaal¡¯s group. About 30 minutes later, they arrived, chatting as they walked in. One of their members had a small injury, but they seemed confident and relaxed, likely because they had successfully cleared the first level without much trouble. ¡°Ah! Ska, you came early,¡± Kaal greeted. Their gear looked light. Kaal was wearing leather armor with a longsword at his waist. His backpack seemed light as well, but it was hard to tell whether it was because of his finances or another strategic reason. All the party members looked similar to Kaal. ¡°Let¡¯s go right now. It¡¯s better to go first at this time before the crowds show up.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± Jeong Yushin stood up and followed the party. The great labyrinth was to the west of the city. As they got closer to the labyrinth, the crowd grew larger. Among the many people, Jeong Yushin could finally see it. The Great Labyrinth. From outside the city, it looked like a small tower. But up close, it was a sharp, towering rocky hill. Before the hill, a magical circle was glowing brightly, large enough to accommodate thousands of people. Soldiers from the labyrinth city stood in front, controlling access. ¡°Alright, one party at a time. Enter calmly!¡± A man in full plate armor shouted. One party at a time stepped into the magical circle, and they disappeared in a flash of light. The adventurers followed the soldiers¡¯ instructions well. The soldiers were stationed at various points, quickly ushering adventurers through. After a short wait, it was finally Kaal¡¯s party¡¯s turn. Jeong Yushin¡¯s heart raced with a mix of nervousness and excitement. As they stepped onto the magical circle, the light grew brighter and obscured his vision. Flash! Along with a flash of light, a floating sensation lifted his body. Thud! ¡°Ugh!¡± He lost his balance and landed hard on his butt. He could feel the cold, damp stone floor. He had finally been teleported to the first level of the labyrinth. Due to the labyrinth¡¯s nature, everyone started from the first level, regardless of whether they reached the 50th or 80th level. Once they left the labyrinth, they had to start from the beginning. This meant that many people were now on the first level. And right now, it was. ¡®The safest time.¡¯ They needed to quickly assess their position and form a formation. ¡°Ugh!¡± A surprised voice echoed through the dark cave. It was Kaal¡¯s voice. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I dropped the flint. Can you light it for me?¡± ¡°Got it.¡± Jeong Yushin took out his flint and lit the torch. The area around them was now somewhat illuminated. The first to fifth levels of the labyrinth were called surface levels, and there was one rule they had to follow. No matter what, they had to keep a light source. There was a special reason for this. It was because of the ¡°darkness¡± characteristic of the surface levels. The ¡°darkness¡± of the surface levels drove people mad. It was a strict and absolute law that applied to everyone. No matter how skilled an adventurer, how legendary they were, it didn¡¯t matter. But even the smallest flicker of light, like fireflies, prevented madness, so skilled explorers quickly passed through the surface levels using the minimum light. ¡°We seem to have fallen to the outermost area, huh?¡± Dean, the scout and guide, said as he looked at the map. ¡°Really? We weren¡¯t as lucky this time.¡± ¡°Yeah, last time we teleported close to the entrance of the second level.¡± At Dean¡¯s sulking mumble, Kaal shrugged. ¡°Some days are like that. Let¡¯s go.¡± Kaal lifted the torch and led the way. Jeong Yushin walked right behind Kaal, and Dean, Marie, and Anne followed in order. They walked for hours. Along the way, they encountered several other parties, but they quickly passed each other with a ¡°move aside¡± and continued walking. ¡°Phew. Dean, where are we?¡± ¡°Wait a second.¡± At Kaal¡¯s question, Dean took out the map and unfolded it. ¡°Turn left at the next fork. That¡¯ll lead us to the central area of the first level.¡± ¡°Good!¡± Kaal cheered and encouraged the tired group. ¡°Let¡¯s enter the central area quickly and rest. Is that okay?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Kaal looked at Jeong Yushin, waiting for an answer. ¡°Yes, I understand.¡± With the hope of reaching the central area soon and being able to rest, they continued walking without pause. Luckily, they didn¡¯t encounter any monsters. However, their luck wasn¡¯t on their side. ¡°Dean, what¡¯s this? It¡¯s a dead end!¡± Kaal glared at Dean with frustration. ¡°Sorry.¡± ¡°Get a grip. This isn¡¯t the village we used to live in. Stop acting thoughtlessly...¡± ¡°Kaal, stop. You¡¯re being too harsh. This is only our second trip to the labyrinth.¡± Anne, the redhead, interrupted and cut in. Kaal sighed and shook his head. ¡°Alright, sorry Dean.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I should¡¯ve been more careful.¡± ¡°I want to rest.¡± Marie, the trainee priest, chimed in. She looked tired from the hours of walking. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s rest.¡± They leaned against the dead-end wall and sat down. Jeong Yushin sat a little away from them. They began chatting and reminiscing. They talked about how they would be sowing seeds in the village fields by now. They also discussed how Dean¡¯s childhood crush turned out to be a boy. As he silently listened to their stories, Kaal approached and sat next to Jeong Yushin. ¡°We all come from the same village. Ah! The other member is probably resting at the inn.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve done everything together since we were kids. The village was harsh and isolated, so there were many dangerous situations. But as long as we faced them together, we weren¡¯t afraid. And once we overcame the threats, we realized something. You learn more from experience than from books.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Jeong Yushin didn¡¯t know what Kaal wanted to say, so he simply nodded in agreement. ¡°I saw you went to the new explorer class the other day. You seem older than me, but I thought you didn¡¯t know much. You learn more from experience. It¡¯s better to get information from street explorers than from those sitting comfortably inside the guild building.¡± He understood now. ¡®He¡¯s here to give me advice.¡¯ The life advice coming from a teenager in his late teens was certainly different from what older people would give. It was more certain and definitive. It felt like he had grasped the truths of life. ¡°And by the way, I think you...¡± ¡°Kaal, I¡¯m tired. Can we sleep here for a bit?¡± Marie suddenly interrupted and whined. ¡°Marie, we¡¯ll find a resting place soon. We can rest there.¡± Dean stepped forward to calm her down. ¡°Dean, you¡¯re sure about this?¡± ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ve looked at the map carefully. There¡¯s a resting area in the central region.¡± ¡°Alright. Marie, just a bit more. Hang in there.¡± ¡°Ugh, fine.¡± Kaal got up and patted Marie¡¯s back before leading the group. They walked for about two more hours. When Marie said she couldn¡¯t go any further and sat down, they found the resting place. There was a gap between the cave walls, and inside was a small chamber. It was big enough for about ten ? N§àv§Öl?§Ôht ? (Don¡¯t copy, read here) people to squeeze into. They entered, unpacked their gear, and blocked the entrance with a blanket to keep the torchlight from escaping. They each leaned against the wall to sit. Jeong Yushin took out the biscuits and jerky from his bag and ate them, then they immediately decided the watch schedule. By now, it was probably evening outside. The first watch was Marie, followed by Kaal, Jeong Yushin, Dean, and lastly Anne. They laid a blanket on the cold cave floor. ¡®This isn¡¯t bad.¡¯ It was a good atmosphere, probably because they were childhood friends. They made mistakes out of nervousness but were supportive and led each other well. There were no ambushes, and no discord. Jeong Yushin wrapped himself in the blanket, hoping that tomorrow(?) would go smoothly as he closed his eyes and fell asleep. In the dark depths of the Great Labyrinth. Chapter 9: Beginner Party "By now, it should be morning." Jeong Yushin mumbled while yawning. He spent his time drifting in and out of shallow sleep. The narrow entrance to their shared space was only covered with a single blanket, making it difficult to fall into a deep sleep. The damp, cold floor was also one of the reasons for his insomnia. The coldness from the floor crept up his bones and stabbed at his heart. Ka''al¡¯s party seemed to be having trouble sleeping as well, tossing and turning several times. Especially when he was on watch. Well, it was understandable. A party formed by people from the same village was suddenly joined by an outsider, so it was natural to feel uneasy. "Today, Syr should take the lead." As they finished their meal and began to pack their gear to leave the shared space, Ka''al approached and spoke. His tiredness was evident, with dark circles under his eyes. "Sure." Jeong Yushin took the torch from him, leading the way. Dean followed closely behind, guiding them on which way to go. "Go down the right path." "Okay." There was no sign of anyone else going down. Yesterday, they had encountered several other parties, but today, they saw no one. The sound of their footsteps echoed through the narrow corridor. As they walked, Jeong Yushin realized something. The light was weak. Normally, the distance the light should reach was consumed by a strange darkness. So, if they moved too far, even the faintest silhouette would vanish. He walked as if hypnotized, gazing into the darkness. "Screech!" "Keekee!!" Jeong Yushin''s shoulders jerked. Hobgoblins. "Prepare for battle!" He quickly shouted and drew his longsword. Screech!! The sound of the air being ripped apart. Jeong Yushin instinctively raised his shield. Thud! An arrow flew from the darkness and struck his shield. Screech!! Multiple similar sounds overlapped. Thud! Clang!! He barely blocked it. The force striking his shield was no small thing. That meant the arrows were being shot from much closer than expected. At that moment, Ka''al darted out. He was surprised by his sudden rush into the darkness. "Marie!" Ka''al shouted. "Light!" Holy light pushed away the darkness, filling the cave. Everything was visible. Five hobgoblins. The hobgoblins screamed in agony as they shielded their eyes from the sudden light. Ka''al dashed forward with incredible speed, swinging his sword. Swaaack!! The goblin''s head flew off, and blood splattered against the cave wall. ¡®I need to stay close to Ka''al.¡¯ He couldn¡¯t let himself get surrounded alone. Jeong Yushin quickly rushed over. Swoosh! An arrow brushed past his left shoulder and struck the goblin''s chest. Looking back, he saw Anne holding a bow. By the time he arrived, Ka''al had already swung his sword and decapitated another hobgoblin. Two left. The remaining hobgoblins regained their senses and swung their daggers, charging at the group. Their target was obvious¡ªthe vulnerable side of Ka''al. Clang! Clang! Shield block. Jeong Yushin deflected every dagger the hobgoblins swung. Thrust. He stabbed his longsword into the chest of the goblin, which had lost its balance. The blade pierced through the sternum, right beneath the solid bone. "Kehk!" The goblin collapsed backward. Immediately, Jeong Yushin slapped the goblin standing next to Pommel on the cheek. "Keek!" The hobgoblin''s teeth shattered, and one side of its face was crushed. Just as Jeong Yushin was about to finish off the goblin, Ka''al rushed in and severed its neck. Blood erupted from the neck and splattered on Jeong Yushin''s face and body. "Phew. Skar, you¡¯re a good match," Ka''al said, laughing. His eyes gleamed, probably from the excitement of the battle. "Yeah." Jeong Yushin wiped the blood from his face as he replied. He had been startled when Ka''al rushed into the darkness earlier. He thought he was crazy. ¡®You had a plan all along.¡¯ "Ugh! So disgusting." Marie grimaced as she approached. The holy light gradually lost its power and soon faded away. When the rest of the party joined them, Ka''al spoke. "Ka''al said we should cut off their ears as proof of the hobgoblin hunt. Dean, Skar, would you help?" "Mm." "Sure." Dean and Jeong Yushin helped Ka''al cut off the hobgoblin ears. Dean¡¯s face was pale as he tried to cut the ears with trembling hands. In contrast, Jeong Yushin efficiently cut them off, his hands moving as though it was just another routine. There was no sense of guilt about killing the monsters. It just felt like an extension of his work at the monster dissection house. With Jeong Yushin¡¯s help, they quickly gathered the ears. There were five hobgoblins, so they had a total of ten ears. "Here, Skar, you can take this." Ka''al handed Jeong Yushin the pouch containing the goblin ears. "Are you sure I can have this?" Jeong Yushin asked, looking at the pouch, which smelled of rot and blood. "I trust you¡¯ll take good care of it." It was a bit absurd. ¡®Is this the same friend who couldn¡¯t sleep when I was on watch?¡¯ He couldn¡¯t refuse. At least not right now. Ka''al was the party leader, and the others were their long-time friends. Moreover, his swordsmanship was no joke. A single swing of his sword severed the goblin''s neck. That wasn¡¯t something anyone could do without innate strength and skill. "Okay." Jeong Yushin accepted the pouch and tucked it into his backpack. The group continued walking. Jeong Yushin led the way as usual. Following Dean¡¯s guidance, they left the central area. They encountered more monsters. "Black slimes!" Three slimes were stuck to the cave walls, squirming. "I¡¯ll handle this." Anne, with her red hair, stepped forward with her bow. Thwip! A fast-moving arrow pierced the slime¡¯s core in an instant. The slime, its core damaged, trembled and dropped to the ground. ¡®Wow.¡¯ Anne was also impressive with her archery skills. Anne fired another arrow and pierced the core of the remaining slime. As they approached, they saw the slimy part was oozing like liquid, spilling onto the floor. There was a stone gleaming next to the core. "Wow, magic stone. It¡¯s beautiful." Marie crouched down in front of it. Ka''al picked up the magic stone and placed it in his pouch. "I¡¯ll take this one. I can¡¯t leave everything to Skar." "Ka''al, you¡¯re kind." Ka''al smiled and ruffled Marie¡¯s head. ¡®What¡¯s with the sudden flirting?¡¯ Jeong Yushin¡¯s stomach churned. That night, they camped at a nearby resting spot. Jeong Yushin¡¯s watch was the same as the previous night, and there was no ambush. ¡®I¡¯m so damn tired.¡¯ He rubbed his dry eyes and lifted the torch. "Skar, just a little more to go." "Yeah." Jeong Yushin responded absentmindedly to Dean¡¯s encouragement and walked. Of the torches Jeong Yushin had brought, only one remained. After excluding the one Ka''al had used, the other party members still had their torches intact. A few hours later, they encountered five black slimes. As before, Anne stepped forward and took care of them with her bow. Five hobgoblins hunted / ten ears Magic stones harvested 8 / 10 They had nearly completed the request. As they walked, the end of the cave appeared. At the end of the cave, there was a large clearing with a massive stone tablet in the center. As they approached the stone tablet, a blue portal and a red portal opened. Jeong Yushin remembered from the new explorer class. To exit the labyrinth, they had to enter the blue portal, and to move to the next level, they needed to take the red portal. "Let¡¯s go to the next level." Ka''al took the lead. "Wait a moment." Jeong Yushin stepped forward. He couldn¡¯t bear it. Wasn¡¯t this going off-plan? They were supposed to be a party for exploring the first level. That¡¯s what the receptionist had told them, and Ka''al had said the same. "Why?" "Isn¡¯t this contradictory? We were told we were a first-level exploration party, weren¡¯t we?" "Hah!" Ka''al¡¯s lips twisted. "Skar, don¡¯t we need to finish the request?" "We can do that here. There¡¯s no need to go down." "Because there are no monsters on the first level. The senior explorers told us, and we know from experience that the second level is no different from here. Why waste time and resources chasing invisible monsters?" "The basic principle taught in the new explorer class..." "Hah, damn it." Ka''al cursed. "Skar, no, Skar. Have you wasted your years? I told you, learn living knowledge. Go out and talk to people, engage with them. Explorer class? Principles? What are you, an idiot? Do you think they¡¯ll die if they say so?" "...." "Just admit you¡¯re scared. It¡¯ll make you look less like an idiot." ¡®What the hell is this sudden outburst?¡¯ It seemed like something had been touched in a bad way. "Since we have different opinions, let¡¯s part here. I¡¯m going back." "Where do you think you¡¯re going?" Ka''al drew his sword and blocked the way. "You''re crossing the line." Jeong Yushin also drew his sword. The cold blade of the longsword gleamed under the torchlight like a snake. "Move." "Pay me back. How much time and money have we wasted because of you? Are you just going to run away?" "Shut up." Jeong Yushin raised his shield and prepared his stance. "Skar, calm down." He glanced over and saw Anne aiming her bow at him. Dean held a dagger, and Marie was muttering and preparing a spell. ¡®This is messed up.¡¯ "How much do you want?" "20 silver." Ka''al¡¯s answer was so absurd it almost made him laugh. It was the amount he could earn from working at the monster dissection house for two months without rest. "I don¡¯t have that much." Jeong Yushin said honestly. After deducting the cost of staying [N O V E L I G H T] at the inn, he had spent most of his earnings on weapons, armor, exploration supplies, and tuition fees. All he had left were 2 silver and a few copper coins. "You¡¯ll find out when you search." Damn it. ¡®I¡¯m getting extorted by kids younger than me in this other world.¡¯ "Ka''al, shut your mouth." Anne glared coldly, and Ka''al fell silent. "Skar, I¡¯ll be honest with you. We really need to complete this request. One of our friends is injured, and we need the treatment fee." "We can do it here, can¡¯t we?" "At the minimum cost. We came here from the countryside with nothing, and it¡¯s tight." "Why are you so sure? We might not even encounter monsters on the second level and could get lost, right?" "A senior explorer told me at the tavern. Monsters start to appear on the second level. If we surpass the designated monster kill quota, we¡¯ll get extra payment, so it¡¯s okay if we get lost a little." "Still, this is off-plan, isn¡¯t it?" Jeong Yushin asked half-heartedly. "Plans change all the time, and the explorer guild is aware of it. They said they decide by majority vote." Majority vote? It was clear that everyone except him would vote to go to the second level. He decided not to ask further. If they left the party without following the majority vote, the guild would not be lenient. There would definitely be consequences. It was written in the rules. What would happen if the advice given by ¡®someone¡¯ in the guild conflicted with the official guild regulations? Would the advice override the rules? He didn¡¯t know. "Then what if I still refuse?" "Your sword looks pretty nice." "Isn¡¯t that robbery?" "Getting it transferred through the guild wouldn¡¯t be bad either. Skar, you¡¯ll lose your sword and get the punishment on top of it." It was a perfect trap. Damn it. He sighed deeply. "Fine." ¡®What¡¯s the big deal? It¡¯s the second level.¡¯ He was a bit too lenient. Even though Ka''al and his party looked awkward, they seemed skilled. Plus, he had no money left. Ka''al came over and patted Jeong Yushin on the shoulder. "That¡¯s the spirit, right? Let¡¯s do well again. Sorry for the casual talk earlier. It just looked stupid to see you crying and refusing." "...." "I¡¯ll go ahead." Ka''al pointed to the red portal with his sword. Jeong Yushin stepped into the red portal. Chapter 10: Crisis After passing through the red portal, a floating sensation brushed against his body. Thud. He landed and looked around. The same darkness. A narrow cave. It was just like the first floor. "Heh!" A flash of red light, and Ka''al landed on the ground. He still had his sword in hand. Soon, the rest of the party appeared. Ka''al smiled widely. "Let¡¯s go, it¡¯s a long way ahead." The formation shifted slightly. Jeong Yushin took the lead, cutting through the way, but Ka''al stayed close behind. "We''re lucky this time. We¡¯ve shifted to the central zone," Dean said brightly while checking the map. "Let¡¯s finish this quickly. I haven¡¯t had a proper bath or sleep. Ugh," Marie grumbled. "Just a little more, everyone, let¡¯s hang in there," Ka''al reassured her. "Hehehe." "Hehehe." Chilling laughter echoed from the ? N§àv§Öl?g?§ä ? (Continue reading) front. It was hard to see clearly. "Enemy ahead!" Whether they wanted it or not, they had to stick together, so Jeong Yushin decided to do his best. He quickly raised his shield and shouted. Screeeech!! It wasn¡¯t an arrow. A spear. There was no dodging. If he dodged, the person behind would be hit. He braced his feet and gripped the shield handle tightly. Crash! The strong impact made him stagger and take a step back. Fortunately, the shield was intact. However, the powerful blow made him lose his grip on the torch in his other hand. At that moment, Ka''al rushed forward. In one hand, he held the torch Jeong Yushin had dropped. "Marie!" [Light] The cave lit up. Three hobgoblins turned to flee. "Just like I thought, they run away when there are fewer of them!" Ka''al yelled, quickly following and slashing at the hobgoblin''s back. "Screeeech!!" The goblin fell, letting out a sorrowful cry. "Chase them!" Ka''al shouted and ran after the goblin. "Ka''al!" Anne shouted urgently, but Ka''al seemed too focused on chasing the goblin to hear her. There was no time to recover his injured palm. Jeong Yushin hastily ran after Ka''al. He saw Ka''al leaving the range of the Light spell. The path turned right, and Ka''al¡¯s silhouette vanished entirely, leaving only the flickering light of the torch. Then. "Kreeeeek!!" Ka''al''s scream filled the cave. "Damn." Jeong Yushin ran with all his might and turned into the right path. There, Ka''al was wildly swinging his sword, fighting off five hobgoblins. He was limping on one foot. ¡®Trap!¡¯ Ka''al swung his sword like an enraged beast, but the goblins only let out strange laughter as they subtly brandished their daggers and spears, not charging in. They aimed to drain the strength of the injured beast. The textbook method of beast hunting. The torch lay on the ground. The shadows of Ka''al flickered against the cave wall, twisting like a dance. In response, the shadows of the goblins also shook. Jeong Yushin kicked the ground and rushed out. But it was already too late. Thud. A hobgoblin¡¯s spear pierced Ka''al¡¯s abdomen. "Ugh!" Ka''al sucked in a breath. It wasn¡¯t a deep wound, but it was enough to freeze his body for a moment. Another hobgoblin rushed in, swinging a wooden club. Bam! Blood splattered from Ka''al¡¯s head. His body swayed as if he was about to fall. Bang! Bam! Each hit of the club echoed, and Ka''al¡¯s head caved in, his skull denting. The proud boy was gone. Only a prey, trembling as his eyes bulged out, waiting for death. The whole thing happened in an instant. Jeong Yushin couldn¡¯t do anything. Still, he ran. He plunged his sword into the goblin¡¯s neck, which was trying to choke Ka''al. "Kreeek!" With a scream, the goblin collapsed, clutching its neck. Two goblins latched onto Jeong Yushin¡¯s shield. The shield became so heavy he could barely move it. He was stunned by the unexpected tactic and lost focus. "Damn." Only then did he see it. A goblin popped up above the shield and swung its club at his head. Clang! The club hit the steel helmet. The shock rattled his vision. Instinctively, the sword he had extended pierced through the goblin¡¯s stomach. Did it go too deep? The sword wouldn¡¯t come out. He let go of the shield. The two goblins crashed to the ground. The spear came. There was no shield, no sword. "Phew." He took a deep breath and, timing it just right, snatched the spear. "Keek?" As he yanked the spear, the goblin was dragged along. He punched the goblin¡¯s chin. Bam! A clean straight punch. The goblin didn¡¯t even scream as it collapsed unconscious. He stomped on the fallen goblin''s neck. Crunch. The goblin¡¯s neck bone shattered under the steel-toed boots. He threw the spear. One goblin was taken care of. Only one left. At that moment. "Kyaaaaaaa!!" Marie¡¯s scream echoed from behind. "Marie! No! Dean, come back!!" Anne¡¯s frantic shout followed. What the hell was happening? "Hehehehe." The last goblin in front of Jeong Yushin was laughing ominously. Screech! Thwip! Arrows flew from the darkness. He dodged them, but one struck his shoulder and the other his thigh. "Damn!" The burning pain froze his body. There were more of them. The goblins had heard the noise and gathered. From behind, Marie¡¯s scream and Anne¡¯s shout echoed. The goblins in front laughed. A crisis arrived in a single moment. His mind was fading, but his body moved desperately to survive. He grabbed the goblin charging at him by the collar and blocked the incoming arrow with his shield. Thud! Wham! An arrow sank into the goblin''s body. He couldn¡¯t stop them all. He was hit in the arm, but he blocked the vital spots. He wouldn¡¯t die. The warm heat made the blood rush through his head like crazy. He threw the goblin with the arrow sticking out of it aside. With a limp, he ran, grabbed the shield, and pulled his sword free from the goblin¡¯s abdomen. He needed to check what was happening in the back. He blocked an incoming arrow with his shield and ran back down the turned corridor. The light was about to go out. Marie, her clothes torn in several places, was being dragged by the hair into the darkness, far away. Dean was nowhere to be seen. Anne was pinned by the goblins, struggling and screaming. "Stop! Don¡¯t!" The goblins seemed to enjoy Anne¡¯s desperate screams, laughing as they tormented her. And then. Jeong Yushin didn¡¯t see him coming. The sword pierced the goblin¡¯s nape and emerged from the other side. "Keek?!" One of the three hobgoblins on top of Anne collapsed. "Keek!" The goblins were startled. He retrieved the sword and slashed at another goblin¡¯s throat, then hit the remaining one¡¯s neck with his shield. Crunch. The goblin fell at an odd angle, its neck twisted. "Ugh! Ahhh." The last goblin fell, but Anne was still panicking and thrashing around. The light went out, and darkness filled the cave. It was a dire situation. The goblins could strike at any moment. The path where Ka''al had been was especially worrying. Jeong Yushin lit the last remaining torch. The light barely illuminated the narrow cave. "Anne, snap out of it." He shook her shoulders several times, but she didn¡¯t regain consciousness. He slapped her cheek hard, and only then did a flicker of awareness return to her eyes. Whether she was fully conscious, he couldn¡¯t tell. "Marie! We need to save her! And Ka''al? Dean?!" "Ka''al''s head was smashed, and I don¡¯t know about Dean. Marie was dragged away by her hair." "We have to save her!" Anne tried to get up but collapsed, clutching her stomach. The poison-tipped dagger had pierced her several times, and dark red blood was flowing out. Jeong Yushin pulled two antidotes from his bag. He had learned that goblins used poison in class. He had prepared just in case, and now was the time to use it. "Not now." He handed her the antidote. They needed to leave immediately. They had stayed too long, and there was no telling when the goblins would come back. They needed to get to a safe place first. He needed to remove the arrows and take the antidote. The wounds where the arrows had struck were turning black. "Stop talking nonsense! We need to save them! Please! Help me." Anne collapsed, crying. He understood. She was from the same village, and they must have spent many years together. Their bond was probably deeper than the years they had lived. As Ka''al said, they had overcome every difficulty together, so they had believed they could survive the labyrinth as well. With that faith, she had made a bold decision, but their luck had run out. He understood. "Alright. Let¡¯s go to a safe place and treat you first. We¡¯ll look for them afterward." It was a lie. He had no intention of looking for them. Anne was bait. When the goblins overwhelmed them, Anne would make a great distraction, buying them time to escape. "You... You need to go now." "You¡¯re going to die first, aren¡¯t you? Even if we find them, we can¡¯t fight in this state. Are you planning to leave everything to me?" Anne bit her lip. "Okay." Jeong Yushin helped Anne get up and began walking. Strangely, the goblins didn¡¯t pursue them. If he were a goblin, would he chase after prey that had been hit with three arrows? Were they scared? He wasn¡¯t sure, but he took the remaining torches and threw them into the forks in the path, using their light to mislead the goblins. It was a temporary measure to use the goblins'' habit of attacking where light appeared. And then. He felt like he was going to die. Carrying a woman who couldn¡¯t walk properly with arrows still lodged in her body had its limits. He didn¡¯t even know where he was going. Dean had the map. "Gehk." Anne coughed up black blood. ¡®I can¡¯t go much further.¡¯ He couldn¡¯t find a resting spot, let alone an actual shelter. Still, they had gotten far enough from the ambush site, and he didn¡¯t hear the goblins pursuing them. He leaned Anne against a cave wall and gave her the antidote. Lifting her shirt to expose her stomach, he saw multiple holes in her abdomen. He poured some wine to disinfect and applied the antidote. Jeong Yushin pulled a small glass vial from his bag. A low-grade healing potion. The vial, about the size of a yakut, contained a red liquid. This one vial cost three silver coins. ¡®Should I just leave her?¡¯ For a moment, he hesitated. ¡®Just a little. Enough to let her walk. I need to buy time to escape.¡¯ He dropped a drop onto the wound in her stomach. The skin started to smoke, and the wound began to heal a little. He wrapped a bandage around her. "Ugh!" Anne groaned and twisted her body. Now it was his turn. He took a sip of the wine. With trembling hands, he snapped the arrow shaft. Now, he just had to pull the arrowhead out. He didn¡¯t need to worry about blood loss. There was a healing potion. He used a dagger to pry at the arrowhead. "Ughh!! You fucking bitch!" Jeong Yushin couldn¡¯t bear the intense pain and glared at Anne. The burning pain fanned his anger. Guan Yu played Go while being shot with arrows, but he felt like swearing would be the only way he could endure. "Fuck! I knew it from the moment those idiots started bragging about their luck. Do you know how Ka''al died? He was stabbed in the stomach with a spear and had his head crushed by a club. That fucking idiot died with his eyes popping out. I told you not to go. Why drag everyone into hell?" He pulled the arrowhead from his arm. Blood spurted out like a fountain. He sprayed the antidote and healing potion. ¡®When was the last time I got a tetanus shot? Was it in basic training?¡¯ He gritted his teeth through the dizzying pain and continued to curse as he pulled the remaining arrowheads out. After the first aid, he looked at Anne. Tears were streaming from her blurry eyes. Jeong Yushin stood up. "Can you walk on your own?" "Yes." Anne clutched her stomach and stood up. "Let¡¯s go." Jeong Yushin didn¡¯t wait for her reply and turned, walking away. He heard her stagger behind him. ¡®I¡¯m going to survive. Out of this damn labyrinth.¡¯ He gritted his teeth and raised the torch high. Chapter 11: Salvation? Several hours had passed since they had lost their way. It was only natural, since Dean, who was supposed to lead the way, had run off. He had the map too. The light from the torch was growing weaker. Only three torches remained. Relying on the faint light from the torches, they stumbled through the labyrinthine caves, feeling more like they were walking toward their graves rather than an escape. Especially, whenever they heard the goblins'' laughter from other passages, it felt as though death was closing in even faster. But this time, the sound was different. "Hehehehe." It was clearer, more youthful, almost... human-like? "Dean?" Anne said, her voice shaking in disbelief. "Ska! It''s Dean!" "Calm down." Anne had become overly excited. How he had survived in this darkness was secondary; the voice that reached them was not normal. Could it be a trap set by the hobgoblins? Perhaps they had set crude spikes or were about to launch arrows or spears. There was no choice but to investigate. ¡ô N§àv§Öl?g?t ¡ô (Only on N§àv§Öl?g?t) Anne wouldn''t let it go unnoticed. If it were a trap, then they could escape, leaving Anne behind. If it wasn¡¯t a trap, however, the bait would increase. Jeong Yushin made his decision in his mind and slowly approached the source of the sound. He threw the torch toward the sound. It was nearly burned out, useless. A man was crouched in the corner of the tunnel, staring at the wall. "Dean?" Anne rushed forward and grabbed his shoulder. There were no traps. No trip wires aiming for the soles of their feet, no arrows flying from the darkness. "Dean? Dean, snap out of it!" "Hehehehe." Anne turned Dean¡¯s body to face her. His pupils were dilated. Thick saliva dripped from the corners of his mouth. Anyone could tell. He was insane. He had fallen into madness, brought on by the overwhelming darkness of the labyrinth¡¯s surface. The absolute law of the great maze¡ª"darkness"¡ªhad claimed his sanity. No one was immune to it. If you stayed too long without light, it was the end. "Hehehehe!!" "Dean!" Anne shook his shoulder and slapped his cheek, but he only kept smiling creepily. ¡®This isn¡¯t right.¡¯ Jeong Yushin approached Dean and searched through his clothes. A crumpled map appeared. He spread it out. While he wasn¡¯t a professional guide, with the minimal knowledge he had picked up from the exploration class, he could at least make a rough guess about their location. "This is insane." A curse escaped his lips. They were far off from the central zone, deep into the outer areas. The area where the hobgoblins gathered. On the edges of the map, Dean had drawn goblin faces. The cute, unnecessary drawings made Jeong Yushin feel angry. "Damn it, why did you draw goblins on the map? Was your head in a flower garden or something?" "Dean always liked to draw. He was scared, but his observational skills were remarkable," Anne said, her voice full of affection and sadness. "Let¡¯s go." They had the map now. Maybe they could survive. For a moment, a glimmer of hope appeared. "What about Marie?" Anne asked carefully. Jeong Yushin stopped dead in his tracks. It seemed Anne had now placed her hope elsewhere. "We¡¯re more dangerous than Marie right now. The torches are barely holding up. Do you really want to wander around like Dean and lose it? Even if we hurry, it¡¯s doubtful we¡¯ll escape." "Marie is useful. She can use healing magic, and she must have enough supplies." "Supplies?" "I saw hobgoblins taking her bag as they attacked her." That explained why one of the bags had been missing from the ambush site. Still... "Do you really believe Marie has the supplies with her? Honestly, that sounds like exaggeration. Stop fantasizing." "Marie¡¯s bag has a candle in it." "A candle? A candle?" "It¡¯s a gift from the temple that worships the Earth Goddess. It¡¯s given to apprentice priests to prepare for when the torches run out. It¡¯s not just an ordinary item; it¡¯s a special relic. Are you sure, Ska? Do you really think we can make it from here to the central zone and then to the next floor with just three torches?" Anne¡¯s words were convincing. Except for one thing. "How are you going to find her?" "...." "In this vast floor, how do you plan to find her? Answer me. If you¡¯re going to say something like ¡®if we¡¯re lucky,¡¯ or ¡®we¡¯ll find traces if we search,¡¯ I¡¯ll tear your mouth off." At Jeong Yushin¡¯s question, Anne fell silent. Jeong Yushin thought for a moment. ¡®Should we stop here?¡¯ He had deceived himself with the excuse of using Anne as bait. It was a moral compromise. But this farce had limits. With this level of idiocy, even Confucius, Buddha, and the Pope would step aside and tap dance, handing over the position of sainthood to him. Just as he was about to suggest they part ways, Anne spoke up. "Alright. We¡¯ll find Marie later. Thinking about it, it seems like a delusion. I¡¯m sorry." She had sharp instincts. It was an uncomfortable feeling. "Okay. Let¡¯s go. The best option now is to ask for help from the Exploration Guild." Jeong Yushin took out a rope from his bag and tied it around Dean¡¯s waist. Since he couldn¡¯t just drag him by the hand, he planned to pull him with the rope. When Jeong Yushin tugged the rope, Dean followed with a stream of drool hanging from his mouth. "I¡¯ll do it." "No, I¡¯ll do it. You should be using your bow." Anne moved forward, but Jeong Yushin refused. There was a clear reason why he had set Dean behind him. Both he and Anne knew that. Distrust. Anne¡¯s bold thoughts almost seemed to touch his skin. ¡®Anne, you¡¯ve been possessed by some evil spirit.¡¯ In his mind, the one-eyed Buddha was tap dancing. ¡®Namu Amida Bu. Asura Balbalta. Please just don¡¯t make any coughing sounds.¡¯ As soon as he heard the sound of a bowstring being pulled, he prepared to use Dean as a shield and draw his sword, ready to sever Anne¡¯s neck. Anne, as if reading his thoughts, carefully walked a little further away. Several hours passed in a strange tension. They had marched on without sleep or proper food. Eventually, they found a shelter on the outskirts. Light was seeping out from the entrance. Someone was inside. Creeeak. The careful sound of a bowstring being drawn. At the same time, Jeong Yushin¡¯s longsword quickly slid out of its sheath. He locked eyes with Anne. "It¡¯s goblins." "How do you know?" "Archers need to have sharp eyes and ears. If we get closer, we¡¯ll hear them." As Anne had said, when they got closer, they heard the goblins'' laughter from inside the shelter. It sounded like they were having some sort of joyful feast. The sound of flesh slapping against flesh and a pungent smell filled the air. Clink, clink. "Hehehe!" "Kekeke." Jeong Yushin peered out, barely enough to see. It was just as expected¡ªa gruesome scene. Around six goblins had gathered, and they were ravaging three women. It was impossible to tell if they were alive or dead. The goblins were being so brutal that the women, with vacant eyes, were being treated like corpses, to the goblins¡¯ whims. One of the women was Marie. Her clothes were almost torn apart, but the necklace symbolizing the Spirit Church was visible. She also had brown short hair and a delicate frame. It was Marie. A bitter taste filled his mouth. Eight hobgoblins. ¡®Should I just ignore this?¡¯ No matter how much of a surprise attack it was, how could two of them handle eight goblins? Their own condition wasn¡¯t normal. They hadn¡¯t used their potions sufficiently, and the spots where the arrows hit were still throbbing. Anne, without mentioning it, was still leaking blood from the bandages around her abdomen. Anne tapped Jeong Yushin on the back. Through her cautious touch, he felt a trace of hope rise, but a sigh escaped his chest. They switched positions. As soon as Anne peeked into the space, she gasped and covered her mouth with both hands. Jeong Yushin sensed it instantly. The fight was inevitable. But there was one question. Why were the goblins lighting torches? Did they want to keep the victim¡¯s mind intact? He didn¡¯t know. But it didn¡¯t matter. He would kill them all. He grabbed Anne¡¯s shoulder. He met her eyes, full of sorrow and anger. He explained the plan using the sign language they had learned in class. [You take care of the four far ones with your bow. I¡¯ll handle the closer four.] Anne looked at him with doubt in her eyes. ¡®Damn.¡¯ He had forgotten for a moment how smart Anne was. She hadn¡¯t taken any exploration classes. ¡®But she¡¯s from a hunter family, shouldn¡¯t she at least know sign language?¡¯ He swallowed his doubt. He leaned in close to Anne¡¯s ear and whispered. "Kill the four far ones. I¡¯ll handle the rest." "Yes." The torch she had was already extinguished, and the sword was drawn. Dean¡¯s mouth was tightly bound with rope, so the ambush was ready. Anne and Jeong Yushin looked at each other. They nodded and moved in. They lowered their bodies to avoid blocking Anne¡¯s line of sight and ran. "Keek?" The closest goblin looked up. Slash! The sword gleamed and the goblin¡¯s head flew through the air. ¡®One down.¡¯ At the same time, an arrow flew and pierced the chest of a distant goblin. In the commotion, some goblins got up in confusion. Jeong Yushin swung the edge of his shield, smashing the goblin¡¯s neck. Crack! The goblin fell, its tongue lolling out, collapsing sideways. One goblin had its head smashed with a pommel, and the last one was kicked in the stomach. Thud! The sound of its belly bursting made the goblin fly backward. Meanwhile, Anne¡¯s arrow pierced the chest of the last goblin. "Kreek!" Thud. The goblin, clutching its chest, screamed and fell. Jeong Yushin approached the goblin with a crushed abdomen. It was still alive, spitting blood, but not dead yet. He crushed its neck with his boot. Crunch. As he looked around for any goblins that might still be alive, Anne rushed over to Marie and pulled her limp body into her arms. "Marie! Marie!" Marie¡¯s condition wasn¡¯t good. Her body was covered in semen, and one eye was swollen and mixed with broken eye fragments and blood, crusted and hardened. First, he poured some disinfecting wine, wiped the fragments and hardened blood off, and bandaged her with clean bandages. "What about the potions?" "I used them all." He shook the empty potion bottle in front of Anne¡¯s doubtful eyes. By now, it was terrifying. He was certain that if they didn¡¯t act soon, Anne would definitely shoot an arrow into the back of his head. Anne wiped the semen off Marie¡¯s body and held her in her arms. Anne spoke several times, but... "Ugh... eh... eh..." Marie, completely broken, only sporadically made strange sounds, like a broken doll. ¡®Hehehee and uheee.¡¯ A mad friend and a broken friend. They were alive, but their future lives looked bleak. Of course, that was only if they survived here. Among the hobgoblin corpses and the scattered bags around them, Jeong Yushin scavenged for supplies. Fortunately, he found Marie¡¯s bag. As Anne had said, there was a candle and a candlestick inside. ¡®It¡¯s huge.¡¯ Compared to a torch, it was only slightly smaller. "Now, if we just rescue Ka¡¯al..." At Anne¡¯s mumbling, Jeong Yushin felt chills all over his body. "Ka¡¯al is dead. Just like this." He held up the goblin with its head crushed by the pommel. "He was crushed in the stomach with a spear, and his skull caved in from the club. His eyes popped out like a crab. I told you." "..." "Do you not believe it?" The disaster was one step closer. Chapter 12: Escape from the labyrinth Anne''s expression hardened. "But didn''t Skassi say he''d help look for them?" "We''ve already found all the scattered comrades. Are you really trying to collect their corpses now?" Jeong Yushin felt a throbbing pain in his head. When he had decided to save Anne and travel together, he should have never mentioned looking for comrades. It wasn''t part of the plan, but by chance, they had found two people. Maybe it was just luck. Jeong Yushin felt that way, but Anne might have felt differently. Not by chance, but by fate¡ªsome inevitable twist of destiny. ''I''ve been spinning the hope circuit too much. There''s a whole bunch of bullshit tangled in there.'' A late regret surged up. He had joined a family-like small company as an outsourced worker. When he raised questions about tasks outside the contract, he was cursed out by the young CEO. With one mistake, the family-like party had fallen apart. Somehow, he had managed to find a way to survive by luck. And, by even greater luck, he had found people. Now, the deceased CEO was the one asking to be found. It was truly frustrating, but with the last remaining conscience of a modern-day person, Jeong Yushin spoke to Anne. "Anne, I swear on my conscience, Ka''al is dead." "The situation was urgent. Maybe you saw it wrong?" "Fuck this." It was a disaster. He couldn''t hold it in anymore. "Enough. I''m going alone. You all figure it out. Whether you find him or not, I don''t care." Anne spoke urgently. "Skassi! Do you really think you can go alone?" "It''d be better than dying looking for a dead bastard." Jeong Yushin packed his things and stood up. "Skassi!" Anne''s desperate voice echoed through the dark tunnel. ''He''s really lost it.'' Jeong Yushin gritted his teeth and turned his back. Just as he was about to leave the tunnel, something fell from the hard leather armor. It was soaked in goblin blood, but he could clearly recognize it. A brown clump of fur. It belonged to Darmong. Jeong Yushin stared blankly at the clump of fur that had fallen to the ground. "Why is this here?" A deflated sound escaped from Jeong Yushin''s lips. The beastman who had taken him in when he had nowhere to go. The beastman who had helped him unreservedly when he aimed to be an explorer. Without Darmong''s help and advice, Jeong Yushin might still be wandering the streets. Though he had paid for lodging. He picked up the clump of fur and fiddled with it. After standing there for a long time, Jeong Yushin finally spoke. "Anne, let''s go to the central area. There are plenty of explorers passing through there, so we can get some help and advice. If we meet a good explorer, it¡¯ll be easier to find a comrade. This is my last concession." Anne, who had been silent, spoke. "Understood." ''We should probably part ways there.'' Jeong Yushin stuffed the blood-soaked fur into his pants. Jeong Yushin and the group packed up and left the outer resting area. Mari, like Dean, tied a rope around her waist and dragged it along. In the long silence, each of them ventured through the darkness with their own thoughts. Several hours passed. Or maybe it was just a few minutes? It felt like they had been walking all night. Or maybe they had been crawling. There was no goblin attack. Maybe because they were covered in goblin blood and filth? Who knows. By the time the feeling in his soles had completely disappeared, they reached the boundary between the central and outer areas. And then. He found Ka''al. Only the mangled, half-eaten head remained. Arms and legs that looked human and beast-like formed strange shapes, stacked together, and the heads were beautifully decorated on top like a Christmas tree. Among them was Ka''al''s head. The grotesque structure was a totem marking the boundary between the outer and central areas, a territory marker of the hobgoblins. "There it is." Jeong Yushin pointed at Ka''al''s head with a finger. Anne''s body stiffened like a statue. It was the expression of someone witnessing something that should not exist. Anne staggered toward it. "Ah... ah..." She stared blankly, then knelt down and vomited on the ground. "Uweeeeeek!" Jeong Yushin approached the totem and carefully took Ka''al''s head. "Mari, it''s Ka''al." "Ka''al? Ka''al. Ka''al. Ka''al." Mari hugged Ka''al''s head that Jeong Yushin handed to her with great care. Jeong Yushin patted Anne''s back as she continued to vomit and cried, speaking to her. "Look at them. Dean and Mari. If it weren¡¯t for you, they wouldn''t have survived here. Are you just going to stay on your knees, crying like this?" Anne looked at Jeong Yushin with exhausted eyes. "Don''t look at me. Look at them. Your village friends." Jeong Yushin grabbed Anne''s chin and turned her to face Mari and Dean. One of them was smiling softly, and the other was tenderly stroking Ka''al''s head. "Don''t you feel sorry for them? This happened because of you. If you hadn''t stopped us from going to the second floor in the first place, none of this would have happened." "Th-that... Ka''al..." "He''s dead. Are you going to blame a dead person? Don¡¯t you think Ka''al would be sad? Do you really think you have no responsibility in this?" "..." "I found Ka''al''s head, so do you want to find the body too? Then let¡¯s part ways here. I''ll go first. You can come slowly with your friends." Jeong Yushin took his hand off Anne''s chin and stood up. Crash! Anne grabbed Jeong Yushin''s arm. Where she found the strength, it hurt immensely. "We''re going. I''m going. You fucking bastard! You heartless bastard!" Jeong Yushin spoke calmly. "Anne, if you speak like that, I can''t go with you. I''m not your friend, and I''m not your subordinate. Do you understand?" Anne suddenly laughed. ''This is terrifying.'' The laughter stopped abruptly. Anne staggered to her feet. "Let''s go, Skassi." "Do you still have the strength to shoot a bow?" "Don''t worry. Even if I die, I''ll shoot." [The key to motivation is responsibility.] Jeong Yushin tried to instill a sense of responsibility in Anne, just like he saw on YouTube. ¡®The result is successful.¡¯ Her twitching eyes were a bit scary, though. ¡®At this rate, I might be a motivational speaker, huh?¡¯ "Alright. Let¡¯s go." He clapped his hands and got everyone''s attention. Jeong Yushin pulled Dean along, and Anne dragged Mari as they walked. "Finally." Jeong Yushin muttered in a trembling voice, his body battered and exhausted. After many twists and turns, they had arrived. He saw a large cave with a monument. He had expected to meet other explorers on the way to the teleportation zone, but he didn''t. Food was a problem, but the bigger issue was that they had run out of torches. Though the church had provided candles, there was a looming sense of crisis that if they ran out of those too, they were done for. He had reduced sleep and rest, walking diligently. Dean and Mari were fine, but Anne''s condition was critical. Her pale face and cracked lips. The bandage wrapped around her stomach was already soaked with blood and reeked of decay. Her unsteady gait made it seem as though she might collapse at any moment. So, just before they reached the monument, when the hobgoblins attacked, he thought it would be the end. But despite her almost fatal condition, Anne killed four of them with near-miraculous archery skills. The remaining five were dealt with by Jeong Yushin. Amid their desperate struggles, Dean was smiling quietly, and Mari was sitting, peeing herself while holding Ka''al''s head. ''Guess it¡¯s a good thing they showed up.'' He turned his head to look back. Anne was almost a walking corpse, and Dean and Mari were so exhausted from the forced march and battle that they were sitting on the floor. As soon as he touched the monument, two portals opened. A red portal leading down. A blue portal leading out. "Let¡¯s go." Dean tried to enter the red portal, but Jeong Yushin shoved him into the blue one first. Then Mari. Then Anne. Finally, Jeong Yushin. The blue light enveloped him, and he felt a sense of floating. Then the clear sky. The group stood in front of a massive magic circle, presumably the exit of the great labyrinth. A strange sense of liberation surrounded his body. "Hahaha. Fuck, we made it!" Jeong Yushin shouted loudly, then collapsed. People dressed in priest robes rushed toward him, but his vision blurred, and he couldn''t see them clearly. "I¡¯m alive. Geck." He muttered one more word before fainting. When he opened his eyes, he was looking at an unfamiliar ceiling. "Are you awake? This is a relief station next to the labyrinth''s exit." An old priest with white hair spoke. "How long have I been lying down?" "About five hours." He sat up and looked around. The room resembled a hospital ward, with several beds scattered around. There weren¡¯t many people occupying them. "Pretty soon, it''ll be full. It''s almost evening." "How can I repay this favor? Thank you." He was moved to see such a kind organization in this world. "One silver coin." Jeong Yushin felt like he''d been hit on the head with a hammer at the sudden mention of an enormous amount. "Excuse me?" "You weren¡¯t injured much, so I only used basic recovery magic. That¡¯ll be one silver coin. If it''s hard to repay, you can owe it. You can slowly pay it back through the guild." ¡®Why is it so expensive? Is this right?¡¯ His dissatisfaction probably showed on his face, and the old man chuckled. "It¡¯s cheaper than the cost of your life." ''That¡¯s true.'' Jeong Yushin nodded without further argument and handed over the one silver coin. With only one silver coin and a few copper coins left, his pocket felt emptier. At least he had collected some hobgoblin ears, so it wasn¡¯t all bad. "Oh! And your companions." "Yes. What happened to them?" "Honestly, it¡¯s serious. Especially that red-haired girl." "Did she die?" He asked flatly, though he wasn¡¯t really curious or eager to know. "No. She was on the verge of death, but we managed to save her." "Well, that''s good." His indifferent tone made the old man¡¯s eyebrows twitch. "Skassi, weren''t you the party leader? Didn''t you come out last from the labyrinth?" "That wasn¡¯t me. The friend with only his head left was the leader." "So what should we do? The only sane party member left is you." "Everyone should deal with their own debts. But can you heal the ones who are a little crazy?" "The girl has a chance, but the boy is impossible." Mari could be healed, but Dean couldn¡¯t. "Well, they''ll figure it out. I¡¯ll leave now." He stood up from the bed and started packing. At that moment, the door to the room suddenly burst open. Bang! "Anne! Dean! Ka¡¯al!" A large human male entered, shouting loudly. His limp made it clear that he was one of Ka¡¯al''s injured comrades. "...Mari?" The man''s gaze fixed on one spot as he looked around the room. His trembling voice echoed in the quiet ward. Mari was sitting beside Anne''s bed, tenderly stroking Ka''al''s head. Dean was squatting beside her, continuing to smile. "What... is this?" The man struggled to approach and speak. "Mari, Dean. What happened? Tell me! What is this head?" Jeong Yushin, wearing his backpack, approached. "It¡¯s no use. Mari¡¯s mind is shattered, and Dean is crazy." "Who are you?" The man growled aggressively. "I¡¯m the replacement who joined." "Explain what happened!" "See the head Mari is holding? It''s Ka¡¯al." "What... what did you say?" The man repeated the question as though he hadn¡¯t heard it correctly, but his gaze remained fixed on Ka¡¯al¡¯s head in Mari¡¯s arms. "It¡¯s Ka¡¯al. He got trapped in a hobgoblin trap, stabbed with a spear, and his skull was smashed with a club. He died." A silence fell over the room. The man suddenly collapsed, his legs giving way. "Ugh... Uweeeek!" And then he started to vomit. At that moment, the old man approached, clicking his tongue. "Don¡¯t puke in the hospital room, it¡¯s unhygienic." "I agree." Jeong Yushin nodded. After vomiting his guts out, the man suddenly jumped up and grabbed Jeong Yushin by the collar. "You bastard! What did you do?! Why are you the only one unharmed?!" ''Did this bastard¡¯s brain filter break?'' Jeong Yushin swung his fist and punched the man¡¯s jaw. Smack! The man staggered, then collapsed to the floor. "Fighting in a hospital room. Tsk tsk." The old man clicked his tongue disapprovingly. Jeong Yushin clicked his tongue too and spoke. "I saved all of them and brought them out. You should be thanking me. I ran like a madman, taking arrows like a porcupine, risking my life to save your comrades. I can¡¯t even show you my wounds." He exaggerated a bit. "Hmm. It wasn¡¯t quite like that." The old man interrupted suddenly. Jeong Yushin and the man locked eyes. "This is the first time I¡¯m seeing you, old man. Looks like your head¡¯s hurting. You¡¯re Ka¡¯al¡¯s comrade, right? What¡¯s /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ your name?" Ignoring the old man¡¯s awkward laugh, the man spoke. "Tarum." "Right, Tarum. We need to go somewhere together. Right now." "Where?" "The Explorer Guild." "Why?" "To collect the bounty for the extermination request. You need to pay for your friends'' treatment, right?" "Why should I go with you?" "I¡¯m thinking if the reward distribution is weird later, you might complain. If you don¡¯t want to, forget it." "I¡¯ll go with you." Tarum, who had been hesitating, nodded and answered. He was clearly shaken by the sudden shock of his village friend¡¯s death but seemed to regain his composure quickly. "There¡¯s an Explorer Guild building next door. It mainly handles extermination and gathering requests. It shouldn¡¯t take long since it¡¯s not a busy time." The old man chimed in. "The old man¡¯s words are reasonable and clear, but are you really crazy?" Tarum asked, and Jeong Yushin shrugged. "It might be temporary dementia. Do you really think that¡¯s important? With no idea how much the treatment will cost?" "Well... you¡¯re right." "Let¡¯s go." He wanted to finish the reward distribution as quickly as possible. He didn¡¯t want to be involved with these annoying people any longer. Tarum hesitated but eventually followed Jeong Yushin. They left the relief station and entered the Explorer Guild building next door. Chapter 13: Imprint, Breast and Reflection ¡°22 hobgoblins confirmed.¡± The receptionist said, wiping his bloody hands. Jung Yu-shin, Tarman, and the old man from the relief center were standing in front of the reception desk. Clang. The receptionist put down a bag of coins. ¡°The subjugation reward is 15 silver coins.¡± At first glance, it seems like a lot. However, the 15 coins had to be divided equally among five people. Each person would receive 3 silver coins. ¡°Tarman.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°How many days has it been since Karl¡¯s party left?¡± ¡°Today is the 6th day.¡± We fought for our lives for 6 days and only got 3 silver coins. It was a very poor deal. Jung Yu-shin took out only 3 silver coins from the reward bag the receptionist gave him and gave the rest to Tarman. ¡°Kaal said that the compensation would be distributed fairly. So I¡¯ll take 3. You can divide the rest up as you see fit. We¡¯re village comrades, right? If you have any questions, ask Anne when she wakes up.¡± ¡°...¡± Tarman stared blankly down at the bag of silver coins that Jung Yu-shin had handed him. How would he feel? The party was completely destroyed just because they had managed to get 12 silver coins. They couldn¡¯t complain to anyone else. It was the result of their own choice. ¡®Poor kids.¡¯ Now that it had come to this, they could either return to the village or endure the dungeon city for a while. I didn¡¯t know how Karl¡¯s group would live in the future, but it seemed difficult to imagine such a bright future. ¡®Alpano. I¡¯m having a hard time making a living, too.¡¯ He felt a little sympathy, but that was it. Jung Yu-shin turned around and walked away. Tarman didn¡¯t move at all, as if he was rooted to the floor. ¡°Are you going?¡± The old man who followed him out of the building spoke. ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll see you later.¡± It was already evening and the sun was setting. ¡°Wait a minute.¡± The old man stopped Jeong Yu-shin. ¡°What is it?¡± I want to quickly return to the inn and rest. I wanted to see Darmon. ¡°Please do me one favor.¡± ¡°A favor?¡± Jeong Yu-shin frowned. ¡°You know that apprentice priestess girl? Take her to the Earth Mother Temple.¡± ¡°Marie? Me?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Why?¡± I asked out of pure curiosity. ¡°I¡¯ll do it anyway. My affiliation is clear, so there¡¯s no need for her to be at the shelter. Besides.¡± The old man pointed to Jeong Yu-shin¡¯s chest with his hand. ¡°You got the ¡®imprint¡¯, didn¡¯t you? Didn¡¯t you feel it?¡± ¡°Yes?!¡± Jeong Yu-shin¡¯s eyes widened. His fatigue had completely disappeared. ¡°When you came out of the labyrinth, didn¡¯t you feel a strange sense of liberation?¡± ¡®Is this true?¡¯ ¡°Is it true? But how do you know that, sir?¡± Jeong Yu-shin¡¯s tone became polite. ¡°I briefly checked your body while you were sleeping.¡± His hand suddenly became tense. ¡®They say that if you do good deeds, you will be blessed!¡¯ ¡°If you accept my request, I will pay for the cost of checking the imprint at the temple for free.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you check it here right now?¡± ¡°Checking the imprint is only possible at the temple of the Spirit Sect. Anywhere else is illegal.¡± ¡°Is the temple that serves the Mother Earth a member of the Spirit Sect?¡± The old man looked at Jeong Yu-shin as if he had heard a strange question. ¡°Oh my! You were Barbaroi! I was mistaken. The Mother Earth is one of the spirit gods. There are other spirit gods as well. They are all within the large fence called the Spirit Cult. There are many temples in this city that worship different spirit gods, so if you have time, go and look around.¡± Jeong Yu-shin scratched his head. Honestly, I don¡¯t understand. ¡°Take Mari to the Mother Earth temple. And check the seal for free. Is that what you mean?¡± ¡°I think there are a lot of omissions, but you heard me right.¡± The old man went into the shelter and brought Mari out. ¡°I¡¯ll tell the young man Tarman. Take him home without worry.¡± ¡°But would he accept me if I just took him there?¡± ¡°Take this. It¡¯s a symbol of the Spirit Teacher, so it should be enough. Don¡¯t lose it.¡± What¡¯s the Spirit Teacher? Judging from the old man¡¯s casual remark, it doesn¡¯t seem like an important issue. The important thing is the ¡®imprint¡¯. I want to go and check it out quickly. ¡°Okay, I understand. Let¡¯s meet later.¡± ¡°Yeah. I think we¡¯ll meet again soon.¡± The old man smiled and saw Jeong Yu-shin off. He couldn¡¯t tie Mari up with a rope and drag her, so he held her hand and walked. Mari was still holding Karl¡¯s head tightly with her other hand, like a child holding a teddy bear. He felt the gazes of the people around him as he walked. He asked people and found the temple of the Mother Earth. ¡°We finally arrived. Phew. You worked hard, Mari.¡± ¡°Eww.¡± He was only able to arrive at the temple gate after the sun had completely set. Fortunately, the temple door was still open. As we entered the temple, people wearing black priest¡¯s uniforms were walking around. ¡°Hey, I came to check the ¡®imprint¡¯ and leave someone.¡± He grabbed a rabbit mermaid who was passing by and said. ¡°Huh?¡± The mermaid made a questioning expression. He didn¡¯t want to explain any further, so he showed the token the old man had given him. Then the mermaid¡¯s rabbit ears stood up straight. ¡°Wait... please wait a moment!¡± The rabbit mermaid ran away in a panic to another place. After waiting for a moment, a freckled human woman approached him. ¡°Just come this way.¡± We followed the woman and arrived at a large hallway. There were more than ten reception desks there, and explorers were standing in line in front of them. It had a similar structure to the Explorer¡¯s Guild. The only difference was the small room behind the reception desk. They were going in and out one by one. ¡°This is the room where you can check the imprint.¡± The freckled goddess said. ¡°Should I go there too?¡± ¡°No. The explorer will meet a special person. He will personally check the imprint. Please be respectful.¡± I walked down the hallway following the goddess and arrived at a dead-end room. Judging from the size of the room, it was much larger than the rooms I had seen so far. ¡°Please go in this way.¡± Jung Yu-shin opened the door, taking Mari¡¯s hand. A woman was standing in the room. ¡®Wow.¡¯ Warm-toned platinum hair. Squinted eyes that gave off a sense of calm. A black dot next to her plump lips. Her appearance fully revealed her noble divinity and warm motherly nature. If you only looked at her face, you would think she was a saint. Her body was not like that. A tight-fitting nun¡¯s habit. The outline of her huge H-cup breasts was visible without being obscured. The tightness of her perky belly button and her beautifully flared pelvic line were clearly ? N§àv§Öl?g?§ä ? (Continue reading) visible. The panty line that clung to her soft and plump buttocks was clearly visible. It was so tight that, Even though I didn''t know the color, it clearly said that I was wearing panties of this type. The firm thigh line that only a track and field athlete would have. Underneath, black stockings covered her knees. A body that was the complete opposite of her appearance that showed her divinity and motherhood. In short, it was a sexy body optimized for intense pregnancy and mating sex. "Hello, Explorer. I''m Mion Randishia." "Mammajo." "Yes?" "I''m Scar. I came here at the request of an old man at the shelter. This girl here is called Marie, and she was raped by a goblin during an exploration and lost her mind. I brought her here because he said that if I showed him this certificate, he would take care of Marie." ¡°Wait..Wait.¡± Mi-on was flustered by Jung Yu-shin¡¯s words that were spitting out like a machine gun and waved her hand. Her large chest shook elastically from side to side. ¡°Please explain slowly, Mr. Ska.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Jung Yu-shin opened his mouth and began to explain what had happened. It was past time to drink a cup of tea. ¡°So.... We came here.¡± He quickly summarized the facts without emotion. ¡°I see. Since you have the Spirit Teacher¡¯s mark, we will take care of Mari. And would you like to check the imprint right now?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Come closer, put your hands together, and kneel on one knee.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± When she knelt down, her tight-fitting outfit made Mi-on¡¯s groin area visible. ¡®There¡¯s a panty line in the front, too.¡¯ She quickly lowered her head. I got an erection. My dick hurt. Mi-on muttered something in a solemn voice, but I couldn¡¯t hear a single word. It seemed like there was a flash of light. I¡¯m not sure. ¡°It¡¯s over.¡± ¡®Is it over?¡¯ But she couldn¡¯t get up right away. Jeong Yu-shin said without raising her head. ¡°I¡¯ll stay like this for a moment. The grace that Mother Earth has bestowed upon me is so great that my heart is agitated and it¡¯s hard for me to move recklessly.¡± ¡°Yes..yes.¡± ¡®Please! My erection, die. Die!¡¯ She sang the national anthem. ¡®Until the East Sea and Baekdu Mountain dry up and wear away... Long live our country.¡¯ I don¡¯t remember very well. It doesn''t matter. My erection is dead. He got up from his seat, personally confirming that military service contributes to the low birth rate. "Then, I''ll tell you about the imprint that Mr. Ska has." "Yes." "Ahem! The name of the imprint is..." Mion gave a cute cough and said the name of the imprint. He managed to gather his wheezing mind and arrived at the inn. "I''m home. Darmon." Darmon was sitting at the deserted inn counter. As always. "Are you home? You look fine, but why are you so out of your mind?" "Please have a drink." He unloaded his luggage and sat across from Darmon. "Just wait a minute." Darmon went into the kitchen. There was a clattering sound, and after a while, Darmon came out carrying a plate full of snacks. ¡°Okay. Tell me. What on earth happened during the past six days?¡± ¡°That¡¯s it.¡± He took longer to talk than he did to Mion. Darmon asked many questions during the conversation, as if he had a lot of questions, and Jung Yu-shin answered fluently, drunk for the first time in a while. Darmon nodded occasionally and listened to the story. ¡°...So I brought Mari to the temple and checked the seal.¡± ¡°It must have been a difficult experience for a novice explorer.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t easy.¡± ¡°Not you, but Anne.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°You were injured in the abdomen and wandered around the labyrinth, didn¡¯t you? You couldn¡¯t even rest properly for three days with a colleague who was mentally unstable.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a shame to hear that. But I won¡¯t go into the labyrinth with you again.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because you act too selfishly. The labyrinth already has many variables, and you change the plan to suit your own needs.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just that they lack experience. People learn from experience.¡± ¡°Those guys went into the labyrinth without even taking the explorer class. What good is experience if you die? If it weren¡¯t for me, they would all have died.¡± ¡°Really? Did they escape the labyrinth on their own without any help?¡± That wasn¡¯t the case. If Anne hadn¡¯t struggled to bring her companions out, they would have died in the final raid. Or they would have gone crazy like Dean, consumed by the ¡®darkness¡¯ after running out of torches due to a lack of supplies. And. They went to the second floor after being swept up in the majority vote, but they also had a complacent mindset that they would somehow be able to do it. ¡°I admit it. If it weren¡¯t for Anne¡¯s help, they wouldn¡¯t have escaped the second floor alone. But if they hadn¡¯t gone down to the second floor in the first place, they wouldn¡¯t have had this hardship.¡± ¡°They¡¯ll regret it more.¡± Damn. That¡¯s right. ¡°Every morning you¡¯ll feel the absence of your friend, and every night you¡¯ll regret, regurgitate, and chew over your choices.¡± Damn it. My mouth was so dry that I took a sip of my drink. ¡°Then what do you want me to do? Go in with you again?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant. I just said something because you seemed too focused on someone else.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I understand that you¡¯re angry at Karl¡¯s words and actions, and I understand that you¡¯re dissatisfied with the party¡¯s unreasonable decision-making. And it¡¯s true that that decision is the starting point of the tragedy.¡± Darmon paused and took a sip of his drink. ¡°But if you don¡¯t get caught up in that and reflect on yourself, you haven¡¯t learned anything from this exploration.¡± Sure. All he could think about was leaving the labyrinth and not getting involved with those damned guys. He just made up his mind to avoid any parties similar to Karl¡¯s. ¡°Thank you, Darmon. I learned a lot today.¡± ¡°Go to sleep. You must be tired. You worked hard.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I went upstairs, unpacked, dried myself with a towel, and lay down on the bed. I suddenly felt sleepy. ¡®Come to think of it, did I tell you what kind of imprint I got?¡¯ Jung Yu-shin blinked his eyelids, thought for a moment, and then fell asleep. Chapter 14: The Truth and the Female Hunter ¡°Ugh! I¡¯m dying of thirst.¡± Jung Yu-shin got up, spitting out bear fur in his parched mouth. Looking out the window, it was dawn. He had accumulated so much fatigue, and yet he was so diligent the next day. He was proud of himself for his unprepared sincerity. A delicious smell wafted from the first floor. He came down wearing only a shirt and pants and sat down. ¡°Darmong! Give me some water.¡± ¡°Are you awake?¡± ¡°Yes. I must have drunk a little last night, so I feel a little dizzy.¡± ¡°Last night?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Ska, you slept like a corpse for a day and a half.¡± Somehow, my body felt so heavy. He scratched his head in embarrassment. Darmong brought food and water. Thump! ¡°Eat slowly.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll eat well.¡± Black rye bread, sweet pumpkin porridge, and well-cooked sausages were served for breakfast. ¡°Darmon, I have a question.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Why is there no one at this inn?¡± ¡°...¡± Darmon was silent for a moment. ¡°It¡¯s because it¡¯s the off-season.¡± ¡°Suddenly?¡± ¡°Not suddenly. The shedding is almost finished.¡± When did the bear shed its fur? I don¡¯t know. Was it spring? ¡°Then people will come soon?¡± ¡°Come moderately. Enough to eat and live.¡± ¡°I might not have any guests because of me.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m Barbaro?¡± ¡°...I forgot. You were Barbaro.¡± Barbaro, a lawbreaker who violates the virtues and discipline of the city. When they pass by on the street, married men look at them with wary eyes, and virtuous young women cover their faces. A husband who has lost his wife goes to Barbaroi in anger, but he is the embodiment of sexual desire who turns that man into a female. ¡®Honestly, that seems like a bit of an exaggerated rumor.¡¯ However, he couldn¡¯t be sure if the rumor was false. He had never actually seen Barbaroi. Darmon crossed his arms and sighed deeply. ¡°Let me think about it.¡± ¡°Oh. And there¡¯s something else I¡¯m curious about.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°What is a spirit teacher?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the highest position in the spirit cult. There aren¡¯t many in the cult.¡± An old man at a shelter. His own rude speech and behavior. Memories flashed through his mind, and he broke out in a cold sweat. ¡°The spirit teacher must have great power, right?¡± ¡°At least in the Eastern Alliance, you can twist the neck of a new Barbaroi without anyone saying anything. Why are you asking that?¡± Damn it. You should have been more polite. Jung Yu-shin explained about the old man he met at the relief center last time. After the short story, Darmon scratched his chin with his finger. ¡°But since you¡¯re still alive, I guess it¡¯s okay. Was he an old man? A white-haired human male?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°It was Luke. Apologize for your rudeness the next time you see him. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be happy to hear it.¡± Luke Wiseman. The head of the priests who serve the Wind Spirit and one of the highest council members of the Labyrinth City. Jung Yu-shin felt dizzy after hearing Darmon¡¯s further explanation. ¡®Why is someone like that at the relief center?¡¯ He vowed not to go near the temple that serves the Wind Spirit from now on. ¡°So what are you going to do now?¡± Jung Yu-shin stroked his chin at Darmon¡¯s question. ¡°I want to learn more.¡± ¡°Be specific.¡± ¡°Should I say how to handle weapons? I want to train my body to be strong. I felt that my eyes alone were not enough. Ah! And..¡± Jung Yu-shin stopped talking and became deeply immersed in his own thoughts. There were many areas for improvement. There were also some regrettable aspects. There were also reflections that suggested that he could have done better if he had done this. Karl¡¯s party was already over. When I looked at it from a self-reflective perspective, removing all resentment and painful emotions. I could see areas for improvement. I organized my thoughts in my head. Jung Yu-shin opened his mouth again. ¡°Where do you learn things like weapon techniques?¡± ¡°There is a fencing guild officially approved by the Labyrinth City. The price is 30 silver coins per month.¡± ¡°Hehehe...¡± ¡®I only have 5 silver coins right now.¡¯ ¡°Then where should I go to learn writing or knowledge?¡± ¡°Are you talking about the Labyrinth City Academy? It costs 10 gold coins a year there.¡± 100 silver coins is 1 gold coin. The Academy costs a whopping 1,000 silver coins a year. Just considering the tuition, excluding textbooks. ¡°Where should I go if I just want to learn writing?¡± ¡°I heard that the Earth Mother Temple runs an orphanage.¡± ¡°Do they teach writing there? Are there any other places?¡± ¡°Do you have a lot of money?¡± ¡°...¡± Oh no. I forgot. The temple story brought it up. ¡°Did I tell you what kind of imprint I got?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Hehehe.¡± Jeong Yu-shin laughed meaningfully. ¡°I¡¯ll show you. Okay!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to show me.¡± Darmon muttered indifferently. ¡°Okay!¡± Jung Yu-shin raised his arm. Warm-colored golden magic particles gathered in his palm. After a while. A golden dagger was created on his palm. ¡°Oh.¡± Paat! The dagger he had created with all his strength disappeared immediately. ¡°Geeek.¡± Jung Yu-shin¡¯s whole body lost all its strength and he banged his head on the plate. ¡°Sacred Weapon. Isn¡¯t it the basic magic of a priest that mixes half physical power and half light properties? It¡¯s ordinary.¡± Darmon patted Jung Yu-shin on the shoulder. It was a rare comfort given his personality. That¡¯s why it hurt even more. ¡°Uh...cheer up. Good days will come as you live.¡± ¡°Is the imprint that bad?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not bad, it¡¯s just plain. Anyone who¡¯s a priest can use it. And be thankful. Where haven¡¯t you gotten a negative imprint?¡± ¡°Do you remember any negative imprints?¡± ¡°Wait a minute.¡± Darmon clenched his jaw and stared blankly into space for a moment. Then he suddenly started laughing. ¡°One of my friends got one.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°A mark that makes you get an erection in front of a man instead of dying in front of a woman.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°By the way, there¡¯s also a mark that makes you want to buy delicious things for a child. Be careful.¡± It¡¯s dangerous. ¡°What do you do if you get that imprint?¡± ¡°You can erase it. Pay for it. The more times you erase # N§àv§Ölight # it, the more money you have to pay.¡± ¡°Hehehe.¡± It wasn¡¯t the Great Labyrinth, it was the Lucky-Pal-Gae-Jjot-Mang Labyrinth. The legend that all the demons were gathered and sealed wasn¡¯t a lie. ¡°The Sacred Weapon engraving is ordinary. Ordinary is not bad.¡± Darmon, who would never say that an engraving is good even if he dies soon, came to mind. Mi-on¡¯s face, who had said that it was a good engraving with a clumsy smile, came to mind. ¡®Was it a white lie?¡¯ Jeong Yu-shin staggered and got up from his seat. ¡°I¡¯ll go to the blacksmith shop for a moment.¡± ¡°Okay. Cheer up.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± He went up to his room, put his longsword on his waist, and left the inn. People were moving busily on the street, perhaps because it was morning. He walked diligently and arrived at the blacksmith shop. ¡°Boron, I¡¯m here.¡± The sound of iron striking inside the blacksmith shop stopped, and the dwarf appeared with a frown. ¡°I told you not to come.¡± ¡°Please change this longsword to a shorter one.¡± ¡°I told you not to come.¡± ¡°The longsword is too long to hold and swing with one hand. To be more specific, when you get close enough to touch the shield, the movement increases when you cut and stab, and the sword doesn¡¯t reach the goblin properly.¡± Boron grabbed his hair. ¡°Listen to me. I told you not to come. I¡¯m busy right now! You crazy human.¡± ¡°Change it. For a short one.¡± ¡°No, I..¡± ¡°Change it.¡± ¡°Kuaaaaah!!¡± ¡°Baa...¡± ¡°Here it is! Take it and get out! I¡¯m busy!¡± Boron ran over and threw the sword and scabbard. Arming sword, mainly used by knights, also called knightly sword was a single-handed double-edged straight sword. ¡®I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s called that here.¡¯ ¡°Here¡¯s a longsword.¡± ¡°Just take it! Don¡¯t come back!¡± ¡®The money¡¯s tight.¡¯ He put the longsword on his back and the arming sword on his waist. ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll come back.¡± ¡°Hey.¡± Boron glared at him with a serious expression. At that moment, the dwarves watching from across the blacksmith shop laughed and chattered. ¡°Keulheul. You look good! Boron!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, you took all the orders by yourself and got caught by a bad guy. That¡¯s retribution.¡± Boron¡¯s face turned pale. Jeong Yu-shin felt slightly wronged. He turned around and protested. ¡°I¡¯m not the real one, am I?¡± One of the dwarves behind him turned serious. ¡°You¡¯re a real person.¡± ¡®What the heck?¡¯ ¡°Why am I a real person?¡± ¡°Why did you come all the way here to ask the blacksmith to cut it instead of a perfectly good weapon shop? You¡¯re a real person.¡± When I hear it, it¡¯s true. But it¡¯s a bit unfair. ¡®The fantasy I know is that you buy it directly from the blacksmith!¡¯ ¡°I came here for the first time last time after being introduced by an acquaintance. It hasn¡¯t been that long since I¡¯ve been to this city. I apologize for my mistakes.¡± Silence fell around them for a moment. The dwarves stroked their beards with embarrassed expressions. ¡°Hmm. You¡¯re a total rookie explorer.¡± ¡°If you came through an acquaintance. Ahem.¡± ¡°Boron, you pig. Hmm.¡± Boron sank to the ground, his strength draining away. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to tell you not to come. But I¡¯m really busy. I haven¡¯t been able to sleep properly and I¡¯ve been pounding on the iron for a week. Understand.¡± ¡°I understand. Then I¡¯ll stop by later and buy you a bottle of alcohol.¡± ¡°Please give me something expensive and strong.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The dwarves behind him muttered in disappointment. ¡°This is how it¡¯s going to end? This isn¡¯t right.¡± ¡°Boron, you pig. You¡¯re the one who eats all the orders.¡± Boron shouted. ¡°I understand! Let¡¯s share the orders. These guys are really.¡± ¡°You should have come out like that a long time ago. Let¡¯s share the good stuff! Are we strangers?¡± Jeong Yu-shin bowed to Boron. ¡°I¡¯ll see you later.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± The dwarves waved. ¡°Goodbye! Jinsang Barbaroi!¡± Jeong Yu-shin frowned and turned around. ¡®The dwarf named Jinsang Barbaroi. I remembered.¡¯ After walking diligently, they arrived at the next destination, the Temple of the Earth Mother. Where Mi-on was, revealing her body without hesitation in her tight priest¡¯s uniform. ¡°I heard that they teach writing at this orphanage.¡± A human woman wearing a neat priest¡¯s uniform asked Jeong Yu-shin¡¯s question. ¡°Do you have a child you would like to take care of?¡± ¡°No.¡± Jeong Yu-shin answered. A question appeared in the priest¡¯s eyes. ¡°Are you here to teach writing? Volunteering is always welcome.¡± ¡°No.¡± The priestess¡¯s doubts grew even louder. ¡°Then, are you here to adopt a child who can write?¡± ¡°No.¡± A brief silence. The priest¡¯s face turned pale. ¡°S...Surely ¡®bride hunting¡¯?¡± ¡°No. I came to learn.¡± ¡°And ¡®female hunting¡¯ as well?¡± Did this woman just say female hunting? ¡°I came to learn only the real thing. Barbaro is human too. Don¡¯t be fooled by base rumors.¡± ¡°Well... if you say so. Adults pay one silver coin per month. Classes start in the morning. Textbooks will be prepared here, and lunch is the only meal.¡± He immediately took out the silver coin from his pocket and paid. ¡°I¡¯m telling you this just in case. If anything unpleasant happens during class, you will be expelled immediately.¡± ¡°Understood. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m a good Barbaro who doesn¡¯t rape.¡± The color drained from the nun¡¯s face. It was a joke, but it seemed like it didn¡¯t work. Jeong Yu-shin fumbled and tried to collect herself. ¡°That...Barbaroi, who is interested in women¡¯s rights? I. When I look into it. Yes.¡± ¡°Ah. Yes. Yes. I see.¡± The meeting ended in a cold and awkward atmosphere. My mouth felt bitter as I saw the back of the priest running away somewhere. ¡®I, a virgin, am being treated as a female hunter in this world. It¡¯s so unfair and resentful.¡¯ Jung Yu-shin stifled his anger and trudged back to the inn. Chapter 15: Lung party The park was exactly in between the temple and the inn. On his way back to the inn, Jeong Yushin stopped by the park. He sat on a bench, resting his chin on his hand, and admired the scenery. The beautiful flower beds and trees tinted with pink petals. At the center of the park stood a marble statue. Surrounding it, fountains were arranged in a way that seemed to embrace the statue. Was the water spirit playing around? The water from the fountains soared into the air, forming beautiful and strange shapes. Around the fountains, children were running and playing. A boy was swinging a branch and shouting. "Hyah! I am the sage, Ezdras! Take that! You bad guys!" Another child shouted at the top of his lungs. "This time, I¡¯m playing the role of Ezdras! Why do you always get the good roles?!" Jeong Yushin, sitting on the bench, lowered his head as he watched the children argue. His thoughts grew deeper. He had paid for the opportunity to learn to read and write, but where could he afford to learn how to handle weapons cheaply? The cost of a swordsmanship class was 30 silver coins. That was the amount he would earn after working for three months straight at the monster dissection facility without taking a breath. Jeong Yushin grabbed his hair and let out a long sigh. There were also fixed costs. The rent he paid to Dalmong alone was 1 silver coin and 50 copper coins per month. A constant drain on his pocket, even when he just sat there breathing. Having just paid for the class, he had only 4 silver coins and a few copper coins left. If he planned to go back into the labyrinth, he needed to start saving money from now on. At the very least, he needed money to buy supplies. Breakfast was free at the inn, and lunch was provided at the temple, so he was lucky in that regard, but dinner was definitely going to be skipped. This was his current situation. ¡®This is really tight.¡¯ He wanted to grab Dalmong by the pants, but he didn¡¯t want to add to the burden of someone already concerned about his situation. ¡®Who would want to stay at an inn with a potential sex offender?¡¯ If he had been the innkeeper, he would have kicked him out immediately, but Jeong Yushin respected Dalmong for worrying about the issue. HeÕûÀí his thoughts. Ultimately, he was left with two choices. The first was to work at the monster dissection facility. He could earn money, but it wouldn''t improve his situation. There would be no time to enter the labyrinth, let alone learn how to read. He would have to spend three months working there day and night without rest. Then, after working for three months, he would have to give all the money to the swordsmanship guild, learn a little for a month, and then work another three months in the dissection facility. No matter how he looked at it, it was inefficient. The second was to enter the labyrinth again. As long as he didn¡¯t suffer serious injuries or strange markings, he could avoid a serious deficit, so it was worth a shot. When he thought about it, he wasn¡¯t even earning that little money. He made 3 silver coins on his first exploration, which wasn¡¯t bad for a week¡¯s worth of work. Although he had to risk his life, didn¡¯t eat well, sleep poorly, and spent more on supplies, making it a deficit. But what did it matter? If he met a good party and worked hard exploring the labyrinth, his skills would improve, and if his skills improved, more opportunities to earn would come. He had decided. Jeong Yushin stood up from the bench. Now that he had a plan, all that was left was to act. "No." "Why?" The man sitting across from Jeong Yushin shook his head. "You¡¯re a barbarian. My party doesn¡¯t take female hunters." Jeong Yushin frowned. "At least call me a bride hunter. Damn." "It¡¯s the same thing." This was the fourth rejection. After preparing his supplies and spending a day at the inn, he came to the explorer guild with high hopes, but every time, he was rejected in the interviews because he was a barbarian. The ¡ã? N o v e l i g h t ?¡ã man sighed. "Go to a different party, not a normal one like ours." The party member sitting next to the man shot a cold glance at Jeong Yushin. "Is there even a non-normal party?" "Don¡¯t look at the recruitment posts on the guild board. Ask the receptionist. Say you want to join a ¡®scrap¡¯ party." "What''s a scrap party? Are you talking about a new explorer party?" "No. Never mind. Ask the receptionist. Get lost." The man waved his hand dismissively, showing he didn¡¯t want to explain any further. Jeong Yushin got up from his seat. Wasn¡¯t it lucky that he got into the clueless Kaal party? He avoided the cold-looking female receptionist and went to another one. "Hello, explorer. How can I help you?" It was the cute earred dogkin he had seen earlier. "What¡¯s a scrap party?" "Oh! That¡¯s a party formed by people with negative markings. Are you thinking of joining one?" "Yes. No one else will take me, so that¡¯s my only choice." "There¡¯s a new explorer party that¡¯s been formed. Why don¡¯t you try joining them?" "Is it a party made by young people from the countryside?" "Yes. By the way, these people didn¡¯t take the new explorer class. They thought it was too expensive, even though the fee was heavily discounted this time." This was completely. So ominous. "Are you okay? Your hands are shaking." The receptionist asked with a worried look. "Please sign me up for the scrap party." "Okay. There''s a negative-marking party looking for a front-line member. You can go to table 21." "Thank you." Jeong Yushin turned and went to table 21. ¡®They look normal.¡¯ There were four people sitting at table 21. An old human wizard. A middle-aged gnome. A dwarf with a bushy beard. And. A goblin. Jeong Yushin¡¯s mouth dropped open. ¡®What the hell? A goblin?¡¯ The goblin spoke. "What are you looking at? First time seeing a talking goblin?" "This is the first time I''ve seen a talking goblin." "Are you a beginner explorer?" "Yes." "You¡¯re lucky. Most beginner explorers would have pulled out their sword as soon as they saw me." "This is Ska. Did I pass?" "Eh. To be honest, we¡¯re not picky. I¡¯m Dell. I used to be an elf, but I got a goblin mark, so now I look like this. I¡¯m still an elf, though. Remember that." ¡®He really emphasizes that a lot.¡¯ Dell looked around and said. "Let¡¯s introduce ourselves." The old human wizard opened his mouth. "I¡¯m Kelton, a wizard. A weakling." "...." ¡®Weakling?¡¯ Jeong Yushin stared blankly at the old wizard who suddenly insulted him. "I have the ¡®mesgaki¡¯ marking. I don¡¯t want to say anything more, so I¡¯ll end it here. Weakling." "Yeah, yeah." The old man frowned and crossed his arms. Next was the dwarf. "Ainhofer. I have the tremor marking and stamina reduction marking." Jeong Yushin looked at the huge one-sided axe standing behind the dwarf. "Sometimes my hands slip. Be careful." He swallowed nervously. The dwarf, who was serious about his weapon, had a sharp, gleaming axe. Lastly, the middle-aged gnome. "I¡¯m Ditto. By the way, barbarian, you¡¯re a virgin?" ¡®What the hell, what marking do you have?¡¯ Noticing Jeong Yushin¡¯s anxious gaze, Ditto grinned. "It¡¯s a marking that shows how many times you¡¯ve had sex. It shows up as a red number above your head." "Wow, a virgin barbarian. This is rare." The goblin interjected. "Isn¡¯t that marking not really a problem? It doesn¡¯t affect combat." Jeong Yushin raised an eyebrow. "Female explorers hate it. It¡¯s embarrassing and shameful when their private life is exposed like that." "What about male explorers?" Ditto laughed darkly. "If an explorer is seen with me, that explorer¡¯s career is over. They¡¯ll be branded as a perverted creep and won¡¯t be able to join any parties. They¡¯ll go straight to the bottom." ¡®That¡¯s seriously terrifying.¡¯ Now that he thought about it, he felt a cold stare from another table. Most of them were female explorers, and some male explorers were giving him the same look. He realized the meaning of sitting with Ditto, a gnome with a visible sex count, and a barbarian famous for being a female hunter. From now on, finding a party would be much harder. "Nice to meet you, barbarian!" Jeong Yushin blankly stared at Ditto¡¯s hand as he reached out. "Let¡¯s not shake hands. It feels like I¡¯ll regret it." "Okay." Ditto smiled broadly, a smile that seemed to know Jeong Yushin had already crossed a point of no return. "So, who¡¯s the leader here?" "I am." The goblin answered. "When are we leaving?" "Tomorrow afternoon." "Didn¡¯t we usually leave in the morning?" The goblin ran a finger across his throat. "I¡¯ll die if I leave in the morning." "Suddenly? Is there a law against it?" "Think about it. If a goblin¡¯s there when you enter the labyrinth, mid-level or high-level explorers would just leave, but beginner explorers would unsheathe their swords immediately. Haven¡¯t you heard? The number of beginner explorers has been increasing lately." "Can¡¯t we just stay together?" "I¡¯m a rear-liner, so I always stand at the back, and people think I¡¯m trying to ambush them from behind. Because of that, I almost died thanks to a kind high-level explorer." "Then..." The goblin became irritable. "I¡¯ve thought about this more than you! There¡¯s no answer. Besides, it¡¯s customary for explorers who¡¯ve turned into monsters to enter the labyrinth in the afternoon. If you don¡¯t like it, leave." ¡®That sudden outburst... That goblin.¡¯ "Alright. Tomorrow afternoon?" "Yeah. If you¡¯re not there by then, I¡¯ll come looking for you." "You don¡¯t need to go that far." "Yeah, I will." ¡®This goblin¡¯s pretty obsessive.¡¯ "Okay. See you tomorrow." Jeong Yushin got up from table 21 and left the guild building. As for the party situation, he was lucky. He could go to the temple in the morning and secure some time to learn to read. Of course, he couldn¡¯t go every day, but he was grateful for the opportunity to learn even a little. "Welcome back." "Did you make it?" When Jeong Yushin returned to the inn, Dalmong greeted him. "It¡¯s hard for a barbarian to find a party. Take it slow." Dalmong¡¯s words of comfort made Jeong Yushin scratch his head. "I found a party, though." "Why? What happened?" "Do you know what a scrap party is?" "Huh, no way?" "Yeah. I¡¯ve joined a party with some unique people. We¡¯re leaving tomorrow afternoon." "Sounds pretty unique." "Yeah. There¡¯s a goblin and a gnome with a visible sex count. It¡¯s pretty diverse." Jeong Yushin explained it in more detail. Dalmong nodded. "That¡¯s an okay party. There are even more unique ones out there." "....." More unique parties? Jeong Yushin didn¡¯t want to ask. It was too scary. Perhaps the darkness of the labyrinth city was deeper than expected? Was that the thought showing on Jeong Yushin¡¯s face? Dalmong chuckled. "You know that the more you erase a marking, the more it costs, right?" "Yeah." "Usually, it happens to mid-level or high-level explorers. When you erase a negative marking and leave the positive marking, you¡¯ll eventually reach a point." "The cost of erasing markings increases astronomically." "Exactly. Even if you sell all your assets and weapons, you still can¡¯t cover the cost. When it reaches that point, the explorer is expelled from their party." "That¡¯s cold." "You can¡¯t really look at it that way. Most negative markings can be passed over, but negative markings that seriously disrupt party management directly threaten the party¡¯s safety. Neither the party members nor the person want it. And there are plenty of explorers rising from the bottom, so there¡¯s no need to take risks." "I see. So what happens to the expelled people?" "It depends on the person. Some crawl their way back up, others accept their fate." "So scrap parties?" "Yeah. They¡¯re the ones who climb their way back." "Seems like a pretty healthy party, actually." "That..." Dalmong mumbled, not giving a clear answer. It was strange. He always gave clear answers, but now he was being evasive. ¡®Still, it¡¯s better than a beginner explorer party.¡¯ Jeong Yushin reassured himself. Chapter 16: Class and then the labyrinth again The next day. Jung Yu-shin woke up early in the morning, had breakfast, and left the inn. He arrived at the temple through the crowd. ¡°You can go there.¡± The temple guard pointed to one side. There was a large brick house with a yard a little way from the temple. As he crossed the yard and entered the house, he heard a commotion. ¡°Emma! Come quickly! He¡¯s coming today.¡± ¡°I see. Why is it so special when I see him every time?¡± ¡°Oh my, he¡¯s so pretty! I want to see him every day?¡± Jung Yu-shin approached the young girls who were talking. ¡°Over there..¡± ¡°Gyaaaah!¡± The two of them backed away in shock. ¡°Who..who are you?¡± ¡°I came to learn to read.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± The short girl¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°You came to learn.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t this an orphanage?¡± ¡°I heard they teach you how to read and write. I paid the money.¡± ¡°Aha! I see. You came to learn how to read and write. I also thought you were Barbaroi, who I heard rumors about, coming to hunt girls? I¡¯m sorry for the mistake.¡± The short girl nodded. ¡°That¡¯s Barbaroi.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± There was silence for a moment. The girl backed away. ¡°No way.¡± Before she felt like explaining, she felt tired. ¡°I came to learn how to read and write. You wouldn¡¯t come to the orphanage to hunt in broad daylight?¡± But she explained anyway. If a small misunderstanding grew bigger, the temple wouldn¡¯t look favorably on you. If something unpleasant happened, you¡¯d be kicked out. She also paid a large sum of money, one silver coin. Fortunately, the girl was convinced. ¡°Yes. I misunderstood. Just follow me.¡± I followed the girl down the hallway and entered what appeared to be a classroom. There were several chairs and desks in a fairly large room. The children were sitting in their seats and chatting. ¡°Huh? Emma! Who is that guy?¡± A girl said to the girl standing next to Jung Yu-shin. ¡°He¡¯s here to learn.¡± ¡°Wow. You¡¯re a grown man, and you¡¯re here?¡± ¡°I heard this is the cheapest place.¡± Jung Yu-shin answered casually. ¡°Oh. Yes.¡± The girl suddenly became shy. She seemed unfamiliar with talking to adults. ¡®I feel awkward too.¡¯ I looked around here and there, there were children. I looked around there and there, and somehow found an empty seat. I could hear whispering voices and glancing glances. Jung Yu-shin felt like a monkey in a zoo. ¡°Good morning, everyone. Please take your seats.¡± The classroom door opened and a woman came in. ¡®Mion, the priest?¡¯ Mion, with her blond hair and white priest¡¯s uniform, looked different from the last time I saw her. She was wearing a loose white outer garment instead of a tight black priest¡¯s uniform. A black hem could be seen underneath her clothes, but overall, she looked divine and maternal. At Mion¡¯s words, the children each went to their seats and sat down. The children looked at Mion with eyes sparkling with admiration. ¡°We have a new friend today. Should we all clap to welcome him?¡± ¡°Yes! Teacher.¡± Clap, clap, clap. The classroom was filled with the sound of clapping. Jung Yu-shin couldn¡¯t stay still either, so he clapped his hands. It was strange for someone who was welcomed to clap, but he wanted to do something. ¡°Okay, today¡¯s class is..¡± The class led by Mi-on went smoothly. Jung Yu-shin sighed inwardly as he looked at the textbook he received from Mi-on. The Woodcutter and the Spirit of the Earth. Judging by the pictures, it was a simple storybook that a 6-year-old would read. ¡®Wake up, Jung Yu-shin. You can¡¯t get full on the first drink. Let¡¯s do it diligently.¡¯ He held back his mind from the sage time and stared at Mi-on, who was standing at the blackboard. He focused all his mind on Mi-on¡¯s words and the writing on the blackboard. He ignored the children¡¯s glances. ¡®Let¡¯s just do what we have to do.¡¯ Time passed and the morning class ended. ¡°Okay. That¡¯s it for today. Please make sure to do your ? N§àv§Ölight ? (Exclusive on N§àv§Ölight) homework, we¡¯ll check it tomorrow.¡± ¡°Yes! Teacher.¡± The children laughed and shouted. Jung Yu-shin got up from his seat, packing his luggage. He said lunch would be provided at the temple, so he planned to eat quickly, stop by the inn, prepare for the exploration, and then head to the union. ¡®Time is a bit tight.¡¯ It would be a waste to waste time looking for a restaurant. Jung Yu-shin said to Mi-on, who was about to leave. ¡°Teacher, where do you eat lunch?¡± ¡°Ah! Mr. Ska, follow me. The children won¡¯t be full, so eat at the temple restaurant. I¡¯ll show you around.¡± Mi-on smiled faintly and answered. ¡°Yes, priest.¡± He left the classroom and walked down the hallway next to Mi-on. ¡°How was class today?¡± ¡°It was good.¡± He answered simply. Since he was close to her, a sweet scent wafted from Mi-on¡¯s body, penetrating his nostrils and shaking his brain. Soft and warm voice. Beauty that made him feel a divine presence beyond beauty. Her dazzling beauty instantly shattered the stereotype that her eyes were secretive and gloomy. ¡°I came to check on Mr. Ska today. Today wasn¡¯t my day to teach.¡± ¡°I see. Did you pass?¡± ¡°Yes. You can keep coming. After all, the explorers are a bit sharp. I filter out those who could be a bad influence on the children on behalf of the temple.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Strange. ¡®But I¡¯m Barbaro?¡¯ The girl named Emma I saw this morning also talked about ¡®girl hunting¡¯ and such. She didn¡¯t accept me at the party either, so she ended up in a closed party. I know because there were other things going on. Barbaro himself is a synonym for bad influence. No. It¡¯s not something to be strange about. Mion, who has a noble character that is not swayed by ghost stories and prejudices, is right. Jung Yu-shin and Mi-on arrived at the restaurant of the temple, chatting about this and that with a light heart. ¡°Then I¡¯ll see you later. I hope your exploration is safe.¡± Mi-on bowed her head slightly in greeting. ¡°Yes, thank you.¡± After seeing Mi-on off, they entered the restaurant. The priests of the temple were all gathered together, quietly eating food. Jung Yu-shin also lined up on one side to receive food and sat down in an empty seat. The meal was simple. Rye bread, small pieces of cheese, and potato soup. They quickly finished their meal and left the restaurant. ¡®We can¡¯t be late.¡¯ * * * They stopped by the inn to pack their bags and arrived at the association. It was easy to find the goblin party because it was deserted with no people. ¡°I thought you weren¡¯t coming.¡± Del grumbled. It was refreshing to see the goblins cross their arms and grumble. ¡°Sorry. Something came up today.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Del said, lifting up his wooden bow. As expected of a former elf, he seemed to be good at handling a bow. Dwarf Einhofer, human wizard Kelton, and gnome Ditto gathered their things and stood up. When I looked at their weapons, they were quite unusual. The dwarf was wearing heavy armor, a horned helmet, and a long single-edged axe. The iron gauntlets with densely packed iron spikes caught my eye. The wizard was wearing a robe and carrying a staff and sword. Jeong Yu-shin stared blankly at the arming sword hanging from the wizard¡¯s waist. Then their eyes met. Wizard Kelton shrugged his shoulders without saying a word. Gnome Ditto¡¯s equipment consisted of leather armor, two daggers, a crossbow, and a short sword. He was light and had little luggage. ¡°I¡¯m the guide, so the load should be light. Sympathy Barbaroi.¡± Dito read Jung Yu-shin¡¯s gaze and answered. ¡°Since a newbie has come today, let¡¯s take it easy. We can go around the outer perimeter of the second floor of the labyrinth and catch some goblins. We can also subdue them and collect some magic stones.¡± It was funny that the goblin said he would catch another goblin. Del suddenly glared at Jung Yu-shin. ¡°What? You had a strange thought?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Are you going to keep standing here?¡± The taciturn Einhofer finally spoke. ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s go!¡± Del took the lead and left the union. The group left the southern area of ??the city and entered the western area. They walked through the deserted streets. On the way to the Labyrinth. I walked past several parties in the late spring sunlight. Their appearances and outfits were as diverse as the flowers that bloom in spring. I entered the Great Labyrinth again. There were many things that happened during my first entry, but I survived in the end. I learned something. I also got a positive imprint, although it was ordinary. It was a bit disappointing that it wasn¡¯t a cheat-like imprint, but now that I think about it, I was thankful that I didn¡¯t get a negative imprint. As I walked with these thoughts, I arrived at the Great Labyrinth. I followed the soldiers¡¯ instructions and stood in the magic circle. ¡°Are you nervous?¡± Del said with a smirk. ¡°This is the second time. If I¡¯m not nervous, I¡¯m a weird guy.¡± Jeong Yu-shin replied while fiddling with the flint in his pocket. ¡°Hmm.¡± Einhofer made a strange coughing sound and the light from the magic circle flashed. I felt like my body was floating in the air. Soon, the damp and humid air touched my skin. My vision darkened. The languid feeling from lunch disappeared as if it had been washed away. It was a labyrinth. Jung Yu-shin quickly took out a flint and lit a torch. The cave was no different from when I first came. It was dark and damp. ¡°This is the central area. If we walk a little, we can go down to the second floor.¡± Dito looked around and said. Without even opening the map, he just glanced at it and immediately figured out where he was. ¡®It smells like stagnant water.¡¯ Unlike Jung Yu-shin who was very tense, Del and his party looked relaxed. ¡°Pass the torch to me. I¡¯ll take the lead. Sympathy.¡± Dito said, extending his hand. ¡°Don¡¯t keep calling me sympathy.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not the first time, but I¡¯m still nervous. Stay right behind me.¡± Dito quickly walked, holding the light of the sun. Even though he couldn¡¯t see clearly, his steps were steady. Dito took the lead, and Jung Yu-shin was right behind him. Einhofer stood behind Jung Yu-shin, then the wizard, and finally, Del was at the very back. Del¡¯s group was several times faster than Kyle¡¯s group. They moved forward without hesitation, digging through the darkness at a brisk pace that was almost like running. ¡°Hoo. Hoo.¡± After walking briskly for about two hours, Jung Yu-shin¡¯s heavy breathing came out. ¡°Six hobgoblins ahead. Prepare for battle. Stand in front of Scar.¡± Dito stopped and stepped back. ¡°Yes.¡± Slurp. The newly received Arming Sword was released from its scabbard. The grip of the one-handed sword fit my hand perfectly. It was much more comfortable than a longsword. I held onto the shield strap tightly and stepped forward. ¡°Let¡¯s see what newbie skills you have?¡± Del laughed from behind. ¡°Here it comes.¡± ¡°Kee-ki-kke.¡± ¡°Ke-ke-ke.¡± Shh-ee-ahk!! Del fired an arrow. The arrow disappeared into the darkness as if sucked in, and there was a sound of something collapsing. There was no scream. ¡°I caught one with a bow.¡± There were five left. The hobgoblins ran toward me, shouting in anger. Two with spears, two with swords, and finally one with a club. The goblin swung his sword and rushed at Jeong Yu-shin. Ka-ga-gak! He blocked it with his shield and stabbed the goblin in the neck with his sword. When I pulled out my sword to make sure I had stabbed the carotid artery, blood gushed out like a fountain. I kicked the goblin that was falling helplessly and grabbed the spear that was stabbing me. While holding onto the spear, I smashed the goblin¡¯s face with my pommel. ¡°Kkekeke!!¡± The goblin, whose head was crushed like a kaal, staggered back. The club headed straight for my head. While I was pulling the spear, another goblin came and swung the club. I quickly raised my shield, but it was useless. Phew! The goblin holding the club was cut in half by the single-edged axe. ¡°Hmm.¡± Boom! The bolt from Ditto¡¯s crossbow pierced the eye of the goblin holding the spear. The hobgoblin fell like a doll, as if his brain had been pierced straight through. The last remaining goblin turned and tried to run away. But Del''s arrow hit his head. Crack. The battle ended with the sound of the last one falling. A quick battle that ended in less than 30 seconds. To be honest, it was harder to walk. I made the mistake of not noticing the club properly at the end, but I thought it was not a big deal. "Thank you. Einhofer, I survived thanks to you." Still, I thanked him. "Okay." Einhofer nodded slightly. "Cut off the goblin''s ear quickly. What are you doing so warm?" Del said nervously. "Yes." The party set up a torch, crouched down, and cut off the goblin''s ear. Only the quiet sound of swordsmanship echoed in the dark cave. When I first entered the labyrinth, I was so out of it that I didn''t realize it. As they were all huddled together and cutting off goblin ears like weeds, I realized something. My life is. It¡¯s not a munchkin story where you have a cheat and go around robbing countless women in another world. ¡®The genre is different.¡¯ ¡°Scar, hurry up. You have a long way to go.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Del, who was crouching next to me, gave me a slap. A goblin cutting off a hobgoblin¡¯s ear. I couldn¡¯t believe it and laughed. ¡°Kelton, why is this guy laughing?¡± ¡°Leave him alone. He must be imagining something pleasant. What a piece of crap.¡± Del and Kelton were having a suspicious conversation, but I let it go in one ear and out the other. Compared to before, this wasn¡¯t bad. The sound of the sword was joined by the conversation, echoing through the dark cave. Chapter 17: Lung party Thud. The last goblin fell. Jeong Yushin pulled the sword out of the goblin¡¯s body. After walking for several hours, he reached the farthest point of the first floor and encountered another group of goblins. There were seven in total. The fight ended quickly. He cut off the ears of the dead goblins and put them in his pocket. The current count of goblins slain was 12. Since the quest required 10, the quest completion was already guaranteed. "Hah, it¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve done this." Ditto, who was cutting off the goblin ears, grumbled. "I wondered when you''d say that." Dell quickly moved his hands and retorted. "Are you bored? How about singing a song?" Ditto cleared his throat, preparing to sing. "Don¡¯t do it. Don¡¯t act like a fool in front of the newbie." "I don¡¯t want to." Dell and Ditto continued to bicker. The rest remained silent, cutting the ears off and collecting them into their pockets. Once they were done, Dell¡¯s group and Jeong Yushin resumed walking. Not long after, they arrived at the farthest end of the first floor. A large stone monument stood in the middle of the vast cavern. The Transference Stone. A sense of nostalgia washed over Jeong Yushin. It was here that he had argued with the Kaal group about whether to descend or not. "Let¡¯s rest here for a bit." Dell glanced at Ainhofer and spoke. He was considering the dwarf who had the stamina reduction marking. "Okay." The group set up camp a little further from the Transference Stone. They ate small amounts of food and water while chatting about various things. Most of the conversation was about the bickering between Dell and Ditto. The dwarf and the wizard, on the other hand, remained silent. "But are you all mid-tier explorers?" Jeong Yushin asked, breaking the silence. The surroundings grew quiet. "Don¡¯t just spring that on me like that. It hurts," Ditto complained. "We were all mid-tier explorers," Dell replied. "Stop talking nonsense and go. Weakling." Kelton stood up from his seat. "Right, we need to make money." The group packed up and gathered in front of the Transference Stone. A red portal and a blue portal opened. The Kaal group flashed through his mind. "Hah." Jeong Yushin took a deep breath and stepped into the red portal. The second floor. The torches lit up in the dark cave. One by one, members of the group emerged from the red portal behind Jeong Yushin. "Ska, are you okay? Your hands are shaking." Dell asked. "I¡¯m fine. Just a little nervous." "Yeah. Like I said earlier, we¡¯ll be circling the outer edges of the second floor and hunting hobgoblins. Just stay calm." "Yes." What they needed to be careful of were ambushes and traps. As they walked ahead, Ditto stopped in his tracks. "It¡¯s a trap." Jeong Yushin carefully examined the floor. A patch of leather, the same color as the cave floor, was covering a spot. If stepped on, the floor would give way, and spikes beneath would impale the feet. The torchlight allowed Jeong Yushin to spot it immediately. If it had been dark, it would have been difficult to notice. It was a trap similar to the one Kaal had stepped on. Ditto removed the leather covering the trap and stood up. "If there¡¯s a trap, there are goblins nearby. Get ready." As Ditto had said, after walking a few more steps, he retreated and spoke. "There are a lot of them. 20 goblins. Barbarian, focus." Ditto¡¯s voice was devoid of any humor. Jeong Yushin stuck the torch into the ground. Skrin. He drew his sword, placed it over his shoulder, and gripped the shield handle tightly. "Keheh." "Kya-kya-kya." Chilling, sharp laughter echoed in the darkness. Dell pulled back his bowstring. Swoosh! Several arrows flew forward like streaks of light. There were no screams, only the sounds of goblins falling. The enraged hobgoblins¡¯ cries echoed through the cave. ¡®They¡¯re coming.¡¯ The goblins broke through the darkness, charging forward with their axes raised high. Bang! The heavy impact on the shield made Jeong Yushin¡¯s hand vibrate. But he blocked it. With his sword in his right hand, Jeong Yushin stabbed the goblin¡¯s neck. The sharp tip of his armingsword pierced the weak spot in the hobgoblin¡¯s neck, severing the carotid artery. Puh-hahk! The goblin collapsed, spraying blood from its neck. "Behind you! Ainhofer!" Dell shouted. "I¡¯m coming!" the dwarf responded, retreating with his axe. Now, the front line was all Jeong Yushin¡¯s responsibility. He could do it. No, he had to. Jeong Yushin mentally repeated to himself as he took a stance. Several hobgoblins charged at him in a line. Crack! He raised his shield horizontally, shattering the goblin¡¯s neck with a powerful blow. He slammed the pommel into another goblin¡¯s head, knocking it back with a kick. Using every part of his body, Jeong Yushin cut down the goblins charging at him and crushed them. But he couldn¡¯t block all the attacks. Thud! A chilling sensation ran through him as the goblin¡¯s blade pierced his hard leather armor and dug into his flesh. The goblin collided with him and stabbed a knife into his abdomen. The sudden pain froze Jeong Yushin¡¯s body. He couldn¡¯t block the incoming mace strike. Bang! The mace struck Jeong Yushin¡¯s head. The impact rattled his skull, and dizziness overwhelmed him. If he hadn¡¯t been wearing his helmet, it would have knocked him out immediately. Despite staggering, Jeong Yushin swung his sword, slashing at the goblin¡¯s two eyes. The goblin, who had just stabbed him in the stomach, lost both its eyes. He swung the mace away with his shield and stabbed the goblin in the stomach. The goblin, drained of strength, slumped forward. Screech. He grabbed the goblin¡¯s limp neck and threw it. The goblin collided with another one charging ahead and tumbled to the ground. "Kelton! How far are you?" Dell yelled. "Almost done. Weakling," came Kelton¡¯s reply. [Fireball] A fiery ball of flame, distorting the air, struck the group of goblins that had just fallen. Light flooded the cave for a moment. Boom! Jeong Yushin instinctively ducked and raised his shield. The deafening sound and shockwave made it difficult to keep his balance. Thud. The explosion¡¯s shockwave slammed goblin blood and pieces of flesh against his shield. But the magic didn¡¯t stop there. [Light] The cave was illuminated brightly. Even areas unseen by the torches were clearly visible. Most of the goblins in the front had been caught in the explosion and were dead, while the few remaining goblins hastily turned and fled. [Ice Lance] Five 2-meter-long ice lances materialized in the air. With a flick of Kelton¡¯s hand, the lances shot toward the goblins at the rear. Swiish! "Keek!" The sharpened ice lances pierced the bodies of the goblins. "Ska!" Ditto shouted. "I''m going!" Jeong Yushin called back. Covered in blood and gore, he sprinted toward the rear. Dell and Ditto were fiercely battling with their daggers. Ainhofer was sitting, panting heavily. His one-handed axe was nowhere to be seen. ¡®Seven goblins left.¡¯ Jeong Yushin grabbed any weapon lying on the ground and swung it. He crushed a goblin¡¯s head with a mace, then kicked it and swung his shield. If a goblin fell, he stomped on its neck, breaking it. When he swung his sword, he blocked with his shield and kicked the goblin¡¯s vital spot. When he jabbed with a spear, he dodged, pulling it back. There was no end to the goblins coming at him. He delivered an uppercut to one, and when it couldn¡¯t recover, he grabbed its mouth with both hands and ripped it open. He had killed them all. No. There was one left. Jeong Yushin turned his head. The foolish goblin, trembling, couldn¡¯t even escape. As he approached, the goblin screamed. "I! It¡¯s me, this bastard! Dell!" "Dell?" Jeong Yushin asked. "Yeah! Damn it. Stop!" "I¡¯m just here to check if you¡¯re okay." "No, you weren¡¯t. Your eyes were full of murder!" Jeong Yushin looked down at the gnome clinging to his leg. "Ditto, what are you doing?" "..." "Heal him first. Weakling." Ditto stayed silent, while Kelton spoke indifferently. The dwarf panted heavily, gasping for air. "Ha." He sat down, rummaging through his bag. The wound was alternately cold and hot. It seemed he had applied poison to his weapon. It was so shady, just like a goblin. After drinking the antidote, he took off his armor, sprayed some disinfecting wine, and wiped it with a clean cloth. Finally, he took out a healing salve and applied it to the wound before wrapping it with bandages. ¡®Healing potions are too expensive.¡¯ So, he had bought cheaper healing salves, and they worked quite well. The salve seemed to act as an analgesic as well, and the pain started to subside. It wasn¡¯t his first time, so he was able to finish it quickly. Looking around, everyone was tending to their own wounds. Kelton was the only one standing there with his arms crossed. "This is strange. There are way too many hobgoblins." Dell scratched his head. "Yeah, it¡¯s strange. Thirty or forty charging at us all at once. That¡¯s insane." "Ska, do you have some kind of marking that attracts monsters? Like a marking that lures them?" Dell asked. "No. I do have a marking, but nothing like that." "Be honest." "It¡¯s a Sacred Weapon." "Just ordinary then?" "Ordinary, yeah. Weakling." "Let me see it." "If I use it once, I¡¯ll have to lie down. It¡¯s exhausting." At that moment, Ainhofer, who had been twitching on the ground, sat up. "Ska, thanks." "No problem. I was just doing what had to be done." He humbly accepted the dwarf¡¯s thanks. "Anything else?" "No. This is my second time in the labyrinth." "So what¡¯s going on in the labyrinth?" "I heard a lot of new explorers entered this time. It might be related to that. Weakling." "Didn¡¯t most explorers go in and not come back?" Dell asked. "No, they didn¡¯t come back. Stop playing at home and go outside," Ditto said. "I have to risk my life to go out. The world outside is dangerous. Damn." Dell grumbled as he continued speaking. "But even though I know a lot of new explorers entered, what does that have to do with all these hobgoblins?" "Maybe the explorers are grouping up and roaming around together?" "That¡¯s nonsense." Dell firmly dismissed it, and Ditto shrugged his shoulders. "Monsters also learn and adapt. It¡¯s not such a weird idea, is it?" At Ditto¡¯s words, Dell looked at Kelton. "What do you think, wizard?" "Better than the monster learning theory. Weakling." "Is there a monster leading them?" Jeong Yushin¡¯s question made Kelton look surprised. "Right. Weakling." Thinking back, a few things flashed through his mind. When he had wandered the second floor with Ann, he hadn¡¯t been ambushed that often. Aside from rescuing Mari and the last ambush, he hadn¡¯t seen any hobgoblins. At the time, he thought he had evaded them well, but was that just a misconception? Hobgoblins. If Kelton¡¯s words were true, and assuming the hobgoblins were being led by something... There was no need for them to pursue recklessly. They could find plenty of prey around. If they joined the larger groups, they could hunt more easily. By grouping together, they could get more pregnant pouch sacs and more meat. Even if he were a goblin, he would¡¯ve made that choice. The conclusion was simple. Surviving the first labyrinth run had been pure luck. That day, there were many new explorers on the second floor, and the hobgoblins, realizing it was more efficient to group under the command of a leader, began to gather. Perhaps they had escaped through a gap ¡ï Novelight ¡ï created by that? He was lucky to have survived, but what happened to the other new explorer parties? Noticing the expression on Jeong Yushin¡¯s face hardening, Kelton stroked his white beard. "Sometimes, strong monsters come up from the lower levels. Weakling." "Wizard, I¡¯ve never heard that before. Isn¡¯t that just a guess?" Ditto grumbled. "Are you a 10-year explorer? I¡¯ve been at this for 20 years. Back in my day, this kind of thing happened from time to time. Weakling." Ditto¡¯s expression crumpled in response to the wizard¡¯s retort. Chapter 18: Lung Party Defense "So, what are we going to do?" At Jeong Yushin''s question, the group fell silent. Even if they talked about the goblin leader or theories of learning, what really mattered was their plan going forward. "It''s possible to fight short-term." "Even though I''m in this state due to the negative imprint, I was once a mid-level explorer. If I panicked and fled on the second floor, I¡¯d be a laughingstock." Del and Dito raised their voices. Meanwhile, the mage and the dwarf remained silent. "Ainhofer, what about you? Useless." "I¡¯ll keep going. I¡¯m fine." "Let¡¯s at least take some goblin ears. We need money." Dito stood up and said. The group diligently cut off the ears of the hobgoblins, smelling the blood and burning meat. Where the fireball had exploded, there were only chunks of broken flesh, so there wasn¡¯t much to salvage. However, there were plenty of ears from the rear guard, where Del and Dito had been. "Ugh. This one is still alive?" Dito backed away in disgust as she saw the twitching goblin. "It¡¯s true. Its mouth¡¯s ¡ô N§àv§Öl?g?t ¡ô (Only on N§àv§Öl?g?t) been ripped wide open, and it''s still alive." Del said, holding a dagger and slowly closing the distance. "Look at this. Barbaroi, this is your work." Del called, and Jeong Yushin approached. The hobgoblin was panting and making strange noises. Jeong Yushin briefly looked down before stomping its neck with his walker and crushing it. Crack. Del gave a sour expression at Jeong Yushin¡¯s nonchalant behavior. "Be honest. You¡¯re not a beginner, are you? Were you an adventurer?" "What¡¯s an adventurer? Is it different from an explorer?" "There are people like that. Unlucky guys." "He''s a Barbaroi. Where would his fighting skills go?" Dito interjected, teasing, and Del shrugged his shoulders and spoke. "Yeah. Whether she¡¯s a virgin or not, what does it matter? As long as she¡¯s good." "This Barbaroi is a virgin. Just remember that." Dito¡¯s serious declaration made Jeong Yushin¡¯s face flush slightly. "Let¡¯s just cut the ears." "What¡¯s this? Your face is all red? Embarrassed?" Del chuckled. "There were ears here too." Jeong Yushin made a rough gesture, and Del jumped back in surprise. The three of them bickered as they gathered the ears. Excluding the goblin pieces shattered by the fireball, they managed to gather thirty pairs of ears by carefully collecting them. "If we go a bit further, there¡¯s a shelter ahead. Let¡¯s camp there." Dito, holding a torch, led the way. Jeong Yushin sheathed his arming sword and walked with a club in hand. He wiped the fat off his sword, but just in case, he picked up the club as a backup weapon. As the battle dragged on, stances become sloppy, and the sharpness of weapons diminishes. He thought the club would be useful if needed. Plus, it was free. They passed through the darkness and discovered a small cave. There was no sign of people. Dito peeked inside and gave a signal that it was safe. The group entered, unloaded their gear, and lit a fire with some firewood. They hung a barrier at the entrance to keep the light from leaking out. Gathering around the campfire, they ate. The menu hadn¡¯t changed. Dried meat and biscuits. They broke the hard biscuits in half, put them in their mouths, and rolled them. It was okay if they let them soften with saliva. "How do we assign the night watch?" "Karlton will use alarm magic. Sleep well." Del said, crunching on some nuts. That night, they were able to sleep for a long time, even if lightly. They woke up after about eight hours, packed their gear, put out the slowly burning campfire, and picked up torches. Their bodies were stiff, but they could bear it. Dito, holding a torch, led the way again. The party traveled through the darkness for hours, but they couldn¡¯t find any hobgoblins. They only saw a few rudimentary traps. "This is strange." Dito mumbled. "Where did all those goblins go?" "We should rest for a bit. Is there any shelter around?" Del glanced at Ainhofer and spoke. The dwarf was breathing heavily. With the negative stamina imprint and heavy armor, it wasn¡¯t surprising that he was exhausted. Dito scratched his chin and fell into thought. "Hmm... we just need to go a bit further. About ten more minutes?" "Yeah. Ainhofer, just a little more, hang in there." Del reassured. "Huff, sorry." "No problem." At that moment, Dito¡¯s ear twitched. "Wait! Listen carefully." Dito crouched and pressed her ear to the ground. The group quietly watched Dito¡¯s actions. "They¡¯re coming!" Dito jumped up and shouted. The faces illuminated by the torch were pale like the skin of the dead. "At least a hundred! They¡¯re running towards us! We need to run!" "Where to?!" "To the shelter!" "The shelter has only one entrance. If we¡¯re surrounded, it¡¯s over. Useless." "If we get attacked from both sides here, we¡¯re done! You¡¯ll be wiped out before your magic even casts!" "They¡¯re coming!!" Del shouted. Sounds began echoing from far away. The ground shook with the massive sound of hundreds of footsteps and shouts. "Run!" Dito screamed and ran forward. Jeong Yushin and the others followed, running as fast as they could. There was no time to check for traps. They ran at full speed, but the monstrous screams from behind only grew louder. In the chaos, Ainhofer collapsed on the ground. "Ugh. Huff. Go ahead without me." The dwarf barely managed to speak as he panted. "Hey! Shorty!" Del screamed in panic, trying to pull Ainhofer¡¯s arm, but the dwarf didn¡¯t budge. "Dammit! There¡¯s no time! We have to go!" Dito¡¯s face was filled with fear. Jeong Yushin quickly approached and lifted Ainhofer. The dwarf felt heavy, like carrying a chunk of iron. "Let¡¯s go. Del, take the axe." "Okay! Thanks, Skar!" Del thanked him. "Sorry." Ainhofer mumbled. "No need to apologize." Jeong Yushin ran at full speed, carrying Ainhofer. "Huff. Huff." His breath was nearly caught in his throat. It felt like he might die not from the goblins, but from exhaustion. ¡®I can¡¯t run anymore.¡¯ ¡®No, I can do it. Think about when we first entered the labyrinth. This is nothing.¡¯ ¡®Bullshit. I can¡¯t keep going. Am I going to die like a fool helping someone? Leave him.¡¯ ¡®Do you think you¡¯ll live if you leave him? Shut up and run.¡¯ His inner conflict reached a boiling point, and just before his self-control shattered, they reached the shelter entrance. Jeong Yushin was the last to enter. He set the dwarf down and dropped his gear. His whole body was drenched in sweat, but there was no time to rest. He grabbed the shield handle and raised the club. Carlton immediately retreated to the far end and started chanting. Del snatched the torch from Dito, placed it in the center of the shelter, and grabbed extra arrows, stuffing them into his quiver. Dito was still shaking. She held a loaded crossbow but seemed disoriented. "Dito! Snap out of it!" Del rushed up and slapped her cheek, shaking her shoulders. "Huff!" ¡®What¡¯s wrong with her? Wasn¡¯t she a mid-level explorer?¡¯ It was absurd to see her foaming at the mouth in fear. "Shit! This is fear imprinting! Damn it, if you¡¯re going to get this, at least tell me!" "Was there another negative imprint?" "Yeah. But at least it¡¯s not too bad. With this imprint, you lose your sanity even at the smallest hint of fear. The fact that she hasn¡¯t run off somewhere crazy is a miracle. Huff." ¡®No wonder they call us the trash party.¡¯ The noise outside, the goblin language, footsteps, and all sorts of sounds grew louder as they neared the shelter. "Ki-ki-ki." "Kil-kil-kil." Sinister sounds came from outside the cave. It was clear they were all waiting outside. A single hobgoblin poked its head through the entrance. Schwick! Del¡¯s arrow struck the hobgoblin¡¯s forehead. Thud. The creature fell dead, its body slumping to the ground. Furious roars rang out from outside the shelter. Jeong Yushin and Ainhofer positioned themselves near the entrance. They moved slightly to the side to give Del a clear shot. Jeong Yushin stood on the right. Ainhofer stood on the left. The dwarf, ready to strike, gripped his one-bladed axe, his body tensed, waiting for the incoming enemies. Jeong Yushin mirrored him. He raised his shield and lifted the club over his head. Block the entrance. If it breaks through, they¡¯re dead. They had to hold out until Carlton finished his chant. Bang! A goblin dashed into the shelter. Ainhofer¡¯s axe cleaved the goblin¡¯s skull in half with a single stroke. Splat! Blood and guts sprayed across the floor. Another goblin entered, close on its heels. Jeong Yushin swung the club down. Crack! The goblin¡¯s skull shattered, its brain splattering across its helmet. Before Jeong Yushin could raise his club again, another goblin burst in. Schwick! Del¡¯s arrow hit the goblin¡¯s forehead. The goblins trampled over the fallen bodies and pushed in one by one. Ainhofer swung his axe. Then Jeong Yushin struck with his club. Next, Del shot his arrow. The coordinated attacks of the party flowed like gears turning endlessly. Breathing hard, Jeong Yushin cracked another goblin¡¯s skull. ¡®If we keep this up,¡¯ ¡®Maybe we can get through this without too much trouble.¡¯ But disaster struck quickly. Ainhofer¡¯s axe missed. Fatigue had set in. Clang! The axe hit the ground uselessly. At the same time, a goblin threw itself at Ainhofer, knocking him down. A struggle ensued on the floor. "Dammit! Ainhofer!" The goblin gained the upper hand, pinning the exhausted dwarf beneath it and bringing down its rusty sword. Ainhofer raised his axe handle to block it. Jeong Yushin couldn¡¯t spare time to help the dwarf. Goblin after goblin kept pushing in. Now he was the only one who could handle it. Bang! He crushed the head of a charging hobgoblin. "Shit!" The club snapped. He threw the broken club¡¯s handle into the hobgoblin¡¯s face. The creature grabbed its eyes and tumbled to the ground. He stepped on the fallen goblin and quickly unsheathed his arming sword. "Choke!" He thrust it into the hobgoblin¡¯s neck. "Ugh!" No time to check if it was dead or alive. He quickly pulled the sword out and stabbed the next one in the chest. "Ainhofer!" Del¡¯s scream echoed through the shelter. The goblin, relentlessly hacking with its rusty sword, finally severed the wooden axe handle. Del shot an arrow into the goblin''s head. In the short time Del was absent, the situation worsened. Two goblins rushed past Jeong Yushin. He tried to grab them, but couldn¡¯t. Three goblins clung to his shield. One with a rusty longsword aimed a thrust at him. He let go of the shield and dodged the longsword. He was alive, but it was the worst possible move. The goblins holding his shield fell to the ground. He smashed one¡¯s skull with his elbow and grabbed the longsword. "Ready! Move aside at the entrance! Useless!!" "Just a second!" He discarded the arming sword and grabbed the rusty longsword with both hands. A goblin charging with a mace was his next target. He kicked off the ground and drove the sword into the goblin¡¯s heart. Thwack! He felt the blade rip through flesh and reach the heart. "Choke!!" The sword passed through the goblin''s back. "Haahhh!!" Jeong Yushin gritted his teeth, throwing his weight into the attack. Sword and mace battered and ripped through his body, but he ignored it. He pushed through the tide of goblins, shoving them back toward the entrance. ¡®Done.¡¯ He let go of the sword. The goblins flailed, impaled on the sword like skewered meat. He kicked the sword¡¯s hilt deeper and stepped back. "Shoot!" [Fireball] The blazing fireball hit the mass of hobgoblins outside the shelter. Boom!!! The heat and shockwave blasted through the shelter. Jeong Yushin covered his face and flattened himself to the ground. Chunks of flesh and horrified screams passed by him. The magic didn¡¯t end there. [Ice Wall] A massive ice wall shot up, blocking the entrance. [Light] A radiant light filled the shelter, dispelling the madness of darkness. Jeong Yushin staggered to his feet. He had bought them some time. Looking around, torn flesh and body parts were scattered everywhere. Still, Ainhofer and Del seemed to be unharmed. Del was tending to Ainhofer, and Dito huddled in a corner, curled up. She was holding the crossbow tightly, but it was unloaded. ¡®Well, at least she shot.¡¯ Jeong Yushin approached Carlton. He was holding his sword. Two hobgoblin corpses lay around him. "Thank you. We¡¯re alive." Carlton nodded silently. "We¡¯ve bought some time. I¡¯ll rest for a bit. Useless." "Yes." Then Carlton collapsed. Thud. Jeong Yushin¡¯s eyes widened. A bolt was lodged in Carlton¡¯s back. Chapter 19: Defense success? My heart went cold. The wizard fell down after being hit by a bolt in the back. Jung Yu-shin turned his head and looked at Ditto. Ditto was still holding his crossbow, shivering in the corner. Ally attack. ¡®First aid first.¡¯ The wizard¡¯s treatment comes first, rather than shaking the mindless gnome by the collar. If the party¡¯s firepower falls like this, it will be difficult to survive the next battle. An angry howl echoed beyond the ice wall. He approached and tore Carlton¡¯s robe. The wizard was wearing thin chainmail under his robe. The bolt had pierced through the chainmail and was stuck in his back. Del approached Jung Yu-shin. ¡°How¡¯s Einhofer?¡± ¡°He¡¯s okay. His neck was just a little scratched.¡± Del sighed as he examined the wound. ¡°It¡¯s Ditto¡¯s work. Damn, if I knew this would happen, I wouldn¡¯t have brought him.¡± ¡°Is the fear imprint really that serious?¡± ¡°It¡¯s one of those imprints that explorers should never have. If they do, they should either erase it at the temple or retire.¡± I clicked my tongue inwardly at Del¡¯s answer. ¡°Can you cure it?¡± ¡°Yeah. It¡¯ll take some time.¡± ¡°Is there anything I can help with?¡± ¡°If you have any good arrows, bring them to me. They¡¯re a bit lacking.¡± Del pointed to the goblin corpses lying around. Jeong Yu-shin got up from his seat and approached the goblin corpses, pulling out the arrows. Most of the arrows were stuck in the eyes, neck, or heart. As he was pulling them out like a radish, Einhofer approached him. There was a bandage wrapped around his neck. ¡°I¡¯ll help you.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I wandered among the goblin corpses in search of arrows. I pulled out almost all of them and was about to take them to Del. The ice wall shook with a loud noise. Boom!! The eyes of the entire party turned to the ice wall. There was a goblin three times bigger than the hobgoblin. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Hobgoblin Warrior!!¡± Del¡¯s voice trembled. The hobgoblin warrior slammed the ice wall again. Boom!! Crack. The ice wall cracked. ¡°How could a monster that should be on the 4th or 5th floor?!!¡± Del held his head. ¡°Calm down. You idiot.¡± Carlton, who had woken up, opened his mouth. He was still lying on the ground, but his voice was clear. ¡°Carlton! Can you use magic?!¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard. The magic circuit is messed up. I got hit by the bolt while I was casting. It¡¯s crappy.¡± ¡°Ugh..¡± Del let out a desperate groan. A dwarf with low stamina. A gnome who was crazy with fear and shot a bolt at his allies. A wizard who was injured and couldn¡¯t move. Del was a little better. He was a goblin and on the verge of panicking. A gloomy situation. ¡®This is really bad. Damn it.¡¯ Even if it was the first time he had experienced something like this, how could he be this idiotic? He couldn¡¯t believe he was a lieutenant explorer. Jung Yu-shin slapped himself in the face while thinking. ¡®Shut up. Don¡¯t blame others. Just think about what you have to do.¡¯ What you can do. What you have to do. ¡®Think. Think!¡¯ He looked around. Thump!! The ice wall crumbled. It looked like it would break. ¡°Barbaroi. Sloppy.¡± Carlton called out to Jung Yu-shin. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Look in my bag. There should be a scroll. Sloppy.¡± Carlton searched through his bag. He found it right away. A rolled up piece of parchment was sealed with a red seal. ¡°What is this?¡± Carlton chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s a sacred magic I accidentally acquired while traveling the western part of the continent. It¡¯s not a great magic. Use it when the hobgoblins come. And take advantage of the gap to escape. Sloppy.¡± ¡°Why should I escape?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t catch a hobgoblin warrior. You can hit them, but that¡¯s it. Sloppy.¡± ¡°You can catch the rest of the hobgoblins, right? If you catch the hobgoblin warrior, you can survive.¡± ¡°....¡± Carlton fell silent at Jung Yu-shin¡¯s calm words. ¡°Hobgoblin warriors are notorious elite-level monsters on the 4th and 5th floors!! A mere novice explorer can¡¯t deal with them!¡± Del screamed in complete panic. ¡°Aren¡¯t you a lieutenant explorer?¡± He blurted out in absurdity. ¡°Del is the rear guard. Please understand that he doesn¡¯t like novice vanguard explorers. Sloppy.¡± Carlton chimed in. Kuuung!! The ice wall shook. It was cracked so much that it seemed like it would completely break if he hit it again. Jung Yu-shin ¡ï Novelight ¡ï picked up the scroll. ¡°Can I just use it in front of as many hobgoblins as possible?¡± ¡°Yes. Just take off the seal. It¡¯s sloppy.¡± Jung Yu-shin turned his body and stood facing the center of the entrance. Ainhofer stood next to Jung Yu-shin holding a half-axe. ¡°Please protect Del and Carlton.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Ainhofer obediently agreed with Jung Yu-shin¡¯s words and stepped back. The light magic that Carlton had cast gradually faded away. The shelter slowly began to fall into darkness. The magical light gradually faded away, and only the torch remained, shining alone in the center of the shelter. It could be heard beyond the ice wall. The laughter of a monster confident of victory. A malicious cry that said it would tear you to pieces. Kwaaaaang!!! The ice wall shattered and fragments flew. Thump!! A goblin with a huge body stepped into the shelter. He was holding a huge club in one hand. As the hobgoblin warrior entered, dozens of goblins began to pour in behind him. ¡°Keeeeeeeek!!¡± ¡°Keeeeeekeeeek!!!¡± Dozens of hobgoblins ran madly, foaming at the mouth. Jeong Yu-shin didn¡¯t move an inch. ¡°Use!! Use the scroll!¡± Del shouted from behind. He ignored it. He didn¡¯t listen to the words of a long-range attacker. The hobgoblins came right up to his nose. His eyes were bulging and his mouth was torn open. ¡°Skaaaaah!!¡± Del¡¯s desperate cry echoed through the shelter. He ripped the seal. A bright light began to shine from the unfolded parchment. [Solar Smite] A magic spell rang in his head. Sunlight filled the shelter for a moment. Sounds were also swallowed. Jung Yu-shin closed his eyes for a moment due to the incredible amount of light that could not be compared to Carlton''s light. As the light disappeared, so did the sounds of the hobgoblins. When he opened his eyes, he saw dozens of hobgoblin corpses, burnt black and pressed against the ground. But the last one left. The hobgoblin warrior was covering his face with both arms. He didn''t look fine because of the steam rising from his body. Now was his chance. He threw away the parchment and ran with his arming sword. Jung Yu-shin''s eyes met with the hobgoblin warrior''s crossed arms and ran toward him. "Kkieeeek!!" He let out a powerful roar and swung his huge club. He ducked low and dodged. Whoosh. A heavy sound passed over his head. ¡®Ankle!¡¯ He swung his sword. Blood spurted and a scream rang out. ¡®Knee!¡¯ He slammed his sword into his knee and twisted it. The Hobgoblin Warrior lost his balance and stumbled. Whoosh. The club slammed down as if it would split his head. Jung Yu-shin dropped his sword and rolled to the side. Kwaaaaang!! The floor shook. The charred goblin corpse was shattered into pieces. The fragments flew into his helmet. ¡°Huh.¡± His eyes closed as the hot fragments sank into his helmet. That¡¯s why he didn¡¯t see the club that the Hobgoblin Warrior swung. Boom!! The huge club struck Jung Yu-shin¡¯s body. Jung Yu-shin flew through the air and crashed into the wall. ¡°Skaaaaah!!¡± Del fired an arrow. It hit the Hobgoblin Warrior¡¯s body, but it was shallow. It was the limit of his tired arms after firing dozens of arrows. The Hobgoblin Warrior pulled out the arrow as if it was nothing, holding it in his hand and breaking it. Einhofer rushed at him with a half-broken axe. The single-edged axe cut through the air and dug into the Hobgoblin Warrior¡¯s arm. Blood spurted out. The half-severed arm dangled. The Hobgoblin Warrior screamed in pain. ¡°Kueeeeeeek!!!¡± Boom!! Einhofer fell down after being hit by the club that he swung in a fit of rage. The single-edged axe flew through the air for a moment before falling to the ground. With a shout of rage, the Hobgoblin Warrior swung his club again. Boom!! Einhofer¡¯s helmet was dented. Blood flowed out from the gap in his helmet. Del screamed and fired his arrows madly, but the giant goblin didn¡¯t care. Eventually, Del jumped in with his dagger. Boom!! Del, whose arm was strangely broken by the club, flew off and fell, hitting his head against the wall. ¡°Eeeeeeeeeee!!!¡± Ditto, unable to hold back, finally ran towards the entrance of the shelter. The Hobgoblin Warrior swung his club, but it didn¡¯t hit Ditto. The body of the Goblin Warrior was slipped out of the shelter. I wanted to go to the back of the shelter. The bones seemed to be crushed. If I can''t stand up, I''ll die. I saw a half-broken single-edged axe on the ground. I picked it up. I also saw a dagger. Ditto had dropped it. It looked familiar for some reason. I picked this up too. I held the dagger in my hands and slung the single-edged axe over my shoulder. Jung Yu-shin staggered toward the Hobgoblin Warrior. Jung Yu-shin''s eyes burned redder than a torch. The Hobgoblin Warrior screamed and swung his club. Hoo-woong!! He ducked to dodge and stabbed the dagger into his stomach. "Kkeueek!" The Hobgoblin Warrior''s body flinched. Jung Yu-shin didn''t stop there and swung his axe. Tsuaaak!! The hobgoblin''s dangling arm snapped and blood gushed out. Kwaang!! Jung Yu-shin rolled on the floor after being hit by the club he swung in a fit of rage. The arm that had been holding the dagger broke and fell limply. It was a terrible pain. But he gritted his teeth and got up again. The hobgoblin warrior ran over and swung his club wildly. Boom!! Boom!! He ran around like crazy, his broken arm dangling, and somehow managed to avoid it. Whenever he saw an opening, he swung his axe like a demon. Blood spurted out and screams and shouts rang out. He felt it instinctively. An axe wasn''t enough. He needed a decisive weapon. ''Imprint!'' A flash flashed through his head. Sacred Weapon. But it took a long time to create. Once you use it, your body gets so tired that you can hardly move. ¡®I have to do it! If I don¡¯t, I¡¯ll die.¡¯ He made up his mind. There¡¯s only one chance. Looking at Jung Yu-shin who didn¡¯t move, the Hobgoblin Warrior let out a dark laugh and raised his club high. Was he thinking that he couldn¡¯t move because his stamina was low? Hooooooooooong!!! The club cut through the air and struck down. At that moment, Jung Yu-shin threw the axe. The club collided with the axe. The club¡¯s path was disrupted. He took advantage of that gap and dove into the Hobgoblin¡¯s arms. ¡®Now!!¡¯ A moment of life or death. The magical power that had spread throughout his body instantly gathered into his hand. The completed dagger of light pierced the Hobgoblin Warrior¡¯s chin and tore through his brain. Hooooooow!!! ¡°Snap!!¡± The Hobgoblin Warrior fell with a final gasp. It was an instant death. Jung Yu-shin rolled on the floor and collapsed, gasping for breath. He did it. And he won. ¡°Huk. Huk. A worthless guy. Hehe!¡± Blood rose up inside him and pooled in his mouth, so he spat it out. He felt strangely relieved. I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll be able to survive the second floor of the Great Labyrinth, but for now, he¡¯s won. Jung Yu-shin looked at Carlton with a hazy mind. ¡°Are you okay? Sloppy?¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t keep calling me sloppy.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Sloppy.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take a break.¡± ¡°Okay. Sloppy.¡± A commotion was heard from the other side of the shelter entrance. ¡°Over here!!¡± ¡°Call people quickly!¡± Was someone here? He couldn''t tell. Jung Yu-shin''s eyes slowly closed. Darkness came. Chapter 20: Did you think it was over? When Jeong Yushin opened his eyes, an old man was looking down at him. The old man smiled kindly and extended his hand. Jeong Yushin weakly reached out and grasped the old man''s hand. Thwack!! The old man swatted his hand away. ¡®What¡¯s he trying to do?¡¯ The old man covered his mouth and mumbled. Jeong Yushin focused his hearing. The motor, which hadn''t been used in a while, creaked and began turning with a grinding noise. "Three silver coins." ¡®Luke Wiseman.¡¯ A spirit teacher serving the Wind Spirit God. One of the top members of the Labyrinth City¡¯s high council. "I apologize for my rude behavior last time." A raspy voice flowed out. "It¡¯s fine. I had expected to see you again soon, but to meet like this, it must be the Wind Spirit God¡¯s guidance. Three silver coins." "Let''s call it a debt. I have no money. What happened? The last thing I remember was being inside the labyrinth." "I heard the labyrinth exploration team found your party. You were unconscious for three days. The only one who woke up was Skar, you." "What¡¯s an exploration team?" "Exactly what it sounds like. Have you noticed how many newcomers have arrived lately?" "Yes." "There¡¯ve been so many new parties that entered the Great Labyrinth and never returned. So, we sent an exploration team to check on them. To see what happened." "When do you think the others will wake up?" "I don¡¯t know. The goblin and the mage should wake up soon, but the dwarf might take a bit longer. His injury is pretty bad." A question came to mind. "What about the gnome?" "The gnome? Wasn¡¯t your party originally four members?" "It was five. We had a gnome guide named Dito. Did you not see him inside the shelter?" "No, I haven¡¯t seen anyone like that." Could he still be wandering inside the labyrinth? If things had gone horribly wrong, Dito could be out of his mind, wandering aimlessly, or he might already be dead. Moreover, the symbol on the dagger Dito dropped when he fled. It didn¡¯t feel unfamiliar. "I thought I recognized that symbol." The dagger Dito had dropped during the fight with the Hobgoblin warrior. In the chaotic situation, Jeong Yushin hadn¡¯t had the time to carefully examine it, but thinking back, it was the same symbol that had been engraved on the bastard sword of a slave hunter. A lot of questions lingered. Was the claim about the fear imprint a lie? If Dito''s target was him, why had he shot the crossbow at Carlton¡¯s back? Jeong Yushin approached Dito, who was lying on the floor, coughing up blood. He needed to ask this one thing. "Why me? Was there any reason to go this far to kill a useless barbarian like me?" "...Shut... up." That was the last word Dito spoke before he died. The blood from Dito¡¯s wound flowed across the floor, reaching Jeong Yushin¡¯s feet. His body trembled slightly. He had killed someone. He had crossed the point of no return. His past life could no longer be the same. Beneath the starlight, he received the baptism of original sin. The witness to the sacrament of baptism was a lonely, flickering candle. Why? To survive. Jeong Yushin limped over and closed Dito¡¯s eyes. The baptizer and the baptized were one and the same, but the blood was that of the gnome. That night, chaos erupted at the shelter. The priest, who had been dozing while on duty on the first floor, was shocked to see Jeong Yushin¡¯s condition as he descended from the second floor and quickly called for the guards. The grim-faced captain of the guards came to take Jeong Yushin to the guard post. The guard post wasn¡¯t far from the shelter. After applying ointment to the wounds and bandaging them, Jeong Yushin was handcuffed and taken to a small room inside the guard post. "I¡¯ve just confirmed the gnome¡¯s body. He was a member of your party?" The guard captain asked, sitting across from him. "Yes. His name was Dito. He was the guide of our worthless party." "Why did you kill him?" "He tried to kill me." "He only had a dagger on him. No other weapons." "It was Sacred Weapon." "What? Were you a priest?" "No." "It¡¯s an imprint ability." "Pretty ordinary. Show me." "I can¡¯t use it now. My magic has run out." "Are you a beginner explorer?" "Yes." The guard captain scratched his head. "I don¡¯t understand. Why would he try to kill you? Did you do something in the labyrinth?" "I don¡¯t know. I didn¡¯t do anything. The other party members can vouch for me." "Maybe not. Tell me everything. Everything that happened in the labyrinth. We¡¯ll decide after that." Jeong Yushin calmly told the captain everything that had happened in the labyrinth. The conversation stretched out, and after some time passed, the captain spoke again. "...That¡¯s it. After that, I lost consciousness and was rescued by the labyrinth exploration team and brought to the shelter." The captain stroked his chin. "This is strange. Very strange. From what you¡¯re saying, there doesn¡¯t seem to be any reason for that gnome to try to kill you. Tung-tung!" The captain shouted toward the door. A moment later, there was a loud thud, and the door burst open, revealing a hefty otter-like beastman. "Yes! Captain!" "Run to the shelter and wake up one of the sane party members of this barbarian¡¯s party. ? N§àv§Öl?g?t ? (Official version) Bring them here." "Yes!!" The otter beastman hurriedly ran out. A short while later, Carlton entered the room. His weary appearance made him look at least ten years older. "What¡¯s going on? Useless." "I called for cross-verification. Tell me what happened in the labyrinth." Carlton licked his dry lips with his tongue. Like a true mage, Carlton spoke calmly and in detail. The guard captain listened quietly, almost as if in a trance. "...We won the battle, and Skar collapsed. Shortly after, the exploration team arrived at the shelter. After that, I also lost consciousness, so I don¡¯t know much more. Useless." The guard captain looked at Skar with renewed interest. "Impressive. A beginner explorer, and you killed a Hobgoblin warrior, which only appears on the 4th or 5th floor, like that. Even if you¡¯re young, are you really a barbarian?" "I didn¡¯t do it alone. It was possible because the other party members helped." Jeong Yushin¡¯s humility made Carlton smile faintly. The guard captain cleared his throat. "Anyway, then what¡¯s the deal with that gnome? What drove him to do that?" He paused for a moment. Should he talk about the dagger¡¯s symbol? The symbol on the dagger was easy to spot. Didn¡¯t even the village guards at the Pilgrim¡¯s Path recognize it? Why would anyone engrave such an obvious symbol on a weapon? What could be the benefit of doing such a foolish thing? If he told the captain, would he believe him? Could he even trust him? Jeong Yushin didn¡¯t know. There were too many unknowns, and after thinking for a while, there didn¡¯t seem to be a clear solution. "The symbol on the dagger is noticeable. I think Shimus might know about it, so maybe you should ask him?" The guard captain¡¯s eyes widened. "Wait, you mean that Shimus, the one who serves the Wind Spirit God? Does he know you?" "We traveled together on the way to Labyrinth City. He won¡¯t pretend not to know me." "I can¡¯t just call on a spirit teacher for something like this. He has wanderlust, and it¡¯s hard to meet him. Is that symbol really that important? Answer me clearly." "Well..." At that moment, the door opened and someone entered. The guard captain immediately stood up. "Luke! What brings you to this humble place?!" "There¡¯s chaos at the shelter. Never mind. Don¡¯t worry about it." "Still..." "Today¡¯s my turn on duty. Please think about my reputation." "Ah... I understand." Luke looked at Carlton and the guard captain. "Both of you step outside for a moment. I need to ask this barbarian something." At Luke¡¯s words, both of them stood up and left the room. Luke sat down in the chair where the guard captain had been sitting. "I¡¯ve heard everything from the guards." "Yes." "Tell me about that symbol. If your answer is unsatisfactory..." Luke crossed his arms and leaned back in the chair. "I¡¯ll kill you." His cold, emotionless gaze pressed down on Jeong Yushin. ¡®Shit. Can a priest have eyes like that?¡¯ Jeong Yushin swallowed dryly. He hesitated for a moment but then started telling Luke about everything that had happened before arriving in Labyrinth City. Luke listened silently, showing no emotion. When the long story was over, Jeong Yushin fell silent. After a long pause, Luke slowly spoke. "Shimus is my first disciple." Not surprising. ¡®No wonder his eyes were similar.¡¯ "Yes." "Three months ago, my disciple spoke about a young barbarian. Said he was an interesting person. Turns out that was you. You¡¯re lucky." "Yes?" "I¡¯ll spare you. This time. But if I catch you selling my disciple¡¯s name again, you¡¯ll die." "...." "I¡¯ll be watching." Luke stood up. Jeong Yushin remained seated. A breeze passed by, brushing against him as Luke left the room. His shoulder wound was already healing. The healing magic had reached its limit. "Phew..." He got up and left the room. The guard captain stood rigidly. "Go ahead." "What?" "Go ahead. Luke has proven your innocence." "Yes." As Jeong Yushin left the guard post, the cold dawn air hit him. Carlton was waiting outside. "Looks like it worked out. Useless." "Yeah. Whew. Let¡¯s go, mage." Under the starlit sky, The two humans walked quietly toward the shelter. "...Dito tried to kill you? Useless." Carlton asked without looking away from the shelter building. "Yes." "I see. Useless." Carlton agreed with a brief remark, his tone tinged with a bitter melancholy. He stopped walking and looked up at the sky. The sighs and resignation of the exiled lingered in the silent gaze beneath the dawn stars. "You were close with Dito, weren¡¯t you?" Jeong Yushin asked as he casually stepped closer to Carlton, his hand subtly brimming with magic. "No. Not that much. Useless." "They say there¡¯s no cure for male menopause. Stop staring at the stars and live younger." Suddenly, Carlton began laughing. Jeong Yushin smiled faintly as he watched him. Carlton said, "Barbarian, I¡¯ve never met a man who fits the labyrinth as perfectly as you. Useless." Then he added, "Don¡¯t get too close. It¡¯s scary. Useless." Jeong Yushin took a step back. The magic in his hand faded away. The two men resumed walking. Though his mind was cluttered, he tried to find relief in the fact that he had survived. That was enough for this early morning. Chapter 21: Level up "Jeong Yusin lay on the relief center bed after a chaotic morning. Dito¡¯s body had been removed. The blood splattered on the floor had been cleaned up completely. There was only the lingering smell of blood. He had intended to ask to change his spot, but the fear of the charges stopped him. Jeong Yusin spent the dawn wide awake. As the sun rose, he went downstairs to check on the condition of his party members. Unfortunately, Del and Ainhopper were still unconscious. Carlton, in poor health, said he would stay a bit longer at the relief center. Before leaving, Jeong Yusin bowed deeply to Carlton. "I''m sorry. I think I went a little crazy yesterday." The shock of the unexpected assassination and his first murder mixed together. On top of that, the overwhelming fatigue and Luke''s threats added fuel to the fire. In short, he wasn''t in his right mind. He had tried to kill Carlton. Apologizing was the right thing to do. No matter the reason, they had fought together as party members. They had shed blood and sweat in the same place. Carlton, with a faint smile, patted Jeong Yusin''s shoulder. "It''s alright. Honestly, I should be the one apologizing. I should have told you earlier. Pathetic." For the worthless explorers, there was one more option besides retirement and heading to the labyrinth. Illegal work. From distributing banned items to kidnapping, assassination, and theft, there was a wide range of jobs. Since the pay was decent, many worthless explorers were involved in these illegal activities. After hearing Carlton¡¯s explanation, Jeong Yusin nodded. "Then, Dito too?" "That''s right. He must have gotten an assignment somewhere. Pathetic." He tasted bitterness in his mouth. He wanted to ask more, but Carlton''s condition seemed dire. He looked like he could collapse at any moment. "Then I¡¯ll go first. Let''s talk later after you get some rest." "Alright. Pathetic." As Jeong Yusin left the relief center, he saw a crowd basking in the morning sunlight. The relief center was close to the transition zone of the Great Labyrinth. "Sigh." Jeong Yusin sighed and walked in the opposite direction of the crowd. He had lost all his equipment and belongings. All he had left was his body. The investigation team had saved his life, but they seemed to have no obligation to return his belongings. The only thing he had earned from this labyrinth trip was 3 silver coins. That too, as debt. He trudged to the inn where Dalmong was. "I''m back. Dalmong." Dalmong''s face peeked out from the kitchen. "You''ve returned alive. Wait a moment." Jeong Yusin sat at an empty table. A moment later, Dalmong came out from the kitchen, holding a tray of food. "Eat. You look half-dead." Jeong Yusin looked down at the food on the tray. It was a creamy soup full of meat, buttered rye bread, and a wooden cup filled with steaming milk. "I..." "Just eat." Encouraged by Dalmong¡¯s strong insistence, Jeong Yusin began to eat. Only after the warm food entered his stomach did he realize that his body had been cold and numb. He swallowed the soup and tore off some bread, putting it into his mouth. He ate slowly, fully feeling the warmth of the food. Dalmong silently watched him. After finishing with the warm milk, Jeong Yusin deeply bowed his head. "Thank you. Dalmong. I¡¯m alive." Why had he said he was alive? He muttered words he couldn''t understand himself. "Yeah." "Boss!! Two servings of breakfast here!" Two humans sitting at a different table called out loudly. Dalmong stood up and said. "Get some rest for now. We¡¯ll talk at dinner." "Yes." Looking around, there were quite a few people bustling about. It was strange but somewhat understandable to see explorers, who had gotten up early, stopping by here. ''It was delicious. No hair.'' Now that Dalmong''s shedding was over, more and more people would gather. He went upstairs and opened the door to his room. The room was gloomy. It hit him hard that he had lost both his belongings and equipment in the labyrinth. The only thing left on his body was a tattered hard leather armor. The remaining items were a longsword and 2 silver coins he had saved as backup. After deducting the medical fees at the relief center, he was in the red with a deficit of 1 silver coin. "I don''t care." After eating warm food, drowsiness started to overcome him. ''I should just sleep. Honestly, the relief center was too cold.'' He took off his armor and changed clothes. Jeong Yusin threw himself onto the bed, rubbing his body into the soft bedding, and fell asleep. When he opened his eyes to the morning air, he saw the asphalt road. "...Where is this?" It was a familiar place. Turning around, he saw the neon sign of a convenience store glowing in the distance. It was the place just before he was transported to the other world. Had he returned? "Ahahaha." The sudden return left him dumbfounded. What had all the hardships been for? He sank down in despair. Had it all been a nightmare? He looked up again at the convenience store. This wasn¡¯t right. He had to run to the convenience store, buy snacks, and head home. He shook off the strange feeling and stood up. He wanted to buy a bottle of cola and drink it all in one go. He missed the refreshing feeling hitting his throat and the sweet taste of sugar. And how about the spicy and hot broth of ramen? His mouth watered. "Potato chips. I¡¯ll eat every type. Just wait." He walked toward the convenience store. On the way, Jeong Yusin noticed an open manhole. The lid was gone. Drawn by something, he approached. Looking down, he couldn¡¯t see anything. Naturally, it was pitch dark in the sewer, especially since it was night. "Get up." A voice rose from the sewer. "What!" Jeong Yusin jumped back in shock. A strange sensation gripped his body. A twisting feeling started deep within his stomach and spread throughout his body. "Get up." Black fog slowly rose from the sewer. Jeong Yusin immediately turned around and ran toward the convenience store. But the black fog was faster. It grabbed hold of him. "Let go!! Let go of this!!" He struggled with all his might, but the fog slowly tightened its grip around his body. It twisted and crushed his whole body. Screaming in pain and agony, Jeong Yusin¡¯s eyes snapped wide open. A familiar ceiling entered his view. Was he at home? No. It was Dalmong''s inn. Bang!! The door burst open, and Dalmong entered. "Skah! What¡¯s going on?" "Ah... I had a nightmare." At Jeong Yusin''s hesitant answer, Dalmong crossed his arms. "Hmm. Anyway, come downstairs. We have a guest." Dalmong left the room. ''A guest?'' Who could be visiting? He looked down at his body. His whole body was drenched in cold sweat. But in contrast, his body was filled with strange vitality. His body had changed. He felt it in his instinctive realm. ¡®It could be a new imprint. But I didn¡¯t feel the release. Maybe because I lost consciousness?¡¯ He had questions but had to deal with what was more urgent. He wiped his body with a towel and left the room. When he went downstairs, he saw unfamiliar people. A tall, handsome blonde man. A mysterious and beautiful elf woman. A female beastman with sharp ears and a piercing gaze. And finally, a girl priest in white clothes. A typical harem party. The inn¡¯s people were staring at the women in awe, unable to take their eyes off them. The harem party was sitting at the same table as Dalmong. The blonde man waved his hand when he saw Jeong Yusin. "This way! Barbaroi!" Jeong Yusin swept his sweaty hair aside and walked over to the table. The blonde man smiled broadly at him. "Are you alright? I heard screams from upstairs?" His friendly tone made Jeong Yusin scratch his head. He couldn¡¯t figure out who this person was to be acting so familiar. "A nightmare. But I¡¯m fine now." "Ah! Did you know?!" "What do you mean by ''know''?" "Level up! After killing so many goblins, it¡¯s no surprise you leveled up." Dalmong interjected. "Explorers call it leveling up, but it¡¯s actually called magic adaptation. When you kill monsters, the unique magical particles they have accumulate in your body, and this changes your physical condition. Strength, coordination, reflexes, magical sensitivity... various abilities improve." Jeong Yusin was taken aback. It was a new term he had never learned in the explorer /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ guild. "What? Even Barbaroi should know this much. It''s not a strange phenomenon that only happens in the labyrinth. Weird." The blonde man looked at him like he was some rare animal. Jeong Yusin ignored him, still curious about something else. "So, does leveling up cause nightmares?" At Jeong Yusin''s question, Dalmong answered. "The effects during leveling up vary so much that I can¡¯t say for sure. Some people do have nightmares, but it¡¯s rare. Usually, it''s just a change. The common feature is a strong vitality and a feeling of omnipotence after the change." ¡®Damn. Leveling up is a hassle.¡¯ But still, he felt good. He had gotten stronger. The strong vitality he had felt from his body earlier still lingered inside him. "But who are you?" At Jeong Yusin''s question, the blonde man gave him a bewildered look, pointing to himself. "Me?" "Yes." "Don¡¯t you know me? Don¡¯t you know our party?" "Yes." "Haahhh." The blonde man put a hand to his forehead. ¡®What a tiresome guy.¡¯ Bang!! The blonde man pulled out a leather pouch from his chest and placed it on the table. A muffled sound came from the pouch. "To put it simply, we are the rising star of the explorer guild, ''Golden Dawn.'' I¡¯m Zeke Lionel, a mid-level explorer! Remember that." ¡®A party with a name. Is it an official party?¡¯ "Yes. But why are you here?" "...You should at least show some respect. I saved your life." "Saved my life? Were you part of the labyrinth investigation team?" "Yes. This is our reward from the guild." Zeke pointed to the leather pouch. Seeing the heavy pouch, Jeong Yusin¡¯s heart started racing. He touched the pouch with trembling hands. "...Is this all silver coins?" "No, not all of it." "Ah." A regretful sigh escaped him. He wanted to open the pouch right away and count the money, but there was something he needed to do first. Jeong Yusin stood up and bowed his head. "Thank you. If it wasn¡¯t for ¡®Golden Dawn,¡¯ I wouldn¡¯t have survived." Zeke waved his hand. "It was nothing." "Should I share some of the reward with you?" The words came out of his mouth without thinking. "No. We received it from the guild. By the way, the other party members also received their rewards, so there¡¯s no need to share." "But why did you give me a reward? I¡¯m happy, but I don¡¯t understand." "Because you hunted over 100 hobgoblins and even took down a hobgoblin warrior." "But I didn¡¯t have any proof of the hunt?" "We testified for you." "I see." Jeong Yusin accepted it. Honestly, he didn¡¯t care. All that mattered was the heavy leather pouch. "Ah! I almost forgot to tell you the reward amount. 40 silver coins and 48 gold coins for the bounty." "Ugh. Thank you." Jeong Yusin hugged the leather pouch and rubbed his face. The three women stared at him with an expression of disgust, but he didn¡¯t care at all. The rough texture! He was so happy. ¡®Damn!! This is life.¡¯ He had lost his backpack and all his equipment, barely saving his life when rescued from the labyrinth. He had felt so desperate. Now, he wasn¡¯t worried about working to get more gear. The girl priest stood up. "Let¡¯s go now. I think we¡¯re done here." Zeke smiled wryly and stood up. "Shall we? Then we¡¯ll meet again later. Dalmong, and you too, Barbaroi." "Take care." Zeke and his group left the inn. Jeong Yusin stayed seated, still rubbing the leather pouch. Dalmong smiled lightly at him. "That good?" "Yes. I thought I¡¯d have to work for a year, but this is a relief. Also, I have something to tell you." "Yeah? Then let¡¯s talk after closing time." "Should I help you?" "No. Wait a bit. Have a drink." "Hehe. Sure." Time passed, and one by one, people started leaving. Some went upstairs to their rooms, and others seemed to have come just to eat. Once everyone had gone, the inn door was locked. The only ones left were Jeong Yusin and Dalmong. "So, you have something to say?" Dalmong, sitting at the table, spoke up. Jeong Yusin picked up the bottle of liquor and poured some into Dalmong''s glass. "Yes." Chapter 22: Temple classes and swordsmanship training Jung Yu-shin told Darmon what happened in the labyrinth. He must have heard the story of the hobgoblin subjugation from Zeke, so he briefly talked about it. The important thing was what happened after that. Slave hunters. Jung Yu-shin explained what happened before he came to the labyrinth. He was caught by slave hunters in the forest, Karin saved him, and he was almost killed by the town guards while using the slave hunter''s weapon, and finally, he met Simus. He thought he had broken up with the slave hunter group after entering the labyrinth city, but he was mistaken. He found the same mark as the slave hunter on Ditto''s dagger. Ditto tried to kill him at the shelter, but Jung Yu-shin barely survived with his imprinting ability. He didn''t know why the slave hunter group was after him. All he knew was that this group was secretly active in the city. He told him everything. Darmon listened to Jung Yu-shin¡¯s story without touching the glass. ¡°It might be dangerous for me to stay here.¡± He got to the point. If the slave hunter group continued to target him, they would find out where he was staying and eventually they could sabotage the inn. ¡°Did you tell the Explorers¡¯ Guild?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t. I didn¡¯t know who to trust.¡± ¡°I trust them?¡± Jung Yu-shin smiled silently at Darmon¡¯s question. Darmon, who was facing him, snickered. ¡°Good job. The Explorers¡¯ Guild is so big that there are many factions. There might be some of them that are dealing with slave hunters. Hmm.¡± Darmon stroked his chin for a while and then said. ¡°That guy Aldain is the perfect person for these guys.¡± Jung Yu-shin¡¯s eyes widened. Aldain Ashwood. The Demon Dismantling Center. Why did that decadent elf¡¯s name suddenly come up? ¡°What does he have to do with this?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you know? Aldain was famous in the eastern district when he was young.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°A damned fool.¡± Darmon, a high-ranking explorer who had been through a lot. The word ¡°damned fool¡± came out of his mouth. It meant that he was not just any ordinary fool. ¡°But why are you working at the Demon Dismantling Center? Did you rehabilitate yourself?¡± ¡°I became a new person.¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°With Simus¡¯s fist.¡± Jeong Yu-shin¡¯s mouth fell open. ¡°So you¡¯re saying that Simus¡¯s Aldain got beaten to death and became a new person?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Huh.¡± It was surprising that such a secret story was hidden. ¡°Here¡¯s the point. Most criminal groups are concentrated in the eastern district. Aldain was quite famous there and would still have some influence even after his rehabilitation. If you ask him, you could get information on the slave hunter group.¡± ¡°Oh!¡± ¡°But there¡¯s a problem.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°Aldain is on a business trip right now. He¡¯ll probably be back in a month. Just wait.¡± ¡°Are you telling me not to go into the labyrinth?¡± ¡°For the time being. You¡¯ve probably made some money. It wouldn¡¯t be bad to take a break and see what¡¯s going on. I¡¯m sure Luke is aware of this situation. Stay here for now. You have nowhere to go, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, but I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be sorry. I¡¯m doing this because I want to.¡± He¡¯s reliable. Is this the case with connections in this world? No. Darmon is a bear-man, so Bear-Mac would be right. He didn¡¯t know what the slave hunter group was up to, but there was nothing he could do right now. If he went around the streets looking for /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ a group of slave hunters, he would surely end up with one more corpse stabbed to death. The only thing he could do. Training and learning. All he could do was struggle to become stronger. Once he became stronger, he could crush the conspiracy. ¡°Is there a place where he could move?¡± Darmon thought for a moment and opened his mouth. ¡°Training? There¡¯s a yard behind the kitchen. Use it.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± * * * The next day, Jeong Yu-shin woke up early in the morning, finished his meal, and went to the temple of the Earth Mother. He didn¡¯t want to laze around in bed under the pretext of getting his body warmed up. He learned when he could. He realized that opportunities to learn and train didn¡¯t come often. He stopped by the temple, checked his attendance with the caretaker, and went to the classroom on the first floor of the orphanage building. ¡°Eh?! Here we go again. That scary old man.¡± ¡°Shh! Be quiet. Emma. That old man is Barbaro!¡± ¡°Ugh. Get raped..¡± As soon as he entered the classroom, the orphaned children began to gossip and curse at Jung Yu-shin. Unlike the last time he came, the atmosphere was more guarded. ¡®What do you want me to do?¡¯ Just learn what you need to learn and leave. He sat down and stared at the blackboard. The teacher hadn¡¯t come yet. ¡°Hey, Mr. Barbaro.¡± A small child slowly approached him and spoke to him. Jung Yu-shin¡¯s expression frowned. ¡®Damn it, don¡¯t talk to me.¡¯ ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Still, he answered as kindly as he could. ¡°Mister, do you really eat a girl¡¯s liver?¡± ¡°No. Go back now.¡± ¡°Mister, do you really go after a girl?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Mister.¡± ¡°The teacher is here, so go back to your seat.¡± ¡°Oh! Teacher Mi-on!¡± The little girl ran to her seat and sat down. Mi-on, who entered the classroom, was still beautiful. When she stood at the podium in her brilliant blond hair and white priest¡¯s uniform, it felt like the entire classroom had brightened up. The only regret was that her body was not visible because of her baggy clothes. ¡°Hello! Everyone. It¡¯s been a while.¡± ¡°Yes! Teacher!!¡± ¡°Okay, shall we start the class?¡± Mi-on skillfully led the class. Jeong Yu-shin focused with his eyes lit up throughout the class. He tried to memorize every single word Mi-on wrote on the blackboard without missing anything. Even during break time, he didn¡¯t get up from his seat, but sat at his desk, constantly reviewing words and drawing strokes in the air with his fingers. ¡°That¡¯s it for today¡¯s class. Everyone worked hard.¡± ¡°Yes! Teacher!¡± After class, it was lunchtime. The kids each went to the student cafeteria, laughing and chatting. Jung Yu-shin also went to the temple cafeteria. After sitting in the corner and finishing a simple meal, he left the temple. The next place to go was the Swordsmanship Guild. He had heard about the location from Darmon this morning, so he knew a little bit. One of the officially recognized swordsmanship guild branches in the Labyrinth City was in the southern part of the city. The tuition fee was 30 silver coins per month. That¡¯s a huge sum. If you take this class, you¡¯ll miss out on the chance to get good equipment. Jung Yu-shin swept his heart away. He could feel his heart pounding through his thin linen shirt. He had to get a little stronger. The ambush by the slave hunters had made him feel more desperate. ¡®You just have to tighten your belt a little more. It¡¯s not common to be given time and money at the same time. It¡¯s even rarer when you have someone else¡¯s protection. This is a golden opportunity.¡¯ He walked a little further south from the temple. ¡°A building with a sword and shield engraved on the gate. I found it.¡± He stood in front of a building made of dark stone. Jeong Yu-shin clenched and unclenched his fists in front of the building, steeling himself. As he opened the wooden revolving door and went in, the pungent smell of sweat hit his nose. People with sharp and fierce expressions were walking around the building. As he approached the counter, an elf man was sitting with his arms crossed. ¡°What are you here for?¡± ¡°I came to learn swordsmanship.¡± ¡°Thirty silver coins a month.¡± ¡°Here it is.¡± He held back his bitterness and handed over the pouch containing the silver coins. The elf man opened his pouch and counted the coins one by one. ¡°I checked. But are you only going to learn for a month?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°What are you going to do with a month of learning? Just for reference, you won¡¯t be able to use that much learning.¡± ¡°You have to try it to find out.¡± A moment of silence. The elf and the human looked at each other. The elf looked into Jeong Yu-shin¡¯s eyes and snickered. ¡°This guy has killed people before. You funny kid.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t an elf.¡± The elf¡¯s eyes twitched once. ¡°Haha. You kid. I¡¯ll teach you.¡± ¡°Who are you to keep calling you that kid? Is that kid doing it? The service here is not very good. Please call someone else.¡± ¡°I¡¯m the leader of the swordsmanship association here. If you bother me, get out.¡± Jeong Yu-shin¡¯s body froze. ¡°Oh my. You¡¯re the leader. But why is someone higher up doing this?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know about that. Follow me. Killah!!¡± The bald man kicked open the door and ran out as the elf man got up from his seat and shouted. ¡°You called? The leader.¡± ¡°I¡¯m a newbie here. I¡¯ll teach you.¡± ¡°Huh? But the leader¡¯s work is piling up?¡± ¡°You¡¯re here. If you, the vice-leader, don¡¯t do it, who¡¯s going to help me with my work?¡± The bald man¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°Isn¡¯t that your area of ??responsibility? You¡¯re almost the only one.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re not going to do it?¡± ¡°Oh. Okay. Make sure that Barbaroi newbie learns well. ¡°You¡¯re lucky.¡± The bald man glanced at Jung Yu-shin, left a word of advice, and went back into the room. ¡°Follow me.¡± He followed the elf to the backyard of the union building. It was a wide yard reminiscent of a military parade ground. All kinds of people were sweating, running, rolling, and swinging their swords. ¡°Your weapon is a longsword, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± His main weapon was a shield and a one-handed sword, but he lost them in the last battle. He didn¡¯t have time to get them again, so he had no choice but to use a longsword. The elf brought two wooden swords from the corner and threw one to Jung Yu-shin. ¡°Let¡¯s see how well you can do it.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± He rushed at the moment he grabbed the sword. He raised the sword above his head. He slashed downward from above. Swish! He couldn''t cut. The elf''s wooden sword stabbed Jung Yu-shin''s neck. "Keeek!" He lost his breath and collapsed. The elf didn''t move as quickly as Jung Yu-shin. He just took a step forward from the middle stance where he held the sword. "This is pathetic. He has no basics." "Huh. That''s why I came." "Again. If the opponent is holding the sword and aiming at you, strike it away." Jung Yu-shin slung his wooden sword over his shoulder and slowly approached. The elf snickered at the sight. The distance was close enough. Now. He swung his sword. His target was the elf''s wooden sword. Thump! The elf deflected Jung Yu-shin''s sword. The elf''s sword touched Jung Yu-shin''s neck, whose posture was disturbed. "You''re swinging with a will to kill. Relax your body. Again." He swung his sword several times, but it was all blocked. His body felt as if it had been burned by the elf¡¯s sword strikes that occasionally came in. How much time had passed? His whole body was drenched in sweat. A sweet smell came out of his mouth. He rolled on the floor and covered himself in dust. His hand holding the wooden sword trembled. At some point, the people in the training ground stopped what they were doing and started watching Jung Yu-shin and the elf¡¯s class. ¡°The union leader is training you? That¡¯s rare.¡± ¡°Look at the newbie¡¯s expression. He won¡¯t show up tomorrow. Hehe.¡± The elf stuck his wooden sword into the floor and leaned back. ¡°Again. Barbaroi. You lack grit.¡± A muscular man who was watching clicked his tongue. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say anything? The union leader¡¯s grit theory.¡± Jung Yu-shin took a stance. The elf clicked his tongue. ¡°Straighten your back. Straighten your sword more. Put your left foot back a little more.¡± He corrected himself as the elf said. ¡°Swing briefly and concisely.¡± Whoosh! Right! The wooden sword that Jung Yu-shin swung collided with the elf¡¯s sword. ¡°Close combat is a battle of wits. Just remember that.¡± The elf knocked Jung Yu-shin¡¯s sword away. Bam! The elf¡¯s sword struck Jung Yu-shin¡¯s neck. ¡°Bam!!¡± He knelt on the dirt floor. The elf slung the wooden sword over his shoulder. ¡°Can I refund you?¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤No.¡± The people who had formed a circle around him were chatting loudly. ¡°You¡¯re following along well?¡± ¡°The union leader teaches well in some areas. It¡¯s not bad.¡± ¡°This newbie has guts. Cheer up!¡± The elf said solemnly. ¡°But why are you speaking informally? Give me a refund?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Wow. You¡¯re petty. Union leader.¡± ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s okay for a newbie to speak informally.¡± The elf shouted. ¡°Get out! What are you just standing around watching until the sun goes down?¡± The people clicked their tongues and dispersed. Only the elf and Jung Yu-shin were left in the training grounds. ¡°Just run 30 laps of the training grounds and go home. Since today is your first time, I¡¯ll go easy on you.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Jung Yu-shin got up from his dusty and sweaty body. He ran as if he was crawling through the training ground with a staggering gait. He felt like he was going to die. His heart screamed as if it was going to die. The muscles in his entire body were out of control and twitching and twitching on their own. He wanted to sit down and rest right away. But he endured it and ran, thinking of the 30 silver coins. He ran and ran until the moon and stars rose in the sky. The surroundings were quiet. Most of the lights in the swordsmanship guild building were turned off. Only the elf was left, linking arms and watching Jung Yu-shin run. 30 laps. He did all of them. I don¡¯t know how he did it. I don¡¯t know if he toddled like a baby or crawled like an earthworm, but he did it. ¡°Hehehe.¡± When he was lying on the floor, swallowing dust and gasping for breath, the elf approached him. ¡°Come out tomorrow morning.¡± ¡°Hoohoo. Keuhok. ¡¤¡¤¡¤No.¡± He refused. After a long silence, the elf opened his mouth. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Why?¡± ¡°I have to learn. From morning to lunch. At the temple. Hoohoo. I do.¡± ¡°Okay. Then I¡¯ll see you at lunch.¡± ¡°Keuh. Thank you for your hard work.¡± ¡°Go check it out.¡± The elf turned away and left. He collapsed on the floor for a while, gasping for breath, then calmed down and finally got up. ¡°It¡¯s worth the money. It¡¯s really good.¡± He rolled around hard, not knowing if it was training or abuse. Jeong Yu-shin barely managed to return to the inn that night. He laughed a little when Darmon asked him with surprised eyes if he had been attacked. He told him that he ended up like this because he was training at the swordsmanship association and cleared up the misunderstanding. He returned to his room, dried himself, and lay down on the bed. As if he had been waiting, sleep came right away. Chapter 23: If you do good deeds Before sunrise. Jeong Yusin pulled the blanket off and got out of bed. "Ugh! Oh, I¡¯m dying." His muscles screamed in pain. He opened the window and twisted his waist, hearing his bones crack. "Hah." When he went downstairs, he heard clattering from the kitchen. Dalmong, already awake, was preparing breakfast. As Jeong Yusin opened the kitchen door, he saw Dalmong¡¯s back. "Good morning, Dalmong." "Awake already?" "Yes. Is it alright if I use the yard?" "Do as you please." "Thank you." Jeong Yusin opened the back door of the kitchen and stepped outside. The cool dawn air hit his face. Behind the wide yard, there was a small house where Dalmong lived and a shed. Jeong Yusin stood in the center of the yard and started stretching. He didn¡¯t have any professional knowledge. He just moved his body following what he had seen on the internet. It seemed to work, though, as his stiff muscles loosened a little, and warmth started to rise. "Hah." He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. What he needed to do at dawn. It was practice for his imprint. He could practice at the swordsmanship guild, but there were too many eyes there. He wanted to hone his secret techniques in a place no one was watching. Dalmong was an exception. He was his benefactor. [Sacred Weapon] The magical particles that had spread throughout his body gathered in his hands. It had once felt faint, but now it was different. The magic gathering at his fingertips was more vivid. It was thanks to the level-up. Pah! A golden dagger with a warm hue appeared in his hand. There was no cold sensation typical of cold weapons. The golden dagger, made of magic, soon vanished. It lasted about three seconds. Because of the magic used, his body felt stiff, and he was drained, but it was bearable. Again. He took a deep breath and gathered the magic into his hand. Pah! This time, an arming sword, a one-handed sword, took shape. He gripped it and swung it. The warm golden arc sliced through the cold dawn air. Jeong Yusin looked down at the sword in his hand. Tsu tsu tsu. The sword crumbled like sand, scattering golden particles into the air before vanishing. Jeong Yusin clicked his tongue. "Too slow." The speed of the Sacred Weapon was too slow. It didn¡¯t match the speed he had created while fighting the Hobgoblin Warrior. It didn¡¯t even come close to the speed when he had responded to Dito¡¯s assassination. Jeong Yusin closed his eyes and reflected on the battles he had fought. How desperately he had fought. How badly he had wanted victory. He thought and thought again. "Hah." He opened his hand. The magic responded and gathered in his hand. This time, golden knuckles formed. "Slow." Jeong Yusin muttered in dissatisfaction. Just as he was about to try again, a sudden dizziness hit him. He knelt and placed both hands on the floor. His heart raced wildly. He understood with his body. After casting three times in a row, three was his limit. But compared to the past, when he had collapsed after just one, this was much better. He steadied himself and stood up. The dawn was breaking. After having breakfast at the inn, he went to the temple. After confirming his attendance at the temple¡¯s reception desk, he turned around and noticed a familiar face. Anne. The archer girl he had met during his first journey into the labyrinth. Anne approached. "It¡¯s been a while, Skah." "Yes." Had it been two weeks? Three weeks? He couldn¡¯t remember exactly when he had last seen her. "It¡¯s been about three weeks since we last met. How are you feeling?" "I¡¯m healthy. How about you, Anne?" "I¡¯m doing well! Ah! You¡¯re probably curious about what happened to our party, right?" He wasn¡¯t curious at all. But seeing the dark flicker in Anne¡¯s eyes, he just nodded. "Din was taken from the labyrinth city, Map Tower. He¡¯s doing some experiments to bring back people who were consumed by darkness. Of course, he¡¯s doing it humanely." Anne continued. "Karl is buried in a corner of the graveyard behind the temple here. Maria didn¡¯t want to let go of Karl, so it was tough getting her to part with him." "..." "Maria gave birth to a Hobgoblin cub. She¡¯s currently staying at the Earth Goddess temple. Have you seen her?" He hadn¡¯t seen her at all. Jeong Yusin silently shook his head. "Tarmin and I are working. We¡¯re doing every job that brings in money, except going into the labyrinth." Jeong Yusin and Anne exchanged glances for a moment. Dark circles were heavily visible under Anne¡¯s eyes. "That¡¯s unfortunate. But, you know, there¡¯s always a chance for a brighter future, right? Keep your head up." "...You¡¯re right." "Yes, yes. I¡¯ll go now. Take care." Jeong Yusin didn¡¯t listen to Anne¡¯s response and left the temple. ¡®This feels disgusting.¡¯ It was true that there were as many misfortunes as there were people in the world, and it felt perfectly fitting. His footsteps toward the orphanage stopped dead. "Don¡¯t do this. Yusin. This is crazy." He spoke to himself. He had lived in a world where a certain level of indifference and distrust was considered a virtue. Without virtue, you were called a fool. If you had too much virtue, you were called a bastard. "Fuck. We only met once. What do I need to help for?" Dalmong came to mind. He remembered the warm food he had eaten after spending the cold dawn in the relief center and returning to the inn. He turned and ran toward the inn, running like a madman without resting. "Dalmong!!" He burst through the ? N§àv§ÖIight ? (Read more on our source) inn door and shouted. Dalmong, who had been sitting at the counter, looked up. "What¡¯s going on?" "Why are you being so kind to me? We just met! Why!" He yelled loudly. The people eating at the inn fell silent and alternated glances between Jeong Yusin and Dalmong. Dalmong scratched his chin for a moment. "Because you asked for help. And because I wanted to help." "Is that all?" "Yeah." "Ugh!!" Jeong Yusin¡¯s face twisted uncontrollably. He turned and ran up to the second floor, searched his room, took out silver coins, and then went back downstairs. "Do you know Anne?" "Are you talking about the archer girl you met on your first labyrinth trip?" "Yes." "Is she in a tough spot? Looks like you want to help her." Dalmong quickly assessed Jeong Yusin¡¯s condition. "What should I do? Should I help her?" "Don¡¯t ask me." "..." "Do what you feel is right. Just don¡¯t regret it." "Understood." Jeong Yusin grabbed the pouch of silver coins and left the inn. As if he had rushed out like the wind, there was a brief silence in the inn. But soon, the people began talking again, and the inn returned to its usual state. The female beastman sitting across from Dalmong perked up her ears. "Hm? Dalmong, is that Barbaroi your type?" "No, Karine." Her red tail swished playfully. "Really?" "Yes. I prefer women." "But, do you trust that Barbaroi?" "I¡¯m not sure. He hasn¡¯t caused trouble. He¡¯s a diligent man." "What? You¡¯re praising a human? That¡¯s something new." "People change." "Is that so? Hmm. Fine. I¡¯ll come back later." "Take care." Jeong Yusin ran to the temple, his eyebrows furrowed. He asked the priest sitting at the reception desk. "Where is the red-haired girl who was here a moment ago?" "Do you know her?" The priest at the reception desk asked. "I¡¯m part of her party." "She¡¯s in the garden. Just go straight through the right passage here." Jeong Yusin walked down the passage and came out to the garden. Maria and Anne were sitting on a long wooden bench together. There was some warmth, but he didn¡¯t mind. Jeong Yusin walked up to them. "Eeew." Maria, holding a teddy bear tightly, shrank away. She seemed scared of the sudden appearance of an outsider. "Skah." "Take this." Anne, seeing the pouch Jeong Yusin handed her, bit her lip. "...I can¡¯t accept this. You didn¡¯t owe me anything in the first place, did you?" "I want to help. There¡¯s no other reason. And you need it, right? If it¡¯s uncomfortable, think of it as help from an old comrade who fought alongside you in the first labyrinth." They exchanged a long, silent glance. Finally, Anne gave a small smile, and tears welled up in her eyes. "We weren¡¯t strangers, though." That¡¯s right. "Then give it to Maria." "Aww." Maria looked at the pouch and tilted her head before holding it in one hand and fiddling with it. When Jeong Yusin let go of it, Maria placed it on her lap and tugged at Anne¡¯s sleeve. "It¡¯s not much. I put in about 5 silver coins and 50 copper coins." "...Thank you." Anne bowed deeply. Tears fell to the floor. Mion gently took Anne¡¯s hand. "I¡¯m glad, Anne. You can use this for Karl¡¯s funeral expenses and Maria¡¯s medical bills. I¡¯ll help with the rest out of my own pocket." "Sniff. Thank you, Priest Mion." "Go back and rest for today. You look tired." "...Understood." Jeong Yusin turned around. "I¡¯ll go first. I¡¯m late." "Hehe. Yeah. I¡¯ll go soon too, Skah." Was Mion¡¯s atmosphere warmer now, or was it just his imagination? "Thank you... Skah." "Alright. Let¡¯s meet again occasionally." He waved off Anne¡¯s thanks and turned to leave the garden. When he arrived at the orphanage¡¯s classroom on the first floor, he sat down. "Today the teacher is late." "I hope it¡¯s Mion-sensei again." "Yeah. Mion-sensei is like a kind older sister. She smells good when she¡¯s around." "Is it true that the Barbaroi uncle is with the teacher?" "No way?" The orphans without parents were gossiping about Jeong Yusin. A few older children glared at him before slowly standing up from their seats. "What are you going to do if I stand up? Sit down. The teacher will be here soon." Jeong Yusin¡¯s words made the children sit back down. Only the brown-haired boy stood. "You! What did you do to the teacher?!" The classroom became quiet, and all eyes were on him. "I didn¡¯t do anything." "Then why isn¡¯t she here? You¡¯re Barbaroi, right? You definitely did something wrong!" "Yeah, yeah." "Ugh! Bad Barbaroi!" As he listened to the baseless accusations of the boys and girls, he felt a strong sense of de?ja? vu. ¡®This is dizzying.¡¯ Jeong Yusin pointed at the brown-haired boy. "What exactly do you think I did to Mion-sensei? Tell me specifically." "Well... well." The boy¡¯s face turned red. The other kids agreed with Jeong Yusin¡¯s words. "Yeah, John, just tell us what bad things this Barbaroi did!" "Yeah!" John, hesitating, finally spoke. "Th... That¡¯s right! You, Barbaroi! You fondled Mion-sensei¡¯s chest, right?!" "Gasp." At John¡¯s shameless words, an 8-year-old beside him started shaking. "And you kissed her, too, stuck your tongue out! I know everything!" "Yuck." The girls shot John cold, accusing glares. Jeong Yusin crossed his arms and stared at John. ¡®Is this the level of a 1 silver coin academy?¡¯ "And you were sniffing Mion-sensei¡¯s neck! Huh. You bad Barbaroi!" John looked around for approval, but the atmosphere in the classroom had turned icy. "Oh." A low voice came from behind John. John¡¯s body stiffened. He slowly turned around with a creaking sound. "Gasp! Te... Teacher." "I see. John, were you looking at me like that?" Jeong Yusin finally saw the color of Mion¡¯s eyes. They were cold, but definitely golden. For a moment, Mion narrowed her eyes. "John." "Y... Yes, teacher." "Write 50 pages of apology letters by the end of today." John¡¯s face turned pale. "Y... Yes." "Apologize to Skah as well." "Yes." John bowed his head to Jeong Yusin. "Sorry, uncle." "It¡¯s alright. You¡¯re at that age, the stormy years. I understand." The tense atmosphere in the classroom relaxed. "Well then. Shall we start the class?" "Yes! Teacher!" Thirty minutes into the class. A drop of sweat ran down Jeong Yusin¡¯s forehead. ¡®I was also at that age once.¡¯ Chapter 24: I’ll give you a Mom’s Pain. Today was Teacher Mi-on¡¯s private lesson time. While the students were studying on their own, Teacher Mi-on would come over and check how much each student had understood from the previous lesson. In a word, private tutoring. Cold sweat ran down Jung Yu-shin¡¯s forehead. Teacher Mi-on was too close. She was sitting on a chair next to her desk, sticking out her upper body, so she had nowhere to look. ¡°Okay. Follow what I say and write it down in your notebook.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I like children.¡± Mi-on¡¯s breath tickled her ear. ¡°...¡± ¡°Shall I say it again?¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤I like children.¡± Suddenly, she seemed to have fallen into the trap of close-up ASMR dictation brainwashing. A situation where she could end up in jail if she made a mistake. She concentrated all her mind and wrote each letter in her notebook. ¡°Ska-ssi, your handwriting is neat.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Mi-on brushed her flowing hair behind her ear. A sweet smell passed through her nose and tickled her brain. ¡°The witch spoke again. ¡®Children are the best food because they are not fully ripe and their flesh is soft.¡¯¡± ¡®Look at the level of fairy tales in another world.¡¯ It was a crisis part from a fairy tale about the spirit of the earth and the woodcutter, but it was a bit cruel for a child to read. She followed along and wrote it down. ¡°Hmm? Ska-ssi, this part is wrong. Please rewrite it.¡± Mi-on leaned in a little more and tapped the wrong part with her finger. A shocking sight came into view. ¡°Ugh.¡± No matter how baggy the priest¡¯s clothes were, they couldn¡¯t hide the huge mammoth that was spread out like pudding on the desk. It¡¯s poison to the eyes. I¡¯ll get an erection. Jaji declared decisively. ¡®No!¡¯ An erection in a classroom with so many children. The iron bars gleamed in his eyes. Mi-on¡¯s contemptuous gaze also gleamed. On the contrary, it was good. ¡®No. Come to your senses!¡¯ Jung Yu-shin glared. The warning from the temple receptionist flashed through his mind. If anything ¡®unpleasant¡¯ happens, he will be expelled from the orphan academy. He will miss his chance to learn cheaply. He must avoid it. ¡°Ska-ssi?¡± ¡°Yes. I will fix it now.¡± He tried to move his pen in a hurry to fix the mistake. He hit Mi-on¡¯s chest with his right arm. Jung Yu-shin¡¯s strong arm crushed Mi-on¡¯s plump breasts and lightly scratched her nipples hidden by her thin lace bra. ¡°Tch!¡± Mi-on flinched and pulled back. Disaster. ¡°Ugh! I¡¯m sorry!¡± She immediately slammed her head into the air and apologized. ¡°Ah... no. I got too close. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Mi-on¡¯s face turned red like a tomato. She covered her chest with one hand. But her H-cup breasts were nowhere to be found with one hand. Rather, they were even more sexy. ¡°Teacher, please look at me too!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Teacher, why do you keep sticking to Barbaroi?¡± The children sitting around her whined in discontented voices. ¡°Okay. Mr. Ska, please correct the mistakes you made just now. I¡¯ll check again after class.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Mi-on got up and left stiffly. Jung Yu-shin started to correct the mistakes he had written. However, the soft touch of her breasts kept lingering. ¡°Oh my! Teacher? Please focus.¡± ¡°Huh? I... I see. I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Huh? Teacher, something sharp has popped up on my chest. Is it a bug...¡± ¡°Home... Concentrate!¡± I tried to ignore the conversation behind me. ¡®Am I getting kicked out?¡¯ Oh, no way. I suppressed my anxiety and focused on my studies. I felt like I was sitting on a bed of thorns, and I read the storybook, writing it down on my own and memorizing the necessary words. Time passed and it was already lunchtime. ¡°Okay, that¡¯s it for today. Everyone, you worked hard today. I¡¯ll check your homework tomorrow.¡± ¡°Yes! Teacher. Thank you. Will you be coming tomorrow too?¡± ¡°Hehe. I wonder?¡± ¡°Please come tomorrow too!¡± ¡°Should I do that?¡± Mion spoke in a slightly sullen voice, repeatedly brushing her hair behind her ears. The back of her neck was slightly red. ¡®Did we just make eye contact?¡¯ Mi-on turned her head and looked at the students, and it seemed like they were looking at her for a moment. Mi-on was squinting, so she couldn¡¯t be sure. ¡°Which teacher will come? Let¡¯s leave that for tomorrow¡¯s fun.¡± ¡°Eh.¡± ¡°Ska, please stay for a moment. Everyone, go eat. Class is over!¡± The students left, leaving Mi-on and Jeong Yu-shin alone. ¡°Hmm. You fixed it well. It¡¯s great.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Um...do you have time?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t stay long. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Mi-on¡¯s face became shocked at Jeong Yu-shin¡¯s sharp answer. ¡®I¡¯m sorry. I burned 30 silver coins in the swordsmanship association.¡¯ ¡°Then, should we talk while we leave?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± He packed his writing utensils and put them in his small bag. It was a bag Darmon had given me as a gift for my admission to the orphan academy. It had a cute bear face drawn on it. I slung the bag over my shoulder and walked with Mion. ¡°I heard everything from Anne. She said you saved my colleagues.¡± ¡°I was lucky.¡± It wasn¡¯t a lie. Really. At that time, my nose was three inches. ¡°Still, it¡¯s rare for a new explorer. And you even readily gave me silver coins. Even if we were in the same party, it¡¯s an amazing act of kindness.¡± ¡°It¡¯s only a few silver coins.¡± I was embarrassed by Mion¡¯s sudden compliment. ¡°It¡¯s a lot of money for a new explorer. I know that. I used to be an explorer.¡± Mion became serious. ¡®You were an explorer?¡¯ I didn¡¯t know. ¡°You were an explorer?¡± ¡°Ahaha. Yes. It was a long time ago. Not anymore.¡± I decided not to ask any more questions at Mion¡¯s bitter smile. ¡°Anyway! We decided to provide some convenience for the kind Ska-ssi at our temple.¡± ¡°Convenience?¡± ¡°Ta-da! You can use the confessional at the Mother Earth Temple for as little as 5 chapters!¡± ¡°Confession?¡± The Eucharist? Isn¡¯t it a religious act of confessing your sins with a wooden space between you? ¡°Yes! How is it? Isn¡¯t it great? Isn¡¯t it groundbreaking?¡± ¡°Do I look like a sinful person?¡± I asked honestly. Mi-on waved her hand with a puzzled expression. The large baby food container also shook along with it. ¡°No! That¡¯s not what I meant. It¡¯s called a confessional, but it¡¯s just a place to talk about things you¡¯ve kept in your heart and can¡¯t tell others.¡± ¡°Do you really need to do that?¡± ¡°The labyrinth is a place where the heart can easily be hurt. Drinking, pleasure, and having fun are not enough. The thorns embedded in the soul won¡¯t come out that way.¡± A confident voice. Mi-on¡¯s squinted eyes had opened. Jung Yu-shin silently looked into Mi-on¡¯s golden eyes. The flower petals that announced the end of spring passed between the two on the wind. ¡°Some people relieve their tension with food ? N§àv§Ölight ? (Exclusive on N§àv§Ölight) and conversation.¡± Jung Yu-shin opened his mouth. Darmon and warm food. ¡°...¡± Mi-on looked at Jung Yu-shin with regretful eyes. ¡°Thank you, though. I¡¯ll use it someday. Can I say anything in the confessional?¡± Mi-on smiled faintly. ¡°Yes. Anything.¡± After finishing the conversation with Mi-on, he stuffed food into his stomach at the Shinto Shrine Restaurant and ran to the Swordsmanship Association. ¡°You¡¯re late!¡± The elf standing in the training grounds was standing there with a rather angry expression. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Chief.¡± ¡°See how relaxed your face is? Did you go on a date with a pretty woman?¡± It was a very specific guess. It sent shivers down my spine. ¡°No.¡± ¡°No, really. Look at that prickly expression. Your face is already relaxed, so just relax your body. Just run 40 laps around the training grounds and come back.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± He ran without saying a word. 10 laps. 20 laps. Even if his feet slowed down just a little, the elf would taunt and yell at him. ¡°Is that okay? Your lower body is really weak. Are you Barbaroi?! Run!!¡± 30 laps. ¡°Even a snail can run better than you. Raise your head! Grit your teeth!¡± He completed 40 laps under the elf¡¯s chilling watch. ¡°Hoooooosh. Grooosh.¡± ¡°Stop making that pig-snapping sound and grab the sword. Get into position like you learned yesterday.¡± ¡°Grooosh. Yes.¡± He grabbed the wooden sword, drenched in sweat and unable to rest. The sword trembled. Halt. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± The elf didn¡¯t spare him and charged forward. He swung his sword like a storm as if yesterday was a taste. Jung Yu-shin swung back and forth like a sailboat drifting alone in the storm. But he didn¡¯t capsize. He gritted his teeth and held on. Blood flowed out of his tightly shut lips. He didn¡¯t even have time to breathe properly. The mouse drew a sword with his arm. The simple sword technique I learned yesterday. Downward slash. Upward slash. Horizontal slash. Finally, diagonal slash. Swish!! Wooden swords clashed against wooden swords. A struggle. The wooden sword that Jung Yu-shin was holding trembled. The elf''s face appeared between the wooden swords. The elf snickered. "I heard you killed the hobgoblin warrior? In just two dungeons." "¡¤¡¤¡¤Are you also investigating?" "If you''re here, you''ll find out even if you don''t want to know." ''You were the union leader. You damn elf.'' The elf put strength into the wooden sword and pushed. Paaaaat!! Jung Yu-shin''s body staggered and was pushed away. Dust rose from the training ground floor. The elf''s swordsmanship continued. It was an overwhelming speed that was impossible to keep up with even if you leveled up. Pak! He groaned involuntarily at the pain that felt like his shoulder was being burned. "Ugh." "Come quickly. There''s no time." Just like yesterday, the people around him gathered and surrounded him in a circle. Pak! Waist. Pak! Thigh. Kwak! Neck. The place he was hit was bad. "Ugh." He couldn''t breathe, so he curled up like an insect. Saliva dripped from Jung Yu-shin''s mouth. "Chairman, is this too much?" The cow with one broken horn grimaced. It was too harsh for a beginner''s swordsmanship class. "I can still do it." Jung Yu-shin stood up, holding the wooden sword like a cane, and said. ¡°That¡¯s right?¡± The elf shrugged. As if it wasn¡¯t his fault. ¡°...¡± So Su-in crossed his arms and shook his head. Jung Yu-shin held the wooden sword with both hands and raised it. Sang-dan-se. The tip of the sword rose high as if it would pierce the evening sky. The elf smirked. ¡°Sang-dan-se? The newbie is so shameless.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± The sword dance between the elf and the human stopped only after nightfall. Everyone went home. The training ground was empty. The elf looked down at Jung Yu-shin, who collapsed and was panting. ¡°That¡¯s it for today. Don¡¯t be late tomorrow.¡± ¡°Huh-huh. Yes.¡± ¡°Thank you for your hard work.¡± ¡°Huh. The union leader too. Keuuuuuk. Thank you for your hard work.¡± The elf left and Jeong Yu-shin was left alone in the training ground. ¡°Sigh. It¡¯s tough.¡± He sat down on the training ground floor and massaged his body here and there to loosen it up. He didn¡¯t want to suffer with stiff muscles like this morning tomorrow morning. He naturally reviewed today¡¯s training. ¡®I just got hit. I heard a lot of criticism about my posture.¡¯ He also heard many criticisms about his weak lower body. ¡®Should I do squats?¡¯ He added squats to his early morning training. He got up and left the training ground. When he returned to the inn, Darmon greeted him. ¡°You¡¯ve become a tattered rag.¡± ¡°It was worth the money. The union leader personally guided you?¡± Darmon opened his eyes wide as if he was really surprised. ¡°Could that be the elf?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, an elf. Is he a famous person?¡± ¡°I¡¯m the city¡¯s official Sword Master. My name is Ashur Startri.¡± ¡°Sword Master?¡± The Sword Master who cuts down everything that stands in his way with his sword? Could it be that this other-world cheat is in my hands? My heart pounded hard. ¡°The Sword Master emits light from his sword and cuts everything down, right?¡± ¡°The Sword Master can cut anything with just one old iron sword. And the sword emits light? Are you talking about the Aura Blade? You have that too.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Sacred Weapon. It¡¯s also a type of Aura Blade. It¡¯s low-grade.¡± ¡°Eh.¡± Darmon stroked his chin for a moment before continuing. ¡°There was a rumor that a legendary swordsman used it in the past, but it was just a rumor. Don¡¯t rely too much on the imprint and train honestly. It¡¯s the fate of the vanguard.¡± Jung Yu-shin, whose shoulders were hunched, seemed to feel sorry, so Darmon added a word. ¡°The title of Sword Master is only given to the strong. Not just the strong, but the strong who have been officially recognized by the Labyrinth City. Someone like that is teaching swordsmanship? Even if there were mountains of gold coins, I wouldn¡¯t be able to seize this opportunity.¡± ¡°Yes. I will work hard.¡± ¡°And...¡± Darmon paused for a moment. ¡°No. Let¡¯s talk later. Take a rest today.¡± ¡°Yes. Darmon. Thank you for your hard work.¡± Darmon sighed as he watched Jung Yu-shin¡¯s back as he went up to the second floor. ¡°Sword Master. Scar, what on earth are you doing?¡± Darmon¡¯s sigh-mixed mutterings did not reach the second floor. Chapter 25: Reunion and Uneasy Movement Two weeks passed. Jung Yu-shin''s daily life was a routine of endless training. He woke up at dawn, stretched his body, and racked his brain to skillfully use his magic power to master the imprinting technique. He studied at the temple from morning to lunch. He worked hard at the swordsmanship association from lunch to night. His body, which had improved through leveling up, was quickly adapting to the harsh training. Should I say that his body''s low point was greatly increased? It would be more appropriate to see him as a body that had been administered anabolic steroids and growth hormones dozens of times more than the recommended dose. He had already lost his flab while working at the monster dismantling center. He built up his muscles at the swordsmanship association. He was amazed by the explosive growth in muscle strength and stamina that occurred every day, and he stuck his tongue out inwardly. And it was fun. ¡®There¡¯s a reason why people get into fitness.¡¯ After finishing his early morning training, he sat down on the inn table and admired his arms. His strong muscles and thick veins stood out. ¡°Is this my arm?¡± It was like the strong arms of Geum Tae-yang in the NTR genre. With these arms, he grabbed Mi-on¡¯s neck from behind and grabbed her breasts. At the moment when he was about to fall into a strange delusion, he slapped himself. Crack! ¡°Come to your senses. This isn¡¯t the time for you to be like this.¡± He rubbed his cold cheek and repeated to himself. Creak. The inn door opened and a man came in. Then, all eyes in the inn were focused on that man. The chattering conversation stopped and a strange silence fell over the inn. Jeong Yu-shin also came to his senses and turned his head to look at that man. Karin. The eldest daughter of the representative of the Suin Union and the benefactor who saved her life. Karin and Jung Yu-shin¡¯s eyes met. ¡°Hello.¡± She bowed her head slightly to greet him. Although she had suffered the humiliation of begging for her life with her head down, she had been saved. Karin¡¯s red tail swayed. Her white shirt clearly revealed her black lace bra, and her tight brown leather pants showed off her solid thighs and plump butt without any filter. Behind her waist were two daggers crossed, with only the handles sticking out sharply. Karin approached and sat down on the chair opposite Jung Yu-shin. ¡°Darmong. Give me food.¡± ¡°Yes. Miss.¡± As expected of a high-ranking official of the Suin Union, Darmong was also polite. Darmon greeted her politely and went into the kitchen to bring out food and put it on the table. It was a dish of sausages cut into large pieces and fried with potatoes and cabbage. Toasted rye bread and Kaimac Bismury cream were also served. ¡°Let¡¯s eat first and then talk.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The two were absorbed in their meal for a while. Karin must have been hungry, because she finished the food in perfect order. Jung Yu-shin, not to be outdone, quickly moved her fork and spoon. ¡°Whew. I ate well. It¡¯s hot. Is it summer now?¡± Karin said, fanning herself. The front of her shirt was soaked with sweat, and even the embroidery on her black lace bra was visible. ¡°You said a group of slave hunters sent assassins?¡± A sudden question. ¡°Yes. But is it okay to talk about this in a crowded place?¡± ¡°I¡¯m telling you to listen.¡± Karin looked around. Those who met Karin¡¯s eyes lowered their heads and some got up and left the inn in a hurry. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s my fault that the slave hunters attacked you.¡± Karin apologized. ¡°Why is it your fault, Karin?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve beaten up a lot of guys. I guess I was really angry. I think I attacked you and delivered a message.¡± ¡°What kind of message?¡± ¡°A message that we¡¯re watching over you. You can¡¯t touch me, so you touched me, who I saved.¡± ¡°Why would you attack me? There must have been many others.¡± ¡°Barbaro has no connections and no support.¡± Jeong Yu-shin¡¯s expression crumpled. He couldn¡¯t refute it because it was true. He couldn¡¯t even name Seamus. Luke would come kill him right away. ¡°Understood. I¡¯m glad I got an apology and learned the details of the attack. Then I¡¯ll go.¡± ¡°We¡¯re not done talking.¡± Jung Yu-shin sat down on the road. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Come under me.¡± Jung Yu-shin and Karin¡¯s eyes met. Karin straightened her back and her large breasts popped out. Jung Yu-shin¡¯s mouth opened slightly. ¡°Serve me.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤What do you want me to serve?¡± ¡°Various things. I¡¯ll pay you a salary. Fifty silver coins a month.¡± Gasps and heavy breathing could be heard throughout the inn, as if it was a bold offer. Isn¡¯t it a good offer? They were almost out of money at the moment. ¡°There are two conditions. Don¡¯t enter the labyrinth. Stay by my side.¡± Jung Yu-shin remained silent at the conditions Karin presented and looked at the empty bowl on the table. After a while. Jung Yu-shin raised his head. Karin¡¯s body stiffened. He wasn¡¯t the man who had been begging for his life with his head down in front of him. It was hard to get used to the completely different appearance from back then. Especially this man¡¯s eyes. Jeong Yu-shin¡¯s eyes, filled with strong determination, stamped a seal on Karin¡¯s chest like a fire seal. ¡°No.¡± A voice that had become extremely low dug into her ears. Karin¡¯s hair stood on end. ¡°Why? Wasn¡¯t that a good suggestion? There¡¯s no need to go into a dangerous labyrinth and suffer.¡± ¡°I need an imprint.¡± ¡°What imprint?¡± As the questions and answers continued, Karin felt herself being sucked deeper and deeper into the swamp. ¡°That¡¯s something that¡¯s hard to tell you.¡± A firm refusal. The veins on Karin¡¯s forehead bulged slightly. ¡°Really? If you don¡¯t want to say it, then don¡¯t. It¡¯s probably just a simple imprint. And why are you speaking informally to me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Jung Yu-shin immediately shrank down. Karin became even more irritated when she saw that. ¡°That¡¯s enough. Get out.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Jung Yu-shin immediately got up and went out of the inn. Karin bit her lips tightly. She felt the eyes of those around her and looked around the inn and growled. ¡°What are you looking at? Are you looking? If you¡¯ve eaten everything, get out!¡± People got up from their seats in a hurry and went out of the inn like a swarm of flies. ¡°Randolph!¡± Karin shouted. A giant wolf beastman came in from outside the inn and prostrated himself. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Send the kids to guard them.¡± ¡°Who are you talking about?¡± ¡°The black-haired Barbaroi who just left.¡± Randolph recalled a memory from a few months ago. The man who had grabbed his head and thrown him to the ground. He looked weak and insignificant, but his master seemed interested in him at the moment. ¡®You¡¯re not used to rejection. My master.¡¯ Randolph said, lowering his head even deeper with a bitter feeling. ¡°Do I really have to protect you?¡± ¡°I saved you. It¡¯s my achievement. No matter how much the slave hunters fly and crawl, they won¡¯t dare to get their work dirty. I don¡¯t care how they search for you, but I¡¯ll protect you from death by the slave hunters.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Randolph left the inn, and Karin was left sitting alone on the chair. ¡°Darmon.¡± ¡°Yes. Karin.¡± ¡°Where did Barbaro go?¡± ¡°He went to the temple of the Earth Mother.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°He went to learn to read.¡± Karin snorted. ¡°Are you really trustworthy?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never had an accident.¡± ¡°Have you heard anything? What kind of seal is that Barbaroi looking for?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I never said anything.¡± ¡°What on earth does that Barbaroi want?¡± ¡°It looks like he¡¯s short on money.¡± ¡°Really? Okay. I¡¯ll come back later. Tell that Barbaroi.¡± Karin placed the silver pouch on the counter and left. Darmon sighed. As a member of the Suin Alliance, he couldn¡¯t refuse Karin¡¯s questions and demands. Still, he took Ska¡¯s side as much as possible. ¡°Oh, my head.¡± Darmon¡¯s lament echoed through the empty inn. Late at night, Darmon was sitting at the counter with his arms folded. ¡°It¡¯s time to come.¡± Crunch! ¡°I¡¯m here.¡± The inn door opened and Jeong Yu-shin came in. He was covered in dust and sweat, as if he had been through a lot in the swordsmanship guild. ¡°Are you here? The letter came..¡± ¡°Is it for me?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Jung Yu-shin strode over, ripped off the letter¡¯s seal, and examined its contents. ¡°Hmm.¡± Jung Yu-shin made a serious expression. ¡°Is something serious happening?¡± ¡°No.¡± Jung Yu-shin sighed and answered Darmon¡¯s question. ¡°Then?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t read it. It¡¯s too difficult. Please read it.¡± Jung Yu-shin held out the letter. Darmon accepted the letter and read it calmly. ¡°They¡¯re disbanding the party. Del retired. Einhofer got a job at the blacksmith shop, and Carlton was selected as a magic department secretary at the Lionel Kingdom¡¯s Second Academy. The main reason is that they can no longer maintain the party due to Ditto¡¯s betrayal.¡± Jung Yu-shin slumped down. ¡®Is that so? Are they giving up and going their separate ways to find their own lives?¡¯ Carlton¡¯s appearance looking up at the stars that morning stabbed his heart. He swallowed his bitter feelings. He couldn¡¯t give up. He had nowhere to go. He straightened his back and straightened his posture. He didn¡¯t have time to be caught up in his emotions. There were more urgent things to do. ¡®I have to make money.¡¯ Two weeks had passed. He had to pay rent and get his equipment ready. He had to find a party and buy supplies for exploring the labyrinth. ¡®That damn money.¡¯ He sighed. His posture collapsed. It was a fantasy world where a giant bear walked on two legs and spoke, but the fear of money was just as realistic as in the original world. ¡®I guess all life is similar.¡¯ Darmon stroked his chin as he looked at Jung Yu-shin, who looked gloomy. ¡°Ska, I have something for you. Would you like to try it?¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Darmon let out a bitter smile as he looked at Jung Yu-shin, who was glaring. ¡®I¡¯m sorry.¡¯ Darmon couldn¡¯t bring himself to say it out loud, so he said to himself. ¡°Karin wants to hire you.¡± Jung Yu-shin frowned. ¡°Isn¡¯t that a thing of the past? I said I won¡¯t.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a different story. He said he¡¯d stop by tomorrow evening, so how about we talk for a bit?¡± ¡°But...¡± Thump! Darmon placed a leather pouch on the counter. Judging from the jingling sound, it was ~N§àv§Ölight~ definitely the sound of coins. Jung Yu-shin¡¯s eyes shook. ¡°50 silver coins. He said it was the deposit.¡± ¡°Ouch! Okay. I¡¯ll listen.¡± Jung Yu-shin clenched his teeth in anger, but his eyes were fixed on his pocket of silver coins and would not leave. Darmon took a silver coin out of his pocket and flicked it at Jung Yu-shin. ¡°We¡¯re going to meet tomorrow evening, so wash up at the bathhouse and come back.¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll see you tomorrow.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± The next day, after finishing all his work, he stopped by a public bathhouse in the southern district. Jung Yu-shin looked shabby because he had been having fun at the swordsmanship association. The bathhouse owner said with a hardened expression. ¡°Don¡¯t poke me because you can see the hole.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not that kind of person.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say things like, ¡®He showed his hole and tempted me, so I couldn¡¯t help it.¡¯ A person who is bent over is just a person who is bent over.¡± Barbaroi, these crazy bastards. These crazy bastards were making me sick. ¡°I¡¯m not that kind of person. I like women.¡± ¡°I hope you don¡¯t change your mind. Business is tough these days, so I¡¯m letting you in. Be careful.¡± The owner of the bathhouse didn¡¯t even listen to Jung Yu-shin¡¯s words. ¡®Where the hell are these Barbaroi bastards, and what are they doing?¡¯ The hostility toward Barbaroi, whom I had never seen before, was bubbling up. When I passed the counter, took off my clothes in the changing room, and entered the bathhouse, the steam was thick. People were walking around naked and scurrying around. A man with tattoos all over his body was walking around and bumped into Jung Yu-shin. ¡°What kind of bastard?!¡± The man looked Jung Yu-shin up and down and fixed his eyes on one spot. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Crazy. ¡°He¡¯s still young, and he¡¯s like this monster..¡± The man looked up at Jung Yu-shin¡¯s face as if he couldn¡¯t believe it, then lowered his eyes again to look at his lower body. ¡°What kind of imprint is it? Is it a non-imprint?¡± The man asked. ¡®This bastard.¡¯ Jung Yu-shin¡¯s expression crumpled. ¡°It¡¯s not an imprint. It¡¯s embarrassing, let¡¯s stop looking.¡± ¡°Huh? Hey, sorry.¡± The man scratched his head in embarrassment and hurriedly walked away. Judging from the way he spoke to himself in the bathhouse, he seemed like a newcomer who had not yet heard of Barbaroi¡¯s notoriety. Standing still and observing, the people¡¯s behaviors were similar. He scooped up water from a large wooden barrel with a ladle and washed his body before going into the bathhouse. Once in the bathhouse, he spent time relaxing or chatting with people before leaving the bathhouse. Upon closer inspection, there was a scrub and a sauna. ¡®There are no hairy people.¡¯ He approached the large wooden barrel, thinking to himself that he was fortunate. People were scooping up water from the wooden barrel and spraying it on their heads and bodies. Jeong Yu-shin also acted the same way as the people around him. He scooped up water from the wooden barrel and sprayed it on his body. He shivered at the feeling of the warm water flowing down his body. After wiping his body with a wet towel every day, he was deeply moved when he took a proper bath. ¡°Ah. Sex.¡± The people around me gasped and stepped back. Some covered their buttocks and looked at me warily. I didn¡¯t care. This is sex. I washed off the sweat and dust and went into the bath. As I closed my eyes in the hot water, I heard people talking. ¡°Did you hear?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°What happened in the labyrinth.¡± ¡°You mean the disappearance of many rookie explorers? I already knew that.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not all. The return of the lieutenant explorers who entered this time is also delayed.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that a common occurrence? It doesn¡¯t seem like particularly surprising news.¡± ¡°A few days ago, a summons was issued to all the explorer branch leaders in the city. This isn¡¯t usually serious.¡± ¡°.....¡± ¡°The movements of the Labyrinth City Knights are also unusual. Listen to me. It¡¯s not a good idea to enter the labyrinth right now.¡± ¡°Damn it. It¡¯s hard to make a living, so I have to go out of the city and earn money. Tsk.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not bad to leave for a while and come back.¡± ¡°That¡¯s easier said than done. My family is all here..¡± The men were talking about various other miscellaneous things, but they didn¡¯t reach Jung Yu-shin¡¯s ears. ¡®There¡¯s something.¡¯ Something was happening in the labyrinth. Jung Yu-shin crossed his arms and looked up at the ceiling. Information that a novice explorer couldn¡¯t access was coming and going from high up. At that fact, Jung Yu-shin felt an intense hunger. Chapter 26: Karin, please endure the evil with your strength and courage. Evening Inn. Two people were around the counter. ¡°Darmong, when is that Barbaroi coming?!¡± Karin said in an irritated voice. The tail sticking out of the chair waggled. ¡°It¡¯s almost time to arrive, Karin-sama.¡± Darmon replied calmly and wiped the glass with a cotton cloth. Clang! ¡°I¡¯m home.¡± Jung Yu-shin pushed open the door of the inn and came in. ¡°Are you here?¡± ¡°I¡¯m late!¡± Karin¡¯s sharp eyes narrowed even more. ¡°I¡¯m late because I washed up. Sorry.¡± Jung Yu-shin walked over and sat down next to Karin. They were sitting side by side facing the counter. Barbaroi¡¯s scent wafted into my nostrils. The smell of a pure man without sweat or dust made her head spin. It was strange. It definitely wasn¡¯t like this until yesterday. Karin felt a strange thirst. ¡°Karin, would you like to drink?¡± Darmon, standing across from the counter, offered her a drink. ¡°Okay. Give me a drink. I¡¯m so angry I have to drink it.¡± A clear drink was poured into the cleanly cleaned glass. ¡°Have a drink too. Ska.¡± ¡°Yes. Thank you.¡± Darmon took out another glass, poured some drink, and handed it to Jung Yu-shin. Karin sipped her drink and glanced at Jung Yu-shin. Looking at his side profile, quietly staring at the drink, he seemed to be lost in thought. ¡°Ahem. So you¡¯ve thought about it?¡± Karin began to speak. Jung Yu-shin turned his head. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°A suggestion.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll decline the offer from last time. Didn¡¯t you call me because you had another offer?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Still, it¡¯s a shame. I thought it was a good offer.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the other offer?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll hire you as a porter.¡± Jung Yu-shin¡¯s eyebrows furrowed at the unexpected words. Barbaroi looked like he didn¡¯t know what was going on. Karin felt a small sense of pleasure at that sight. ¡°Please explain in detail.¡± ¡°The labyrinth will be closed soon.¡± Jung Yu-shin¡¯s body froze. The man¡¯s eyes widened in confusion. Karin¡¯s lower abdomen pounded as she watched his widened eyes. ¡°Something is happening in the labyrinth. The Explorers¡¯ Guild headquarters is currently gathering and analyzing testimonies from parties that recently returned from the labyrinth. The results will come out soon.¡± Karin took a sip of her drink and continued speaking. ¡°The labyrinth closure order will be lifted soon. We¡¯ll be gathering the senior explorers and lieutenant explorers who are staying in the city to form an investigation team, and I¡¯ll be joining them.¡± ¡°Did you go exploring?¡± ¡°Yeah. You were promoted to lieutenant this time. You were still a rookie explorer, right?¡± Karin smiled broadly and looked at Jeong Yu-shin. As she looked at Barbaroi with a frown, her lower abdomen jumped again. This time, it tickled a little. Then, she felt her waist and pelvis loosen up a little. She felt her private parts covered in underwear and leather pants touch the hard bottom of the chair. ¡®This is strange.¡¯ Karin thought to herself. Was it because of the alcohol? Or was it because of the bitter expression Barbaroi made that she didn¡¯t like? I don¡¯t know. But she wanted to keep the strange and strange tickling feeling a little longer. This was certain. Karin said. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤So come in. To the labyrinth investigation team I¡¯m with. As a porter. I¡¯ll pay you a lot of money. I¡¯ll protect you. What do you think?¡± Karin¡¯s face, which spoke bluntly, was slightly flushed, perhaps because of the alcohol. Jeong Yu-shin stroked his chin and thought deeply about Karin¡¯s offer. ¡®Not bad, right?¡¯ You can make money and see what happens in the labyrinth yourself. It¡¯s dangerous, but aren¡¯t you mid-level explorers? Compared to a party of the dead, the safety level would be like heaven and earth. Plus, since a high-ranking explorer is leading the way, you¡¯ll have plenty of time to prepare for any problems that arise. You can¡¯t just sit there and suck your thumb, worrying about this and that. You don¡¯t have the luxury of that. ¡®Okay.¡¯ ¡°I¡¯ll take that offer. The advance payment is 50 silver coins, but how much is the rest of the compensation?¡± Karin took out a gold coin from her pocket and flicked it. ¡°Take it.¡± Jung Yu-shin snatched the flying gold coins like a swift eagle. ¡°Wow.¡± ¡®Suspiciously big-spending wolf. Check.¡¯ As he looked at the gold coins, his mind felt at ease and all his worries about the future disappeared. Karin got up from his seat. ¡°Okay. Should we finalize the contract?¡± Jung Yu-shin turned his head and looked at Karin. ¡°Confirming the contract?¡± Karin suddenly lifted up the bottom of her shirt. Her stomach, which looked soft and firm at the same time, and her pert belly button were clearly visible. ¡°It¡¯s a tradition of the Red Wolf Clan to finalize the contract. Kiss my belly.¡± Karin smiled with narrowed eyes. The inn fell silent. ¡°Is this right? Darmon?¡± At Jeong Yu-shin¡¯s question, Darmon felt a complicated feeling inside. The moment he was about to open his mouth, he felt Karin¡¯s fierce gaze and nodded. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤That¡¯s right.¡± The eldest daughter of the representative of the Suin Alliance. Despite her high status, she personally led her subordinates and traveled around the border of the Eastern Alliance to kill slave hunters, gaining fame as a hero and idol of the Suin. She was also beautiful, and countless Suin¡¯s requests for marriage were endless. Karin, who had crushed all the requests for marriage, was now forcing a mere Barbaroi to do a back kiss. Back kisses symbolized humiliating submission. Kissing the belly was an old tradition that had already disappeared. Even Darmon, who was already middle-aged, thought it was an old tradition, so the younger Suin didn¡¯t even know that this tradition existed. But Karin knew. She was the daughter of the one who stood at the top of the Suin Alliance. Darmon, a member of the Suin Union, couldn¡¯t resist Karin¡¯s wink. Still, he couldn¡¯t bear to see the humiliating appearance of Jung Yu-shin, whom he had grown fond of, so he turned his head away. ¡°I...I¡¯ll go to the kitchen for a moment. I haven¡¯t finished cleaning up yet.¡± Darmon staggered and opened the door behind the counter and ¡ã? N o v e l i g h t ?¡ã entered the kitchen. Karin urged him. ¡°Hurry up.¡± ¡°Are you sure? Are you sure we¡¯ll seal the contract by kissing her belly?¡± ¡°Do I look like I¡¯m lying? I¡¯m the daughter of the Suin Union representative.¡± Karin narrowed her sharp eyes and growled. ¡°Oh. I understand.¡± Jung Yu-shin knelt down and looked at Karin¡¯s belly. She must have pulled up her panties because the strings that should have wrapped around her waist were hanging over her wide hips. The embroidery on her black lace panties was slightly visible above the waistband of her pants. Jung Yu-shin''s lips got closer and closer to Karin''s firm stomach and perky navel. Karin''s breathing became rough. The hand holding her shirt gained strength. And. Chuuup. Her lips touched her stomach. Karin''s head shot up. An electric shock ran down her spine, and something deep in her stomach tightened and released repeatedly. Karin strengthened her trembling legs and covered her mouth with one hand. She felt a trembling vibration through her lips. ''Are you feeling it?'' Mosulada Jung Yu-shin took her mouth off her stomach and looked at Karin with a confused feeling. "What?" When she raised her head, Karin''s expression was still cold and sharp. ''Isn''t it?'' "Are you continuing?" "Huh?" At Jung Yu-shin¡¯s question, Karin made a momentary expression of concern. ¡°Isn¡¯t this enough?¡± ¡°Do you think the contract is a joke?¡± Karin got nervous. Jung Yu-shin frowned and put his lips on Karin¡¯s stomach. Chuuuch. Karin¡¯s body trembled again. ¡®Why are you nervous? Tsk tsk, taste it.¡¯ Chuuuuup. He put his mouth on her smooth stomach and sucked hard. He sucked the belly fat like he was sucking a baby¡¯s cheek, trapped it in his mouth, and chewed it lightly with his teeth. ¡°Kuut!¡± Karin¡¯s body shook. Her waist bounced back and forth without any control. ¡®Is it ticklish? Can''t stand it? What can I do? This is the slap you chose. Hold on with your strength and your evil.'' Bbaeng bbaeng bbaeng. It was when I was chewing my belly fat. Swish! Karin¡¯s hand grabbed Jung Yu-shin¡¯s head. ¡°Stop.¡± He quietly lifted his mouth from his stomach at the cold voice. The smooth and firm stomach without any blemishes was already covered in red bite marks and saliva. ¡®Huh! What did I do...¡¯ A chill ran down his spine as he realized that he had lost his senses and bit and sucked the belly of someone else¡¯s precious daughter. She wasn¡¯t just any precious daughter. She was the legitimate daughter of the head of the Suin Union. Jung Yu-shin opened his mouth after mumbling. ¡°That...¡± ¡°That¡¯s okay. Don¡¯t do that next time. I¡¯m going.¡± Karin took off her shirt and disappeared out of the inn like the wind. Jung Yu-shin blankly stared at Karin¡¯s back as she hurriedly ran somewhere, then got up from his seat. ¡°Darmong, I¡¯m gone.¡± Darmon quietly came out of the kitchen. ¡°Kuuuum. Is that so? Thank you for your hard work.¡± ¡°What? I¡¯m going to sleep.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Two days passed. A huge news spread through the Labyrinth City. The Labyrinth was closed. All explorers staying in the city were prohibited from entering the Labyrinth. In the past two months, not only new explorers but also mid-level explorer parties had gone missing in the Labyrinth. The Explorers¡¯ Guild, sensing that the situation was not normal due to the continued disappearances and the strange behavior of monsters, concluded that something was happening in the Labyrinth. The Labyrinth City¡¯s Magic Tower, the committee, and the Explorers¡¯ Guild¡¯s high-ranking officials gathered. Several meetings were held. The result of the meeting was the indefinite closure of the Labyrinth. The reason was for the safety of the explorers. Some wise people thought there must be another reason, but they remained silent. There was no reason to get on the wrong side of the high-ranking officials. Wherever people gathered, everyone talked about this news. Especially in the southern district where people who made a living related to the labyrinth gathered. Speculations and worries were rampant. Darmon''s inn was no exception. There were few things that the explorers who couldn''t go to the labyrinth could do. One of them was to order a drink at the inn, sit around, and chat among themselves. Since Darmon''s shedding was over, the inn was bustling with people, unlike before. The explorers weren''t going to leave the inn, which had good drinks and delicious food, alone. "It feels good because business seems to be going well." Jeong Yu-shin said with a smile while serving soup. "Why do you like it?" Darmon, exhausted from dealing with the sudden influx of customers, answered weakly. "Can I help you?" "Ah. A fishmonger doesn''t leave his fish to the cat." The expression of the cat Suin sitting at the nearby table distorted. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with cats? Hyung, that¡¯s discrimination against Suin.¡± ¡°You cat people also joke about bears a lot, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± The cat Suin quickly nodded and took a sip of his drink. ¡°I ate well.¡± Jeong Yushin quickly finished his food and got up from his seat. ¡°What are you going to do today?¡± Darmon asked absentmindedly. ¡°I¡¯m going to get some gear. I¡¯ll buy some exploration supplies.¡± ¡°Okay. Since you said you were going as a porter, I¡¯ll pack light. Just buy essential supplies. The price of equipment and supplies must have dropped a lot due to the labyrinth closure order, so I¡¯ll be able to buy them cheaply.¡± ¡°Oh my. Is that your hidden son, Hyung?¡± The cat Suin interjected. ¡°Shut up.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± The cat Suin took a sip of his drink again, obediently. Jung Yu-shin smiled and got up from his seat. ¡°I¡¯ll be back.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡®I should buy some alcohol and go to Boron after a long time.¡¯ ¡°Boron! I¡¯m here.¡± He walked through the deserted blacksmith street and entered the blacksmith shop run by Boron. ¡°Barbaroi? What¡¯s going on here? The labyrinth must have been closed.¡± Boron opened the door and came out. He looked disheveled, as if he hadn¡¯t washed in a while. ¡°I came to get my gear put together. I bought some alcohol as a bonus.¡± ¡°Oh!!¡± Boron ran over, his eyes shining as if he had found some light in the darkness. Boron snatched the bottle of alcohol from Jung Yu-shin¡¯s hand and rubbed his face against it. ¡°This alcohol! It¡¯s so expensive! Are you a successful person?!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true.¡± ¡°I see. Are you here to look at weapons?¡± ¡°No. I came to buy a helmet and repair my armor.¡± ¡°Really? Surely the piece of cloth you¡¯re wearing right now isn¡¯t armor?¡± Boron looked at Jeong Yu-shin¡¯s hard leather armor with a suspicious gaze. Jeong Yu-shin smiled bitterly. ¡°Is it completely unusable?¡± Boron approached and tapped and touched the hard leather armor. ¡°It¡¯s not maintained at all? It¡¯s unusable. If I stab it with a sword, it¡¯ll go in easily.¡± Boron shook his head after making a conclusion. ¡°Buy one. I¡¯ll give you a discount.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say last time that it was an insult to haggle with a dwarf?¡± ¡°That was then. Orders have stopped two days ago. I don¡¯t have any money.¡± Boron licked his lips. ¡®There is no business before money.¡¯ I felt the fear of money once again. Boron smiled and crossed his arms. For some reason, his face was full of life. ¡°Okay! Let¡¯s find some armor that fits you! Einhofer!!¡± Boron turned his head and shouted. The door inside the blacksmith shop opened and Einhofer appeared. Jung Yu-shin and Einhofer¡¯s eyes met. ¡°Huh.¡± Silence fell over the blacksmith shop. Chapter 27: Reunion Jarik smiled and extended his hand. "It¡¯s been a while. I heard you got a job at the blacksmith¡¯s, but here you are." Ainhofer grasped Jarik''s hand and shook it. "Yeah." "Have you completely quit being an explorer?" "Yeah. I¡¯m getting older, and my skills are fading. I hit a wall." Borun scratched the bridge of his nose. "What? You two know each other?" "Yes. We were in the same party last time." "Really? That¡¯s interesting. Anyway, what do you need?" "A helmet and armor. I¡¯d like light armor." "Not using a shield?" Jarik thought for a moment before replying. "I don¡¯t need one this time." "Got it. The helmet will obviously be metal, and light armor will be perfect. We need to take your measurements, so come into this room. Ainhofer, you come too. I¡¯ll teach you how to take measurements." "Yes." Jarik and the two dwarves entered the room at the corner of the blacksmith¡¯s workshop. The room had a large wooden table and a bookshelf. On the bookshelf, tightly packed rolls of paper scrolls were stacked. Borun grunted as he dragged over a wooden chair and pulled out several scrolls, spreading them out on the table. The scrolls depicted armor designs. "These are the blueprints for light armor. There are a few more. Take a look here and decide. Don¡¯t worry about the fit, we¡¯ll take your measurements and make it perfect." Borun pointed to the other scrolls. "Understood." Jarik carefully examined the blueprints laid out on the table. As he flipped through the scrolls, one blueprint caught his attention and he paused. Jarik¡¯s eyes lit up. "Looks good." The armor was made of a leather base with segmented iron plating covering the chest, waist, and back. It had shoulder plates and additional iron plating for the thighs, shins, and arms, which could be attached. It was a practical design that would provide protection for vital areas without greatly reducing mobility. "How much is this?" Borun approached, folding his arms and glancing at the blueprint. "It¡¯s a really good set of armor. Originally it¡¯s 5 gold coins, but..." Borun looked up at Jarik, giving him a sidelong glance. "Only 1 gold coin." "Hahaha." Jarik ran his hand through his hair and looked at the ceiling. "One gold coin, just like that? I don¡¯t have that kind of money." "We also have installment plans." "Really, people are all the same." Installments, huh? Still, it¡¯s too expensive to accept. 1 gold coin could cover about three months of training at the swordsmanship guild. He was about to refuse. Then, he noticed Ainhofer. In his shabby clothes, clenching his fists. Ainhofer met his eyes. "Don¡¯t worry about me." Ainhofer spoke calmly, as if he had read Jarik¡¯s mind. ¡®He¡¯s the one who should be saying that.¡¯ Despite the forbidden mark, Ainhofer, unlike Ditto, didn¡¯t stray from the righteous path. A man worth respecting. Unlike him. Unable to keep looking into his eyes, Jarik turned and looked at Borun. "Let¡¯s make a deal. If you give me a discount on the weapons and armor, I¡¯ll buy this light armor." "Got it." Borun answered immediately. Seems like running the blacksmith¡¯s shop isn¡¯t going too well. "Goodbye, my love." Jarik shakily pulled a gold coin out of his pocket and placed it on the table. "Heh, pretending to have none when you actually have it, you sly dog." Borun grinned and picked up the gold coin. He¡¯d suspected something when Jarik bought expensive alcohol earlier. ¡®The barbarian guy really made it big.¡¯ The orders had been overflowing these past months. It had become too much to handle alone, so he¡¯d hired a dwarf with the forbidden mark as an assistant for cheap, but suddenly, the labyrinth closure order was issued. All the delayed orders were canceled, and he was left with nothing to do, but today a good customer had appeared. "What about the helmet?" He couldn¡¯t miss this customer. Borun¡¯s eyes lit up as he asked. Jarik felt like pulling his hair out. ¡®Damn. Sucking the blood of a flea!¡¯ "The same kind as last time for the helmet." "There¡¯s a decent one this time. Take a look." Borun rushed out of the room and came back with a helmet in hand. It was a metal helmet in the Barbut style, but with a visor that could cover the mouth. "What do you think? Looks good, right? Normally it¡¯s 30 silver coins, but I¡¯ll give it to you for 20." "Ya, damn." ??? Borun¡¯s eyes widened at the sudden curse. "Damn, it really is good. Yeah, a masterpiece! Can I really just get it like this, Borun?" Borun smiled broadly. "Barbarian, what kind of nonsense is that? Aren¡¯t we friends?" ¡®What are we even to each other?¡¯ Grumbling inside, Jarik pulled 20 silver coins from his pocket and handed them over. Borun grinned as he took the coins and shouted. "Heh heh. Nice! Ainhofer, bring it over! Let¡¯s take our customer¡¯s measurements!" "Yes." Jarik stood there staring blankly at the air for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, Borun and Ainhofer busied themselves taking Jarik¡¯s measurements and recording them on paper. "Finished. The armor will take about 2 weeks to complete." "Then we¡¯ll see each other then." "Take care!" Borun waved with a smile as Jarik stumbled out of the blacksmith¡¯s shop. On the way, Jarik stopped by the market to buy the necessary supplies. He bought torches, healing salves, ropes, bandages, flint, and a thick robe, and just in case, he also bought two small healing potions. "Do you sell bags too? Something to wear on the back of my waist." "This is the best-selling one here." The shopkeeper placed a small leather bag on the counter. "The torch won¡¯t fit in this, will it?" Jarik stroked his chin. "You can tie the torch to the rope and secure it on top of the bag. If it¡¯s really inconvenient, you can cut the handle short." The shopkeeper answered indifferently. "Oh!" "Altogether, it¡¯s 6 silver coins. Pretty cheap, huh?" "Oh." Jarik took the silver coins out of his pocket with trembling hands and placed them on the counter. Is this what it feels like for a mother sending her child off to the army? His chest felt tight. "The razor blade¡¯s a free gift." The shopkeeper, as if being generous, tossed a razor blade that was lying around into the bag. "Phew. Good business." "Come often. Just don¡¯t come when my daughter¡¯s around." "Yes, yes." Jarik left the shop and walked slowly. The market street was deserted and quiet. Feeling dizzy, he crouched down by the side of the road for a moment. "Ah. Am I crazy? What am I doing, chasing after wealth?" In just today¡¯s spending, he had used up a gold coin and 26 silver coins. He had almost burned through all the reward he received from licking Karin¡¯s boot. The remaining silver coins in his pocket were 28. After paying for the inn and the temple tuition, he would have about 26 silver coins left. Suddenly, his chest tightened and breathing became difficult. "I can¡¯t do this. Focus, Yushin. This is an investment for the future. The labyrinth investigation team is no joke. Phew. Peace of mind. Peace of mind. Asura Balbalta. Asura Balbalta. The one who smiles in hardship is first class." As he muttered to himself, people passing by glanced at him in confusion before walking away. Sitting on the street and closing his eyes to meditate, he stood up. He couldn¡¯t find peace of mind, but there was something he had to do. It was around lunchtime, and there was training at the swordsmanship guild. A 30 silver coin class for the month. He couldn¡¯t delay any longer. He returned to [N O V E L I G H T] the inn, organized his things, and rushed to the swordsmanship guild. "Your sword is sharp today." Asher, the head of the swordsmanship guild, complimented him. "Yes. There¡¯s not much time left." "Left for what?" "Left for learning here. It¡¯s less than two weeks now, right?" "You got money from Karin, right?" Jarik¡¯s eyes widened. "...How did you know?" "I can hear things when I¡¯m here, you know? Didn¡¯t I tell you that last time?" "I spent all that money today." This time, Asher¡¯s eyes grew wide. "1 gold coin and 50 silver coins? You¡¯re not just a beginner explorer, are you?" Asher was shocked by the barbarian¡¯s lavish spending. He pointed at Jarik with disbelief. "When I was a beginner explorer, you know? Hmm? I had to save and scrape by, eating just a piece of bread and a slice of jerky a day. What¡¯s with this ridiculous spending habit?" "Well, that¡¯s just how it happened." Jarik¡¯s calm reply left Asher speechless for a moment. "Where did you spend it?" "Let¡¯s train. Don¡¯t waste time." "Did you go to a brothel or something?" "No." Just then, someone approached. "Brother." Asher turned his head. "Did you come, Delia?" A tall female elf approached, crossing the training ground. She had long green hair and an elegant, somewhat aloof beauty. "Hm? Sika? Long time no see!" The female elf looked Jarik over before greeting him. "Who¡¯s this?" "Del!" Jarik¡¯s mouth dropped open. "...That goblin?" "That¡¯s right." It was hard to get used to her changed appearance. "I heard you retired? Did you save up money and remove the goblin mark?" "That¡¯s right. I retired. I didn¡¯t save up money, though. I got help from my family to remove the mark." Jarik was confused, unable to understand. "Why did you even have the goblin mark in the first place? You could have just gotten help from your family to remove it." "Explorers can¡¯t rely on their family. Especially the children of prestigious families from the Eastern Union, they have to stand on their own. That¡¯s the law of the labyrinth city. No exceptions." "I see." It didn¡¯t make sense, but this wasn¡¯t something for an outsider to question. Thoughts about Karin¡¯s spending appeared in his mind, but he pushed them aside. Even if the high-ups talked about laws and exceptions, it was useless information to him. It had nothing to do with the labyrinth directly. He just accepted it and adapted. Del bowed her head to Asher. "Brother. I came to say goodbye before leaving the labyrinth city." "Alright. Be careful on your way home. Do you need a guard?" "No." "Got it." Del turned to Jarik. "Sika, thank you so much. You saved my life." Del reached out and firmly grasped Jarik¡¯s hands. Their eyes met in the air. "Don¡¯t mention it. I just did what I had to do." Jarik replied, pulling his hands away discreetly. "And this is a gift. Thanks for saving the party." Del handed him a scroll sealed with a blue seal from her pouch. "What¡¯s this?" "Anti-Poison Scroll. Area-wide antidote magic." "I¡¯ll use it well." Jarik tucked the scroll into his pocket. She already looked beautiful, but now she looked even more beautiful. "Sika, see you later." "Yes. Let¡¯s meet up if we cross paths." Del smiled at Jarik¡¯s reply and turned to leave the training ground. Once Del disappeared beyond the training ground, Jarik turned to look at Asher. "Was she your little sister?" "She¡¯s the youngest of our family." "Doesn¡¯t look like there¡¯s much of an age gap." "It¡¯s embarrassing, so don¡¯t ask." "Yes." "But where did you spend the money?" Asher, looking genuinely curious, asked again. "It¡¯s embarrassing, so let¡¯s not talk about it." "Heh. You bastard." A vein popped on Asher¡¯s forehead. That evening, Jarik was beaten by Asher¡¯s sword until dark. A week passed. The city¡¯s labyrinth closure order remained in effect. On the streets, people¡¯s baseless speculations ran rampant, and the explorer guild was flooded with endless inquiries. In the bars and inns, more explorers gathered, chatting away. But Jarik¡¯s daily life remained unchanged. It was a continuous cycle of training. His body¡¯s growth, after leveling up, was following a gradual curve. He had reached his limit. He added some new exercises to his morning routine. After asking Darmong for permission, he began squatting with a bag of flour on his shoulders. Then he ran around the yard with the bag of flour. Finally, he summoned his Sacred Weapon repeatedly, draining the magic left in his body mercilessly in order to unfold it quickly. "Huuh. Huuuh." "Working hard, huh?" After finishing his morning routine, Jarik heard someone speak behind him. He turned around to see Karin standing there, arms crossed. "What¡¯s going on?" Karin slowly walked toward him. "The blockade will be lifted in a week. Get ready." "I¡¯ve already prepared." "That was quick. Nothing¡¯s missing, right?" "Nothing." Karin¡¯s nose twitched as she got closer. Jarik, seeing that, took a step back. "Why?" "No, I just thought you might not like my sweat smell." "Not at all. I¡¯m a mid-level explorer. Would I really be bothered by a little sweat smell?" "Sorry for thinking that way." "And if you¡¯re a porter, you should be able to carry at least three of those flour sacks, so practice properly." "Yes." Karin tossed a white towel to him. "Here. Use this to wipe your sweat." Jarik caught the towel. It felt soft and fluffy, so it was probably quite expensive. "Thank you." He wiped his face and neck with the towel before draping it over his shoulder. "Let¡¯s go have breakfast, Karin." "Alright." They walked side by side out of the yard. What Jarik didn¡¯t realize was that Karin¡¯s eyes were fixed on the towel. Chapter 28: Earthquake Karin and Jung Yu-shin entered the inn through the yard. The eyes of the explorers sitting in the inn gathered for a moment and then dispersed. Perhaps because the labyrinth closure order was prolonged, the number of people gathering was increasing as each day passed. There were more faces I had never seen before. Karin sat down at a table near the inn counter and pointed across from her with her finger. ¡°Sit here.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Jung Yu-shin sat down. After a while, Darmon brought breakfast. The menu was simple sandwiches and onion soup. But it was not simple. Darmon¡¯s special sandwich, made with finely chopped roast beef tied with string, mixed with cheese and sauce, and stuffed between sourdough bread to the limit. Onion soup made by frying onions in a pan for a long time to perfectly caramelize them, adding meat broth, and boiling for a long time, and then topping it with cheese. It was a perfect home-cooked meal that took time and effort. It wasn¡¯t for nothing that people flocked there. ¡°It¡¯s home cooking.¡± ¡°It tastes like the onion soup my mother used to make!¡± ¡°The innkeeper¡¯s skills are getting better and better.¡± People were eating the food in awe. A peaceful breakfast. Then something strange happened. Drumroll. The table shook. For a moment, silence fell over the inn. The eyes of the man and woman who were eating met. Knock knock. It wasn¡¯t just the table that shook. Knock knock knock. The wooden pillars shook and the floor began to vibrate. The entire inn began to shake. ¡°What..what is this!!¡± ¡°Master..Master!!¡± People started to murmur. Some people quickly ran out of the inn. Knock knock knock knock. The vibrations were getting louder. People who got up from their seats staggered. ¡°Let¡¯s... go out!!¡± ¡°Hide under the table!¡± People who didn¡¯t know what to do in the sudden earthquake. Someone grabbed Jung Yu-shin¡¯s arm. It was Karin. ¡°Under the table.¡± Jung Yu-shin¡¯s eyes widened. Jung Yu-shin¡¯s body was sucked under the table by Karin¡¯s fierce hands. ¡®Stronger than me?¡¯ He was more shocked by Karin¡¯s strong arms than by the sudden earthquake. Karin¡¯s body was pressed close to him, and her soft breasts were hitting Jung Yu-shin¡¯s chest, but he couldn¡¯t pay attention. The earthquake got worse. Liquor bottles and plates fell to the floor and broke, and the wooden pillars and beams screamed terribly. ¡®Isn¡¯t this going to cause the inn to collapse?¡¯ When his anxiety reached its peak. The earthquake stopped. The earthquake came and went suddenly. People were still sitting under the table, stunned. ¡°Darmong!¡± Jeong Yu-shin was the first to crawl out of the table and approach the counter. Darmong was in the kitchen. He was once a high-ranking explorer, so he wasn¡¯t too worried, but he thought it was strange that there was no news. ¡°Scar, are you okay?¡± Darmong, covered in ashes, came out of the kitchen. Darmong¡¯s entire body was scorched by the fire and his hair was stuck to it. It seemed that he had been running around and putting out the fire even during the earthquake to prevent the kitchen fire from spreading. Darmong sat down on the counter chair with an exhausted expression and said. ¡°Karin, are you hurt anywhere?¡± ¡°I¡¯m okay.¡± Karin, who had crawled out of the table, answered. Only then did people crawl out of the table one by one. ¡°An earthquake? What is this?¡± ¡°This is something I¡¯ve never experienced in my entire life..¡± The people who came to their senses started to murmur among themselves. Karin approached Darmon and handed him silver coins. ¡°Darmon, I¡¯ll go first. I ate well.¡± ¡°Yes. Karin. Take care.¡± ¡°Just a moment.¡± Jung Yu-shin grabbed Karin, who was about to leave in a hurry. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Here. There¡¯s soup on your clothes.¡± Jung Yu-shin handed her a towel. Karin lowered her head and looked at her shirt. Her purple lace bra was clearly visible through the onion soup that had splattered on her wet shirt. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± ¡°Oh, then let¡¯s just pretend it never happened.¡± Thinking about it, she felt embarrassed. Handing a towel soaked in sweat to the most beloved idol of the Suin Union was something only a shady pervert would do. ¡°No. That¡¯s not it.¡± Karin quickly snatched the towel away. ¡°I have to go somewhere urgently right now, so I¡¯ll wipe it on the way. I¡¯ll go. I¡¯ll see you later.¡± Karin quickly ran out of the inn with the towel. People who saw that quickly left the inn one by one. The inn that had been full of people was now empty. Jeong Yu-shin went out of the inn and stood near the entrance. The streets were filled with people who had poured out due to the unknown earthquake. The sudden earthquake didn¡¯t just hit Darmon¡¯s inn. It shook the entire labyrinth city. A scream of confusion and worry swept through the streets. At that moment, someone shouted. ¡°It¡¯s the Knights!¡± Everyone¡¯s eyes were focused on one place. Soldiers wearing plate armor that shone like silver in the sunlight cut through the chaotic crowd. ¡°Calm down!¡± A blond-haired, cheerful-looking man in his thirties shouted at the front. His voice was so loud that it resonated through the streets. ¡°Who is that man?¡± Jung Yu-shin, standing at the entrance of the inn, asked Darmon, who was right next to him. ¡°Why? Do you feel any sense of pride? Arthur. He¡¯s not a man you can approach.¡± Jung Yu-shin looked down at his hands. There was no one around him who was easygoing. He spent each day training continuously, but it was still not enough and he had a long way to go. ¡®There¡¯s nothing easy in this world. This is a shit world after all. It¡¯s not easy to eat raw.¡¯ He swallowed his bitter taste. When the streets became quiet, the blond-haired man in the front spoke. ¡°The city council has been convened. You will soon have an answer, so keep order and act calmly. Those who cause trouble during the chaos will be dealt with by the sword of the Knights. Those who have problems in their residences, pack your bags and move to the park. Over!¡± As the blond man finished speaking, the soldiers standing behind him dispersed in an orderly manner and began to control the streets. Darmon uncrossed his arms and entered the inn. Jeong Yu-shin followed Darmon. ¡°I will help you.¡± ¡°Whew. Thank you.¡± Darmon sighed as he looked at the messy inn. * * * He swept the broken dishes and bottles with a broom and wiped the floor with a mop. The first floor restaurant was cleaned up fairly easily, but the problem was the warehouse and the kitchen. All kinds of materials were mixed and clumped together in the warehouse and spread out on the floor. In the kitchen, cooking utensils, food being cooked, plates, and glasses were broken and scattered all over the floor. In Jung Yu-shin¡¯s personal opinion, it was fortunate that there was no fire in the kitchen. It was because Darmon was in charge of 10 braziers at the same time. After finishing cleaning the restaurant, he helped Darmon organize the warehouse and kitchen. The cleaning that started in the morning passed lunch and barely finished in the evening. Jung Yu-shin sat on the steps at the entrance to the inn and watched the setting sun. Evening. The streets were controlled by the city guards centered around the Knights Templar. As he was blankly looking at the streets, Darmon suddenly appeared behind him. ¡°I¡¯ll buy some dinner ingredients and come back, so watch the inn.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll buy them.¡± Jung Yu-shin said as he got up from his seat. Darmon waved his hand to stop him. ¡°Ah. If Barbaroi were to go out alone in these chaotic times, he¡¯d be arrested.¡± Jung Yu-shin¡¯s mouth opened slightly. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Attempted rape.¡± ¡°Hey, no way.¡± Seeing Darmon joking, he seemed to have regained some energy. Could it be that an unprecedented disaster has occurred and he¡¯s roaming around the city, attacking people? It couldn¡¯t be happening. Jung Yu-shin turned his head as he thought that. Then his eyes met with those of the guards. Their cold, wary eyes. ¡®Is it real?¡¯ At the chilling gaze, Jung Yu-shin backed into the inn. Darmon stroked his chin and opened his ? N§àv§Öl?g?t ? (Official version) mouth. Judging from the hazy look in his eyes, he was reminiscing about the past. ¡°There was a big fire in the eastern district a few years ago.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°A considerable number of buildings began to burn. That¡¯s when Barbaroi stepped in.¡± Suddenly, a Barbaroi hero story? Jeong Yu-shin listened to Darmon¡¯s story. No matter how evil a person was, they always had at least one good virtue. ¡°A considerable number of Barbaroi stepped in and rescued people.¡± ¡°Wow.¡± ¡°Everyone was rescued and there were no casualties. That¡¯s what I heard. Let¡¯s hear the details from others.¡± ¡°Wow. I guess there are no completely bad villains. It¡¯s heartwarming to see such a story.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Darmon?¡± Darmon was silent. What is it? An uneasy feeling rose up in his chest. Ah. No way? No way. No way. ¡°Everyone ¡®for now¡¯ was ¡®rescued.¡¯ That¡¯s all I have to say. Let¡¯s come back later and talk again.¡± Darmon went out into the street. ¡°...¡± Jeong Yu-shin staggered into the inn and sat on the counter chair. He crossed his arms and looked at the inn entrance. However, his mind was filled with crazy Barbarois. Did he rescue them in order to commit a crime? Did he commit a crime while he was rescued? As he thought about it, his mind became confused. ¡°Where on earth are these guys hiding?¡± Jeong Yu-shin sighed, clutching his head. Two hours passed. Darmon did not return. What happened? As he sat there thinking about this and that, people wearing plate armor came into the inn entrance. They were knights. ¡°Master! Dinner for five. Hmm?¡± The fox Suin stopped shouting and looked at Jeong Yu-shin. ¡°Master?¡± ¡°I went to buy dinner. ¡°No business today.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you Barbaroi?¡± A female elf wearing plate armor stepped forward and spoke. ¡°Yes. I am Barbaroi.¡± The elf muttered suspiciously. ¡°Is the owner suffering from dementia?¡± ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s sit down and wait.¡± The fox water spirit led the group to the table. At that moment, someone else entered the inn. I thought it was Darmon, but it wasn¡¯t. It was the blond man I saw this morning. ¡°Master!¡± The knights suddenly got up from their seats. The blond man smiled brightly. ¡°Are you all here? You want to have a drink now that your shift is over?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ll join in.¡± The blond man approached and stopped when he saw Jeong Yu-shin. ¡°The owner?¡± ¡°He went to buy dinner.¡± The fox Suin answered. The blue-haired man scratched his head. ¡°Is that so? But you.¡± The blond-haired man looked at Jung Yu-shin. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that Barbaroi?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Is Darmon suffering from dementia? It¡¯s like leaving the fish shop to a cat.¡± Jung Yu-shin¡¯s expression turned sour. ¡°I¡¯m a good Barbaroi who doesn¡¯t rape.¡± The people laughed loudly at Jung Yu-shin¡¯s words. ¡°Oh dear. Stop talking nonsense and bring me some alcohol.¡± The blond-haired man chuckled and replied. ¡°We¡¯re not open for business today.¡± ¡°You should hear what the owner has to say about that. Bring me some alcohol.¡± Jung Yu-shin sighed and searched through the cupboard, taking out the few remaining bottles of alcohol and wooden bowls and giving them to the knight. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with the glass?¡± The fox grimaced. It wasn¡¯t a regular glass cup, but a wooden bowl used for soup. ¡°The earthquake broke all the glass.¡± ¡°I see.¡± The blond man nodded. ¡°Barbaroi, pour me a refreshing glass.¡± ¡®If you ask me to pour, I will.¡¯ Resignedly, he poured the bowl full of liquor. He poured it all, maintaining perfect balance, not overflowing. He emptied the entire bottle, filling six wooden bowls. ¡°Here. Drink. Refreshing.¡± ¡°That¡¯s too much.¡± The female elf furrowed her brow and muttered. ¡°That¡¯s right. You drink that.¡± The blond man smiled and said. ¡°Yes.¡± Let¡¯s see how far he goes. Jung Yu-shin looked at the blond man with the bowl in his hand. For some reason, a sense of pride welled up in him. He grabbed the bowl and drank it all down. He drank it all down without stopping. His esophagus and stomach felt like they were on fire, but he didn¡¯t show it and put the empty bowl down on the table. ¡°Ugh.¡± ¡°You¡¯re doing all sorts of things.¡± The fox Su-in muttered with a dumbfounded expression at Jung Yu-shin¡¯s loud burp. ¡°Let¡¯s drink too. When will we come out and drink like this?¡± ¡°Chief, we¡¯re working tomorrow too.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The earthquake will be over soon.¡± Jung Yu-shin¡¯s eyes flashed for a moment at the blond man¡¯s words. Is that so? ¡°I¡¯m going back to my seat now.¡± Jung Yu-shin turned around. ¡°Scar, stop.¡± The blond man said. Jung Yu-shin¡¯s body stiffened. ¡®You know my name?¡¯ Jung Yu-shin turned around again and looked at the blond man. The fact that the Knight Commander of the Labyrinth City knew his name made his neck shiver. So he took a closer look. As he looked, he saw a face he had seen somewhere before. ¡°My brother talked about you.¡± ¡°Mi-on?¡± The Knight Commander nodded. ¡°I¡¯m Mi-on¡¯s older brother. Since I came out of the inner city, I came to see your face. Your face.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°You¡¯re quite halved.¡± ¡°I...I see.¡± Jung Yu-shin took a slight step back. ¡®You were gay?¡¯ ¡°But you¡¯re not worthy of being my brother. You¡¯re nowhere near Mi-on¡¯s personality, ability, and appearance.¡± ¡®What? You were just an ordinary lover of a younger sister.¡¯ ¡°That¡¯s not my relationship with Teacher Mi-on. I have no intention of dating you. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Jung Yu-shin smiled and waved his hand. The veins on the Knight Commander¡¯s forehead stood out. ¡°What? What is my sister Mion lacking? Barbaroi, come and sit here.¡± Jung Yu-shin sighed inwardly and sat down next to the Knight Commander. ¡°Here we go again.¡± The fox Su-in sighed, holding her head. The Knight Commander¡¯s younger sister¡¯s praise continued for a full two hours. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Mion was kind and cute since she was little. Whenever she saw me, she would run to me and say, ¡®Oppa!¡¯ and hug me. Now she¡¯s being sarcastic and irritating, but she¡¯s still innocent and cute.¡± The Knight Commander¡¯s eyes became hazy. ¡°When Mion peed on the blanket in the past, I washed it myself. The maids tried to stop her, but I washed it anyway. Those were really nostalgic times. The panties Mion wore back then are still in my room drawer. ¡°It¡¯s a precious memory.¡± Jung Yu-shin crossed his arms and listened silently before coming to a conclusion. ¡®A wicked younger sister lover. Confirmed.¡¯ His pride subsided and only a pitiful feeling remained. The knight commander kept talking about how ¡®pure¡¯ and noble Mion was. Why does he keep emphasizing purity? Jung Yu-shin was curious and asked. ¡°Doesn¡¯t Mion have a boyfriend?¡± The knight commander¡¯s eyes burned. ¡°There hasn¡¯t been one before and there won¡¯t be one in the future. I will protect Mion.¡± ¡®A wicked younger sister, virgin guardian. Confirmed.¡¯ The knight commander¡¯s praise for Mion continued after that. How much time had passed? The knights around him were talking among themselves as if they were used to seeing the commander like this. Clang! Jung Yu-shin¡¯s head turned. The inn door opened and Darmon appeared. Finally. Chapter 29: Shouldn’t the porter Barbaroi be allowed to pursue the Labyrinth’s food? Clang! The inn door opened and Darmon came in. He was holding a basket with bread, dried meat, and cheese. ¡°The other inns are all the same. It¡¯s a total mess.¡± He grumbled and came in, locking eyes with the knights. ¡°Darmon! It¡¯s been a while.¡± The knight commander, who was quite drunk, smiled and waved. ¡°Cain.¡± The knight commander¡¯s name was Cain. ¡°I said I wasn¡¯t doing business today.¡± ¡°I came to see you. When else would I see you again?¡± ¡°Do you want to have dinner and go?¡± Cain got up from his seat. ¡°No. We have work tomorrow too, so we have to go home early.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go. It¡¯s nice to see you again after such a long time. Darmon.¡± Cain left the inn with the drunk knights. Darmon approached the counter and placed the basket on it. ¡°Why are you drunk?¡± ¡°A man named Cain fed me.¡± Darmon clicked his tongue at Jung Yu-shin. ¡°I can¡¯t eat dinner. Go up and sleep.¡± ¡°Yes. Sorry.¡± Jung Yu-shin went up to the second floor and threw himself on the bed in his room. He brushed the hair stuck to his forehead and looked up at the dark ceiling. ¡°Teacher Mi-on¡¯s panties...¡± He closed his eyes. ¡°You envious brat.¡± Jung Yu-shin fell asleep after thinking about whether or not to tell Mi-on. * * * The earthquake lasted for five days. People on the streets were anxious. Not only government offices in the city, but also stores and associations were closed. The orphan academy and the swordsmanship association in the temple were also closed for safety reasons. Darmon¡¯s inn was no exception, so no guests came except for guests who had nowhere to go. Everyone was crouching and anxious. However, Jeong Yu-shin silently trained his body. He does what he can. A determination he has engraved in his heart since he fell into another world. He caught Darmon, who was doing nothing, and asked him persistently about the monsters. He dug into their characteristics, habits, and even behavior patterns, and remembered and reviewed them again. He carried three sacks of flour in the yard, doing squats and running, regardless of whether there was an earthquake or not. He constantly cast Sacred Weapon until his magic power ran out. When his magic power ran out, he gritted his teeth and swung his sword until he was exhausted. He constantly tried to recall what he had learned and make it his own. Bap-ddong-dan. He just eats, poops, and trains. It was five days when his determination was revealed in action. The training that started at dawn didn''t end until evening. The sunset spread across the yard. Jung Yu-shin put his sword back in its scabbard and sat down. His entire body was soaked in sweat. ¡°Whew. Whoosh.¡± As he was catching his breath, someone called out from behind him. ¡°You¡¯re working hard? Barbaroi.¡± It was Karin. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± He answered without looking back. He heard footsteps and Karin¡¯s voice got closer. ¡°The maze closure order has been lifted.¡± ¡®It¡¯s come.¡¯ He turned his head and Karin¡¯s face was so close that it was burdensome. Karin¡¯s nose wrinkled and he stepped back. ¡°Here, a towel.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± As a result of training all day, his entire body was soaked in sweat. Jung Yu-shin unconsciously tried to take off his top, but then suddenly came to his senses. ¡°Go in first. I¡¯ll wipe off my sweat and go in.¡± ¡°Just do it. It¡¯s Barbaro. Weren¡¯t you just going to take off your shirt? Are you embarrassed?¡± Karin snickered. Jung Yu-shin frowned. He was annoyed at how he was being so relaxed, thinking he was stronger than him. ¡°Yes. If you want to see it, go ahead and see it.¡± Jung Yu-shin took off his shirt and wiped every nook and cranny with a towel. The white towel passed over his six-pack abs, his firm chest, and his armpits. Karin watched the scene quietly. Like a trainee watching a famous chef cook. Gulp. Karin¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple moved. She stopped after wiping herself dry and putting on her shirt. ¡®It¡¯s uncomfortable.¡¯ There were spare clothes on the second floor. She had to pass through the kitchen and the inn¡¯s dining room, but it was difficult to do so while naked. There were still a few guests in the inn. When Jung Yu-shin stopped, Karin asked. ¡°Why...why?¡± ¡°I have to go get some clothes, but it¡¯s a bit difficult to go naked.¡± ¡°Really? I¡¯ll go. Where on the second floor?¡± Jung Yu-shin explained which room she was staying in. Karin nodded and held out her hand. ¡°Give me a shirt and a towel.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you have a laundry basket? I¡¯ll put it in for you while I¡¯m there.¡± ¡°I do have one.¡± Jung Yu-shin hesitated. ¡°I can do this much. I hired you.¡± ¡°Is that so? Here.¡± He handed Karin the sweaty shirt and towel. ¡°Wait a minute. Okay?¡± ¡°Yes. Ah! Over there.¡± Karin ran without even listening to Jung Yu-shin¡¯s answer. She tried to tell him that the laundry basket was under the bed, but Karin had already disappeared. Jung Yu-shin crossed her arms and admired the setting sun. And. Ten minutes passed. ¡®What is this?¡¯ It would have been a 5-minute walk, but Karin hadn¡¯t come back yet. ¡®Should I go?¡¯ ¡®I brought some clothes here.¡¯ Karin came out into the yard with new clothes. Her hair was disheveled, as if something urgent had happened, and her shirt was slightly soaked with sweat, revealing her red bra. ¡®Yes. Thank you.¡¯ She put on the clothes Karin gave her. ¡®I checked the supplies while I was up there. I only collected the ¡®necessary¡¯ things. Good job.¡¯ ¡®Ah. So that¡¯s why you¡¯re late.¡¯ Jung Yu-shin nodded and agreed. ¡°Right. Let¡¯s go to the restaurant first.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I could see Karin¡¯s back as she walked ahead. Her tail was languidly swinging from side to side. Her buttocks wrapped in leather pants were strangely swaying. Darmon, Jung Yu-shin, and Karin sat down at the table. ¡°Karin, is the labyrinth closure order really over?¡± ¡°Yes. But the situation has changed a bit. The closure order is being lifted with restrictions. The announcement will be made tomorrow. The formation of the labyrinth investigation team will be the day after.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fast.¡± ¡°The discussion has already ended up up there. So...¡± Karin paused and paused for a moment. ¡°The results of the analysis of the testimonies of the explorers who survived the labyrinth have come out.¡± Jung Yu-shin and Darmon were quietly looking at Karin¡¯s mouth. ¡°A new monster has appeared in the labyrinth.¡± The silence fell. Karin continued. ¡°I heard that new monsters have appeared in each layer. The earthquakes that have occurred these past few days are a reaction to that. I heard that the new monsters are driving out the old ones. Up.¡± ¡°Up?¡± ¡°Shallower layers.¡± ¡°Can monsters move between layers?¡± ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s rare. Didn¡¯t you know?¡± The battle with the Hobgoblin Warrior flashed through my mind. That¡¯s right. I thought the world was being cruel, but there was a reason. ¡°How can they move up?¡± ¡°There¡¯s an abyssal energy rising from under the labyrinth. When it fills up a layer, a portal is randomly created in that layer. They say that if you enter there, you go up.¡± Jeong Yu-shin stroked his chin. ¡°But why do you say ¡®driving them out¡¯? Isn¡¯t it just moving randomly?¡± ¡°Demons avoid portals unless they¡¯re in a really dire situation. I don¡¯t know why.¡± In addition, Jeong Yu-shin had a mountain of questions he wanted to ask. But he held back. In two days, he would enter the labyrinth. He didn¡¯t want to ask about everything leisurely and make his head spin. So he decided to ask only the most necessary questions. ¡°How far does our party go?¡± Karin laughed. ¡°10th floor. And straighten up. You¡¯re a porter.¡± ¡®That¡¯s right.¡¯ He scratched his head in embarrassment. ¡®Yeah. I¡¯ll eat it raw while I¡¯m at it.¡¯ After finishing a few conversations, Karin got up from her seat.. ¡°Ska, I¡¯ll see you in two days.¡± ¡°Yes. Karin-sama.¡± Karin left the inn. Jung Yu-shin parted ways with Darmon and went up to his room on the second floor. When he opened the door and entered the room, a strange scent tickled his nose. A sticky, thick smell. Suddenly, memories from his childhood came to mind. [Mom! Why is the blanket wet and long?] Young Jung Yu-shin pointed to the blanket hanging on the drying rack. [Yu...Yu-shin. That... That¡¯s right.] His mother was embarrassed and tried to cover it up. [Sniff sniff. Ugh! A strange smell!] Young Jung Yu-shin covered his nose and stepped back. [Yu...Yu-shin!! Don¡¯t smell it! Ebi!] His father gently grabbed Jung Yu-shin¡¯s shoulder. [Yu-shin, women. If you feel good...] [Yeobot!!] Her mother hurriedly ran over and patted her father on the back. Jung Yu-shin shook her head to break her thoughts. She must have lost her mind for a moment due to a vague memory. Hmm. No way? Oh no way. Jung Yu-shin went near the bed and touched the blanket. It wasn''t damp at all. Was it a mistake? She opened the window slightly to ventilate the room, then threw herself onto the bed. Karin must have stayed in the room for too long because the pillow and blanket smelled. The evening spring breeze blew in through the cracks in the window and lingered around the room. She didn''t feel like lifting a finger because she had been practicing all day. She moved slowly on the bed, took off her pants, and threw them on the floor. She didn''t feel like putting them in the laundry basket. ''I have to change my pants tomorrow.'' She closed her eyes in her panties. Jung Yu-shin fell asleep. Two days passed. The labyrinth closure order was partially lifted and an investigation team was formed. 5 teams of high-ranking explorer parties. 20 teams of lieutenant explorer parties. The party that Jung Yu-shin entered as a porter was a lieutenant explorer party. They left the inn early in the morning and arrived in front of the labyrinth. ¡®Are we going again?¡¯ Jung Yu-shin raised his head and looked up at the huge stone monument. He took in the entrance to the great labyrinth. His heart trembled with tension and excitement. ¡°You¡¯re here?¡± When he turned around, Karin was standing there with his arms crossed. Her hair was tied into a ponytail. He was wearing black leather armor, two daggers were stuck in his sword belt, and a small crossbow was attached to his back. Karin said a word when she saw Jung Yu-shin. ¡°Did you buy a good armor? Did you buy it with the money I gave you?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Jeong Yu-shin thought about yesterday for a moment. He ran to Boron¡¯s forge on the day the labyrinth closure order was lifted. Next to Boron, who was lying down exhausted, was the light armor he had requested two weeks ago. ¡°It was a little late because of the earthquake, but it arrived on time.¡± Instead of Boron, Einhofer spoke. ¡°And here.¡± Einhofer held out a bottle containing black liquid. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°High-grade blood oil. It prevents fat from sticking to your sword. It¡¯s not enough in return for saving your life, but it¡¯s the best I can give you now. I¡¯ll pay you back slowly later.¡± ¡°Thank you. Please tell Boron I said hello.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± He took the light armor and returned to the inn to check his supplies once more. Just in case, I also brought blood oil and an anti-poison scroll. Jung Yu-shin, who finished all the preparations and greeted Karin this morning. While I was talking about this and that with Karin, people started to gather. There were many races I had never seen before. There were lion beasts and large lizard beasts. Among them, there was one person who really caught my eye. Jung Yu-shin''s eyes widened. He found it. A black-haired Barbaroi. A height of over 2m. All kinds of tattoos engraved on his vicious muscular body. The black-haired man was standing with a double-edged axe as tall as himself. A notorious outlaw in the labyrinth city. If there was a hole, he was the embodiment of sexual desire that did not discriminate between men and women. A vicious female hunter. I had heard the bad words enough, but I had never seen his face, but /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ now was my chance. Jung Yu-shin stopped talking to Karin and observed Barbaroi more closely. ¡°Hmm. That guy.¡± But when he actually looked at him, he just looked like a tall, muscular man. Was it because he was looking from far away? Jung Yu-shin tilted his head as he observed Barbaroi. Then, Jung Yu-shin and the man¡¯s eyes met. The man grinned. ¡®What is that?¡¯ The man stuck out his thick tongue and licked his lips. ¡®What the hell.¡¯ It was a chill down his spine. It was similar to the moment he first saw Seamus¡¯s punch. Jung Yu-shin instinctively grabbed the handle of his longsword. Anxiety rose up in his chest. At that moment, someone suddenly appeared between Karin and Jung Yu-shin. ¡°Are you the porter?¡± Jung Yu-shin barely managed to turn his head. A tall male elf was looking at Jung Yu-shin. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Roynel. Please take care of me.¡± The elf held out his luggage. Jung Yu-shin took it and put it on his back. A person wearing plate armor approached. His face was covered by his helmet, so his gender and race could not be confirmed. ¡°Gilsian. Serves the spirit of light.¡± Paladin. He also took the luggage that Gilsian offered and put it on his back. A middle-aged human male wearing a cloth suit. ¡°Ahiman. Mystic.¡± He was a man with dark skin who looked like he was from the Middle East. Ahiman handed him the luggage. Mystic. ¡®Was there such a class?¡¯ He swallowed his doubts. Judging by his blunt expression and tone of voice, it seemed like he would not give a kind answer even if he asked. ¡°Yes. Please take care of me.¡± Jung Yu-shin greeted and packed Ahiman¡¯s luggage. Karin smiled and said. ¡°Do you know me?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Finally, he packed Karin¡¯s luggage. Carrying the luggage of four people on his back at once was not usually heavy. Following Karin and Darmon¡¯s advice, reducing his own luggage was the right answer. Jung Yu-shin turned his head again and looked at Barbaroi, but Barbaroi was looking somewhere else. ¡°Attention!¡± The blue-haired man in the front shouted. ¡°The plan was explained in advance, so there¡¯s no need to talk any longer. Don¡¯t be scared and don¡¯t die! Let¡¯s go!¡± The blue-haired man entered the magic circle with his party. The light flashed and the man and his party disappeared. They entered the magic circle one by one, starting with the high-ranking explorers. The line gradually shortened and it was Karin¡¯s party¡¯s turn. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Karin shouted loudly. With the paladin in the lead, Karin and the elf followed, and the mystic and Jung Yu-shin followed at the back. They entered the magic circle and stood. Jung Yu-shin took a deep breath. He forgot about the Barbaroi he had seen earlier. He was fully prepared. He gripped the longsword hilt that was fixed to his back again. This was his third trip to the labyrinth. He was the porter for the lieutenant explorer party, but he didn''t let his guard down. Even when you''re on the run, you need to be polite. The labyrinth isn''t an easy place. The light flashed and he felt like he was floating in the sky. Chapter 30: The Explorer’s Fate The first floor of the Great Labyrinth. Hwaruk. A torch blazed in the darkness. Karin looked around with the torch in her hand. The party members each took out their weapons and stood guard around the area. Karin said. ¡°We¡¯ve teleported far from the second floor. Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Understood. Let¡¯s go.¡± The paladin took the lead, followed by Karin and Roynel. Finally, Ahiman and Jeong Yu-shin took their places in the rear. The party walked through the dark cave with a familiar, fast pace without hesitation. They moved at a brisk pace for about two hours. ¡°Enemies. Five hobgoblins.¡± ¡°Kueeek.¡± ¡°Kekeke.¡± The goblins¡¯ ominous sounds and Karin¡¯s warning echoed through the cave. ¡°Understood.¡± The paladin charged, holding the Zweihander on his shoulder with both hands. Karin followed behind the paladin, and Roynel loaded his longbow with arrows. The paladin swung his greatsword horizontally. Hooowung! ¡°Keeeek!!¡± The greatsword tore through the torsos of three hobgoblins at once. Phew. Blood splattered on the helmet, but the paladin paid no attention. Karin jumped out and swung her dagger. The hobgoblin¡¯s neck flew into the air with a light swing of the dagger. The remaining hobgoblin turned and ran away, but it was too late. Roynel¡¯s arrow pierced the hobgoblin¡¯s back. Jeong Yushin, who had been watching, nodded indifferently. ¡®You have to do this much to become a lieutenant explorer.¡¯ ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± The paladin didn¡¯t even think about wiping the blood off and just started walking. He started walking again. About 4 hours had passed. Sweat dripped down Jung Yu-shin¡¯s forehead. ¡®Wow. Seriously. This is no joke.¡¯ I felt like I was going to die from exhaustion. It felt like I was carrying 4 military gear at once. I kept raising my head that was going down. I gritted my teeth and walked. I received 1 gold coin and 50 silver coins as compensation. I couldn¡¯t show how tired I was. Maybe it was because of the labyrinth closure order that had lasted for a week, but there were a lot of hobgoblins that attacked. The battle was the only time Jung Yu-shin could stop and rest. Choo-a-aak! The hobgoblin blood painted the cave walls on the greatsword that the paladin swung. A sword fight engraved with law and order. Even while resting, Jung Yu-shin watched the battle of the paladins with shining eyes. After the short battle, he moved again, passing the corpses of the hobgoblins. He did not pick up the ears. Jung Yu-shin felt regretful and looked back at the corpses of the hobgoblins several times, but the party did not stop. Karin''s party walked without stopping and reached the end of the first floor. A large tombstone appeared in the center of the hall. "Whew." Jung Yu-shin''s body was drenched in sweat. His legs were shaking and a sweet smell was coming from his mouth. He was barely standing on the floor of the cave. However, he did not fall. If his body had not been strengthened by leveling up, he would not have been able to endure it. "Let''s rest here for a moment." Paladin Gil-seon said. ¡®As expected of a knight.¡¯ Jung Yu-shin glanced at Gil-seon. Karin crossed her arms and said. ¡°Let¡¯s rest on the first floor? Are you tired already? You haven¡¯t been in the labyrinth for a while, so you¡¯re not adjusting well?¡± ¡°...¡± Karin snickered and looked back at Jung Yu-shin. ¡°Scar, do you want to rest?¡± Karin¡¯s eyes pierced Jung Yu-shin sharply. ¡®You have to pay for what you¡¯ve earned.¡¯ ¡°I can keep going.¡± Jung Yu-shin answered calmly. ¡°That¡¯s right? Do you think I hired a porter because I have too much money?¡± Gil-seon silently approached the tombstone and placed his hand on it. Ss ... The mystic Ahiman entered one by one. Finally, Jung Yushin fixed his luggage and stepped into the portal. They arrived on the second floor. Nothing had changed. Karin and his party walked again, and hobgoblins and black slimes attacked. Gilsian, Karin, and Roynel were the main force to repel the monsters. Ahiman and Jung Yushin just watched from behind. The party continued on. It felt like they had walked for half a day without stopping. They found a shelter just before Jung Yushin''s mouth started to foam. "Let''s rest here today." Karin said. A small cave between the cracks in the cave walls. The party went inside. Jung Yushin unpacked his luggage and distributed it to the party members. And he moved his creaking body, spread out a blanket to block the entrance to the shelter, and fixed a torch in the center of the shelter. Gil Si-eon took off his helmet. Jung Yu-shin''s eyes widened. It was a silver-haired Su-in. Judging from the thin facial line, it was a woman. Judging from the sweaty, drooping ears, it was a dog Su-in. ''The voice was definitely murky.'' Looking closely, there was a knife mark on Gil Si-eon''s neck. ''That''s right.'' Jung Yu-shin turned his head in agreement. His body was too tired to pay any more attention. He untied the walker''s strap. The soreness on his soles seemed to be a blister. He rubbed his legs and relaxed his body. He drank water and chewed on jerky. Seeing Jung Yu-shin munching, the group also took out food from their backpacks one by one and started eating. After a quiet meal, it was time to set a night watch. ¡°There¡¯s an alarm magic, so there¡¯s no need to set a night watch.¡± Ahiman said. Gilsian frowned. ¡°I think it¡¯d be better to just set a night watch.¡± ¡°Stand alone. I need to get some sleep.¡± Ahiman replied. ¡°Don¡¯t fight. Gilsian, are you going to do this every time? Accept it.¡± Gilsian closed his mouth at Karin¡¯s nagging. Ahiman closed his eyes and muttered. Jeong Yushin¡¯s eyes lit up. Is it a mystic¡¯s magic? What kind of magic is it? Curious, he listened to Ahiman¡¯s chanting. ¡°Great ????????????????????????????, who walks through the stars and the universe, I wish for your faithful servant to dwell in the sanctuary of ????????????????????????????, so watch over this place under ???????????? and ????????????.¡± The light of the torch dimmed for a moment. A strange darkness and silence fell over the shelter. ¡®What is it?¡¯ The fluff on the nape of Jeong Yu-shin¡¯s neck rose. A strange shadow passed before his eyes. And. He felt it with his body. A distant place. In the cosmic graveyard beyond the universe. The gaze of something walking among dead stars. My body was shaking out of control and my teeth were chattering. Beyond the dim torchlight. Strange and blasphemous things were dancing in the shadows cast on the shelter walls. I had a feeling. I had to look at people to stay sane. I had to turn my gaze away from the things beyond my perception and look at something smaller and more familiar. I barely managed to turn my neck and look around. Gilseon was holding the hilt of his sword tightly and glaring at Ahiman. Karin and Roynel were closing their eyes as if they were used to it. [Abyss Realm] When Ahiman''s chanting ended, his presence disappeared. No. He was still faintly there. Right here. Jung Yu-shin''s hands were trembling slightly. Something was making a squeaking sound in his head. What on earth was happening? I thought it was an alarm spell. Was it a mistake? ¡®Was it a black magician?¡¯ Ahiman opened his closed eyes. His entire pupil was dyed pitch black. ¡°Barbaroi.¡± Ahiman smirked at Jeong Yushin. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I just called.¡± ¡®This kid is making me nervous.¡¯ His fingers twitched. His mind was filled with murderous thoughts because he had witnessed magic that was beyond his perception. Jeong Yushin took off his helmet and brushed his black hair back. On the other hand, Gilsian pushed down his helmet and said. ¡°Barbaroi. That¡¯s Ahiman¡¯s prank. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Karin said with a smile. ¡°Gilsian had the same expression when he first got hit.¡± Roynel added with a faint smile. ¡°Barbaro is amazing. Gilseon pulled out his sword and was furious, saying he would kill me.¡± Ahiman chuckled. Only Jung Yushin couldn¡¯t laugh. ¡®Why is the atmosphere suddenly so warm?¡¯ Jung Yushin, exhausted, leaned against the wall. ¡°Yes, yes. I¡¯ll catch him.¡± He wrapped his robe around his body and closed his eyes. He heard the party members muttering something, but it didn¡¯t reach his ears. He was too tired. ¡°Scar, wake up.¡± Someone shook Jung Yushin¡¯s shoulder. When Jung Yushin opened his eyes, Karin was standing a little ways away. ¡°Oh, did I sleep too long?¡± ¡°Yeah. He slept like he was dead. Want me to put the sword away?¡± Jung Yushin looked down at his hand. The sword was still in his hand. I couldn¡¯t even remember when I caught it. Thinking about it carefully, I think I caught it before I went to bed yesterday. The party members were all up and eating breakfast. Jung Yu-shin got up, cleaned up, and stretched. His legs and thigh muscles were stiff as if they were filled with rocks. His feet were swollen and his back and shoulders were sore. But he didn¡¯t show it. After stretching his body enough, he drank some water and chewed on the remaining jerky. Jung Yu-shin received the party¡¯s luggage and put it on his back. Maybe it was because of his mood, but he could bear it. He replaced the torch and prepared to leave. Karin said as she held up the torch. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Karin and her party moved forward without hesitation through the darkness. One day. Two days. Three days. Nothing had changed. Karin and her party continued to kill monsters and Jung Yu-shin continued to carry the luggage. I passed the 2nd floor and broke through the 3rd floor. I reached the 4th floor. I only had one more floor to go, and it was the 5th floor. The end of the surface layer. If I just broke through the 5th floor, I would shed my novice explorer shell. But my anxiety was greater than my heart pounding. Karin said last time. A new monster appeared in the labyrinth. But I had only seen hobgoblins and black slimes in the past few days. ¡®Should I go further?¡¯ Karin, who was walking with a torch, stopped. Jeong Yu-shin stopped thinking. Karin sniffed and perked up her ears. ¡°A lot of hobgoblins. Two hobgoblin warriors. One hobgoblin shaman.¡± ¡°There are a lot.¡± ¡°Prepare for battle. Ahiman, prepare.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± As he waited in formation, he heard the laughter of the hobgoblins beyond the darkness. ¡°Kekeke.¡± ¡°Kekeke.¡± Jung Yu-shin swallowed dryly. The fight with the hobgoblin warrior was still vivid. Even if he had faced just one, he fought like a demon risking his life, but two? Even though he tried not to be nervous, his body tensed up on its own. They came. The swarming hobgoblins were revealed under the torchlight. The hobgoblin warrior had tied something to his shield. Jung Yu-shin clicked his tongue after confirming what was tied to his shield. A naked woman. He couldn¡¯t tell if she was dead or alive. The hobgoblins screamed and rushed at him. ¡°Ahiman!!¡± Karin shouted. ¡°????????????????????????????!!¡± A huge portal opened above Ahiman¡¯s head and a bundle of tentacles burst out. The tentacles, emitting ominous energy, slashed through the hobgoblin horde and grabbed the hobgoblin warlock. Kwak! The warlock, caught in the tentacles, screamed and twisted his body this way and that. But he failed to escape. Crunch. The sound of bones breaking echoed through the cave as the bundle of tentacles gripped the warlock¡¯s body. But it didn¡¯t end there. The bundle of tentacles dragged the warlock right in front of the party. ¡°Gueek.¡± The warlock, whose bones were shattered, vomited blood from his mouth. Chooaaaak! Gilsian''s sword split the hobgoblin sorcerer''s body exactly in half. "Let''s go!!" Karin shouted. The hobgoblin warrior charged with his shield in front. Roynel''s arrow flew with a loud noise. Ppeuuuuuk!! "Keuuuuk!!" The arrow pierced the hobgoblin warrior''s head and pierced the hobgoblins behind him like a skewer, barely stopping. Overwhelming power. Jung Yu-shin''s eyes widened and his mouth fell open. ''Is this a lieutenant explorer?'' The [N O V E L I G H T] remaining hobgoblin warrior hesitated in confusion and held out his ''human'' shield. Gilsian quickly stepped back next to the hobgoblin. The shield''s blind spot. Gilsian swung his greatsword there. From below to above. Poohaaaak!! The greatsword blew off the thick arm of the Hobgoblin Warrior. ¡°Keeeeeek!!¡± Thud!! The arm that had been flying for a long time fell to the cave floor. Blood poured out like a fountain from the severed part. ¡°Hwaap!!¡± Karin jumped high and landed on the shoulder of the Hobgoblin Warrior. Shaak! The two crossed daggers glowed and the Hobgoblin Warrior¡¯s neck fell to the floor with a thud. Poohaaaaak!! Blood spurted out like a fountain from the severed neck section. Karin jumped again and landed on the ground. Not a single drop of blood was on her body. Both Hobgoblin Warriors were dead. The rest were just ragtag groups. The rest was just a one-sided massacre. They cut, broke, and killed. The hobgoblins screamed and groaned, and blood and death cries slammed into the cave walls and spread far away. The battle was over quickly. Not a single one of them ran away. They were all killed by Roynel¡¯s arrows that pierced their heads and hearts. Gilsian approached the two women tied to shields. Jung Yushin approached and examined them as well. He recognized one of them. It was Alon. The dwarven woman he had met in the new explorer class. Gilsian took off his gauntlets and put his finger to Alon¡¯s nose. After a while. Gilsian shook his head. He wasn¡¯t breathing. ¡®I see.¡¯ He¡¯s dead. They weren¡¯t that close. Still, having spent a week learning and joking in the same class, Jung Yushin felt bitter about Alon¡¯s death. ¡°You knew him?¡± Gil-seon asked Jung Yu-shin. ¡°Yes. We were classmates in the new explorer class.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be discouraged or sad. It¡¯s the fate of explorers.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that bad.¡± Jung Yu-shin drew the line. It¡¯s just bitter. Alon¡¯s half-closed eyes stopped in midair. Jung Yu-shin approached and closed Alon¡¯s eyes Chapter 31: The human mind The remaining woman was unrecognizable. It was because her face was badly damaged. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Karin urged the group. ¡°Are we going like this? What about the body?¡± Karin answered Jeong Yu-shin¡¯s question. ¡°She¡¯s already dead. If she were alive, I¡¯d take her, but the body is a burden. If you really care, go to the union and tell them. The dwarf you know is dead.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t forget. We¡¯re an investigation team. We¡¯re not a body collection team.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Gilsian looked at Karin. ¡°Karin, shouldn¡¯t we look at the layers more carefully? There¡¯s no need to rush through the layers like this.¡± Karin shrugged. ¡°What would we do in such a shallow layer?¡± ¡°There are still many rookie explorers who haven¡¯t returned yet. Shouldn¡¯t we at least ¡®investigate¡¯ the reason?¡± ¡°The other investigation team will do it. We have more important work to do.¡± ¡°...¡± Gilsian gave up on persuading and remained silent. Roynel and Ahiman didn¡¯t open their mouths as if they weren¡¯t interested. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± With Karin¡¯s urging, the party advanced through the dark cave. They walked for a few more hours and fought two more battles. The battle was an overwhelming massacre on Karin¡¯s side. Jeong Yu-shin had nothing else to do but stand in the rear and protect himself safely. So he followed the trajectory of the swords Karin and Gilsian swung with his eyes and memorized their movements. There were parts of Gilsian and Karin¡¯s movements that he didn¡¯t understand. Gilsian¡¯s greatsword moved strangely quickly, and sometimes he missed Karin¡¯s movements for a moment. Could it be the power of the imprint? Or was it the power of leveling up? I was curious, but I didn''t ask. I was a porter, not a comrade. The third battle had just ended. I walked again, ¡ô N§àv§Öl?g?t ¡ô (Only on N§àv§Öl?g?t) stepping over the corpses and blood. As time passed, Karin''s party reached the end of the fourth floor. A large cave with a transfer stone. A commotion. People were gathered in the cave and swarming. Their faces were familiar. They were the investigation party I saw a few days ago before entering the labyrinth. Most of them were high-ranking explorer parties. I saw Barbaroi with black hair, but he was talking to his party members, so we didn''t make eye contact. "What''s going on?" As Karin entered the cave and opened her mouth, everyone''s attention focused on her. A blue-haired man pushed his way through the crowd. "Karin, aren''t you a lieutenant explorer? Why did you come so quickly?" ¡°Hans, you guys are slow. Why are you all gathered here instead of going to the next level?¡± The blue-haired man, Hans, pointed to the tombstone. ¡°The color of the portal has changed.¡± As Karin approached the tombstone, the crowd split and made way for her. Karin walked naturally, as if the crowd splitting was natural, and arrived in front of the tombstone. Jung Yu-shin peeked his head out curiously. A black portal was rippling in front of the tombstone. Hans spoke to Karin, who was standing close to the portal. ¡°Karin, don¡¯t do anything rash.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything.¡± ¡°Go back. This is not a place for a lieutenant explorer.¡± ¡°How can the world¡¯s top explorers hesitate at the entrance to the fifth floor?¡± Hans¡¯s face hardened. A tense atmosphere began to form between Karin and Hans. Gilsian, Roynel, and Ahiman, who sensed something strange, slowly approached Karin. At Gilsian¡¯s nod, Jung Yu-shin also approached and stood next to Karin. Hans said. ¡°This is the first time the portal color has changed. It is natural to approach cautiously. Don¡¯t call the high-ranking explorers here cowards. Even if you are the daughter of the representative of the Suin Union...¡± ¡°What about the daughter of the Suin Union?¡± Karin glared at Hans. Hans closed his mouth. ¡°I have never received any help from my family since I started as an explorer. Everything I enjoy now is something I have personally created with my own hands. Why is my status suddenly popping up? Answer me, Hans.¡± Hans sighed. Although there was such a law in the Labyrinth City, Karin¡¯s status was high enough that it could not even compete with the prominent families of the Eastern Union. Hans was a high-ranking explorer, but he knew his place well. Even if he retired and got along well, being the city¡¯s knight commander would be the best option. If he got a strange negative imprint, that knight commander position would also disappear. The cost of erasing the negative imprint was also increasing exponentially, so he was slowly thinking about retirement. He didn¡¯t want to get in trouble by messing with the daughter of the representative of the Suin Union. Hans took a step back and said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Huh.¡± Karin laughed with her lips twisted. At that moment, the floor began to shake. Whoosh. One of the high-ranking explorers shouted. ¡°An earthquake!!¡± ¡°Suddenly?!¡± ¡°Be prepared!¡± However, the next thing happened right before the people had time to prepare. All the torches in the hall began to flicker. It was as if the candles on the altar were flickering in the sudden cold wind. People started to look around and start to murmur. ¡°W...what¡¯s happening?¡± ¡°The earthquake is getting worse.¡± It was exactly as it was. The vibrations on the floor were getting worse and it was hard to keep my body still. ¡°The portal is weird!¡± Someone shouted, pointing behind them. ¡°Get back!!¡± The black portal was throbbing like a heart. Karin flinched at the sight and stepped back, bumping into Jung Yu-shin who was standing close by. ¡°Karin!!¡± Gil-seon and Hans shouted urgently and reached out their hands. But it was too late. The black portal swallowed Karin and Jung Yu-shin. Everyone was speechless at the sight they had never seen or heard before. The black portal returned to its original state. Karin and Jeong Yu-shin were not there. ¡°Crazy!!¡± ¡°The portal swallowed a person!!¡± A voice full of shock echoed through the hall. The high-ranking explorers stopped Gil-seon from entering the black portal. ¡°Let go of this!!¡± Gil-seon shouted loudly and moved his body, but the high-ranking explorers did not move an inch. ¡°Captain, what should we do?¡± Someone asked Hans. Hans, the leader of this labyrinth investigation team, had a headache. ¡°Team 1 will go back and report. The other team will stay here, and all three teams, including me, will go in.¡± ¡°Is that okay?¡± ¡°We were going to go in anyway. And... no.¡± Hans, the investigation team leader, swallowed dry saliva as he thought of a woman. The current representative of the Suin Alliance and the leader of the Red Wolf Tribe. One of the members of the Labyrinth City Council. The Queen of Cold Blood. Ingrid Redtail. Even though Karin was a lieutenant explorer, she was the daughter of the leader of the Suin Alliance. If we left her alone and she died, there was no guarantee that she wouldn''t be retaliated against later. "Tell me the end, Captain." Urrrrrr. The intensity of the earthquake was getting stronger. "There''s no time! Do as I say!" Hans shouted. People started to move busily. Hans approached Gilsian. Silver eyes sparkled between their helmets. Hans opened his mouth. "We''re going in too." "We have to go in now!" Gilsian said urgently. ¡°No. Go in after the earthquake. The portal is unstable. I don¡¯t know where it will go.¡± ¡°Huh!¡± A crack came from inside the helmet he was wearing. Hans raised his head and glanced at the tombstone. ¡®Will those two be able to survive? It would have been better if they had fallen to the fifth floor.¡¯ It seemed like a long dream. There was a convenience store, and family and friends. A long-gone, abandoned factory with only grass growing. There, he lit a bonfire and danced with the unholy and strange shadows, holding hands. And then. Jung Yu-shin opened his eyes. Someone was looking down at him with a torch. It was Karin. Jung Yu-shin stared blankly at Karin¡¯s ear. ¡°Are you awake?¡± ¡°Where are we?¡± ¡°Fifth floor.¡± ¡°I am here" ¡°Have you been here long?¡± ¡°Well? I don¡¯t know. I think I wandered around for about three hours before I found you.¡± You were in the dark for three hours. ¡°Thank goodness you didn¡¯t go crazy.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Thank goodness.¡± Jeong Yu-shin got up from his seat. The floor was damp and the surroundings were quiet. It was still a cave. Karin said. ¡°Just a little more and you¡¯ll be at the end of the cave.¡± ¡°I see. Should I take the torch?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯ll take it. Let¡¯s go.¡± Karin took the lead and Jeong Yu-shin walked behind. The two walked in silence for a long time until they reached the end of the cave. They passed the exit and came out. The outside of the cave was a wide basin. When I looked up, the ceiling was so high that I couldn''t tell where it was. It was like a starless night sky. I lowered my gaze. I saw a city in the distance, shrouded in darkness. A city quietly sleeping in an enormous underground cave. I learned this in the last class of the beginner explorer class. A forgotten city. Engrav. Rumors and speculations were rife, but it was a city that had never been recorded in history. It was an unknown city that even the old elven historians who had lived for a long time had never heard of or seen. It was a wide area and I heard that it was swarming with high-ranking hobgoblins. The last hurdle that beginner explorers encounter and the starting point for middle-ranking explorers. I came as a porter, but I felt a small sense of accomplishment. Karin approached me and said. "The transfer stone is in the central area of ??the city. We should move as far out as possible and then go in at once when we have a chance.¡± ¡°Are you going to use the teleportation stone?¡± ¡°If necessary. The more options the better, right?¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we wait for people?¡± Karin snickered. ¡°Who will come to save us? Don¡¯t trust the explorers too much.¡± ¡°Karin¡¯s party might come to save us, right?¡± ¡°We can expect it. We can hope for it. The problem is that we can¡¯t be sure they¡¯ll definitely come.¡± ¡°Are you saying the party won¡¯t come?¡± ¡°The party might ¡®not¡¯ come. There was an earthquake, right? And didn¡¯t you see the black portal? We can¡¯t be sure they¡¯ll teleport this way.¡± ¡°But let¡¯s just wait a little bit...¡± Karin¡¯s face hardened. ¡°Why do you keep relying on other people?¡± ¡®Fuck?¡¯ Jung Yu-shin¡¯s expression also hardened. It was clearly a common-sense suggestion. I couldn¡¯t figure out why he would take the risk and move forward. It felt like an obsession. ¡®What on earth are you thinking?¡¯ A few days ago, Darmon told me a story in a flowing manner at the inn. Karin Redtail. The daughter of the representative of the Suin Union. I heard that Karin¡¯s father died a violent death in a mysterious attack before Karin was even born. The details of the attack have not yet been revealed. Darmon seemed to know something more, but he was tight-lipped. Karin was the strongest rookie who had risen to the rank of lieutenant explorer in just three months. Just three months. Thinking back, Jung Yu-shin and Karin arrived in the Labyrinth City around the same time. Jung Yu-shin was rolling around in the monster dismantling center. Karin quickly struck out with the strength and wealth she had accumulated up until then. The starting point was They were different, their statuses were different. Their perspectives on the world were also different. Their races were also different. Jung Yu-shin could not understand this red wolf man. What was his purpose? What was his thoughts? They say you can know the depth of ten feet of water, but you cannot know the heart of a person one foot away. The human heart was also a labyrinth. Jung Yu-shin realized a little. Karin glared at Jung Yu-shin. Karin also did not understand. The seemingly normal Barbaroi was strangely timid. When they first met, he was kneeling in the forest, surrounded by slave hunters. When they met the second time, he bowed his head to her. When they met the third time, he faced her with a confident look, so he thought he had changed, but he was mistaken. This Barbaroi was the same. He was a man who hid behind others. When Karin realized that fact, she felt annoyed for no reason. The two men and women made eye contact with each other through the torch. ¡°Are you doing this because you want more money?¡± Karin smiled with her lips curled up. Jung Yu-shin glared at Karin. ¡°...¡± ¡°You came as a porter, but you¡¯re dissatisfied because we ended up fighting? You want more money because the odds don¡¯t add up?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Then that¡¯s right. So you¡¯re the same kind of person after all. A person who tries to suck honey from behind while I lead. Darmon made a mistake. Why did he help someone like you?¡± Jung Yu-shin opened his mouth. ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s go. Into the city.¡± He spat it out as if chewing it. ¡°Can you not take money? What can you do if it¡¯s unfair?¡± Karin whined. ¡°Your mother raised her daughter well.¡± Karin was speechless at Jung Yu-shin¡¯s words and opened her mouth wide. Karin¡¯s forehead bulged with tendons. It was the first time she had heard such words since she was born, and Karin¡¯s eyes burned with anger. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤What?¡± ¡°You even deafened her?¡± Jung Yu-shin put down her luggage. There was no way someone who made someone kneel, slam their head against hers, and lick her stomach could be normal. Incomprehensible. She didn¡¯t even know she had to wield a knife. The atmosphere became increasingly tense. Karin put down the torch. In the open space outside the cave, the two men and women stood a step away and glared at each other. ¡°The liver is out of the stomach.¡± ¡°It¡¯s convenient. When it¡¯s convenient, you can be an independent explorer, and when it¡¯s not, you can be the daughter of the leader of the Suin Alliance. Just do one.¡± ¡°How dare you!!¡± Karin ground her teeth. Jung Yu-shin¡¯s fingers tapped the scabbard. Karin is a lieutenant explorer. I saw the overwhelming power with my own eyes. Even if I caught the player, there was a high chance of losing the fight. But I couldn¡¯t back down. It was because Karin insulted Darmon¡¯s good intentions. That insult was even hitting Jung Yu-shin¡¯s efforts to survive in the labyrinth city. Karin growled. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤If you leave here.¡± ¡°What if you leave? Will you be able to survive? How can a bitch who doesn¡¯t even know what¡¯s in front of her survive?¡± Jung Yu-shin grumbled and took a stance. A situation that was on the brink of disaster. Karin gritted her teeth and grabbed her dagger. Chapter 32: Truce Joo Hyuk grabbed his sword. ''Just block two places: the neck and the heart.'' He was well aware of his lack of skill. There was only one method. Give up the flesh, and take the bone. Muttering to himself, he looked at Karin. At that moment, Karin''s ears perked up. "You''re lucky. Barbarian." Karin smirked and took a few steps back, letting go of her dagger. Her gaze shifted beyond Joo Hyuk. Joo Hyuk also let go of his sword and took a few steps back. He turned his head and looked toward the cave''s exit. In the distance, a torch flickered. Someone was approaching. Seeing Karin stand still, he figured at least they weren¡¯t enemies. After waiting for a moment in the open space, three people emerged from the outside. Their faces were familiar. They were members of Karin''s party. Gilsian spotted Karin and ran toward her. "Karin!!" "Is it just our party? Where are the others?" "A new monster has appeared on the fourth floor. A high-level scout party has gone out to stop it, but since it will take some time, our party and Captain Hans''s team came first." "I see. What kind of monster is it?" "It looks like a centipede." "Is that all?" "I couldn¡¯t get a good look, had to come quickly." "Tch." Karin clicked her tongue and glared at Joo Hyuk. Joo Hyuk met her gaze. ''Karin, what are you going to do?'' Would she call the party to deal with him? Or would she bury the conflict and pass quietly? Karin let out a long breath through her nose and turned away. She chose to put the dispute aside for now. "Looks like Hans¡¯s party was sent to another area. Let''s go to the city. We can meet up there." "Understood." Gilsian answered and took the lead. Joo Hyuk grabbed his belongings and stood at the back of the party. Roynel sneaked up beside him and whispered softly. "Everything alright?" "Yes." He decided to put the dispute with Karin aside for now. The party was back together, and that was enough to accomplish his goal. At least for now. Joo Hyuk suppressed his emotions. Karin''s sharp and obsessive aura seemed to soften with the return of the party members. It was different from when they had been alone, detached from the group. Perhaps she # N§àv§Ölight # had found some semblance of ease. Maybe Karin had been anxious, too. ''Let¡¯s just do what we have to do.'' He adjusted the heavy load on his back and followed the party. The party left the open space and descended a slope. As they went lower, the view of the city gradually disappeared, and only the towering castle walls could be seen. After leaving the open area, they reached the ground. In the distance, the majestic castle walls came into view. Ahiman, standing next to Joo Hyuk, muttered something in an unintelligible language. His eyes were fixed on the city, and a flush crept across his face. Joo Hyuk asked him. "Is something enjoyable happening?" Ahiman turned to look at Joo Hyuk. His eyes had turned completely black. "Umtahushi Soryohumta." ''What is he saying?'' "Enjoyable? Yes. Understood." Roynel, who had been walking right ahead, turned and gave Ahiman a quick glance before speaking. "Don¡¯t mind him. Mystics can be like that sometimes." "Why is that?" "They say it happens when their connection with the gods deepens. When divine power settles in their body, their tongue gets twisted. Not sure about the details. You can ask Ahiman later." "Got it." Ahiman continued staring at Joo Hyuk. Joo Hyuk had nothing more to say, so he gave Ahiman a thumbs-up and smiled. Karin¡¯s party walked across land barren of any vegetation. The city was farther than it seemed, and it took quite a while to arrive. As they got closer to the castle walls, the huge gates came into view. Karin¡¯s party stood before the massive gates. "Wow. That¡¯s huge." Joo Hyuk was stunned by the size of the gates, his mouth slightly agape. The gates were so high that one had to crane their neck to see the top. Made of metal, the gates were slightly open. Gilsian stopped just before entering the gates. Karin, standing behind him, asked. "Why?" "...Never mind." Gilsian mumbled and walked through the gates. Once inside, the gothic-style architecture filled the area. Sharp, angular stone buildings. Between the buildings, narrow alleyways stretched out like spider webs. The city was eerily quiet, and not even a rat could be seen on the wide main road. "This is strange." Roynel muttered. "What''s strange?" "Hobgoblins." Roynel¡¯s face, illuminated by the torch, looked tense. "Let¡¯s find a place to rest. It¡¯s been too long." Karin said. Karin''s party entered an alley and found a small house to take shelter in. The inside of the house was quiet. Dust had piled up on the table and chairs. Still, someone must have used the fireplace recently as remnants of firewood scattered around. The party members started tidying up and sat around the fireplace. Joo Hyuk unpacked his gear and pulled out a blanket to cover the window. "We¡¯re not lighting a fire this time." Karin said. Joo Hyuk nodded and fixed the torch he had received from Gilsian inside the fireplace. "Will we use alarm magic?" Ahiman asked. His words were clear, though there was an excited tone to them. "We will, but someone needs to keep watch. We never know." "Understood." In front of the dimly glowing fireplace, the party members began eating in silence. Whether it was exhaustion or tension, or each person lost in their thoughts, no one spoke. Joo Hyuk also rummaged through his belongings and pulled out food. The menu consisted of jerky and biscuits. These were things that Dalmong had packed. Joo Hyuk picked up a biscuit. The shape of the biscuit was a bit unusual. ¡®A bear?¡¯ He chuckled softly. Roynel suddenly spat out his food. The party members all turned to look at Roynel. Roynel coughed a few times, as though he had choked. "Heh. Nothing, nothing." At Roynel''s words, the party members turned their heads and continued eating. Roynel started giggling. Was he going mad? Laughing at a time like this? Joo Hyuk asked indifferently. "Is it that funny? Let¡¯s all laugh." Roynel quickly stopped laughing. "Now that I think about it, maybe it¡¯s not that funny." A moment later, Roynel resumed laughing quietly. Joo Hyuk asked. "What''s so funny? Let¡¯s laugh together." "You wouldn¡¯t understand." ''Is he joking?'' A chill ran down Joo Hyuk''s spine. He looked around, and the atmosphere felt off. Gilsian was staring intently at the bear-shaped biscuit in Joo Hyuk¡¯s hand. "Would you like one?" Joo Hyuk waved the biscuit at Gilsian. "...I¡¯ll take just one." Gilsian quietly stepped over and quickly snatched the bear-shaped biscuit. Seeing this, Ahiman spoke. "Ingkaritu Ahuyam." "Yes. Here, one for you." Joo Hyuk handed Ahiman a bear-shaped biscuit as well. Even in this situation, they were still after the bear biscuits. These people really had a strong focus. Maybe it was because they were mid-tier scouts. Or perhaps they believed they would meet Hans¡¯s party soon. Since they had reached the fifth floor, they naturally assumed Hans¡¯s party would be here too. Joo Hyuk stopped his thoughts and took a bite of the biscuit, chewing slowly. It was sweet, likely because Dalmong had added a lot of honey. Joo Hyuk glanced at Karin. Karin seemed to be deep in thought, staring down at the ground. "Karin, would you like one?" Joo Hyuk offered the biscuit. "No thanks." Karin looked up, coldly refusing. ¡®She¡¯s really mad.¡¯ He didn¡¯t think he said anything wrong, but it seemed his words had hurt her pride quite a bit. His heart was big enough to offer his hand first. Joo Hyuk licked the bear-shaped biscuit and said. "Chomp chomp. It''s sweet. Really not interested?" Karin glanced at Joo Hyuk''s licking tongue. Her face turned slightly red. Why was she giving in to this man? Just hours ago, they were glaring at each other, ready to kill. But now, looking at his tongue, her boiling anger calmed down. This man¡¯s scent was also different from others. It was comforting and familiar. And seductive. She surely thought there must be some trick involved. Could it be a mark? Karin¡¯s expression stiffened slightly. ¡®No matter what, I won¡¯t lose. I¡¯m the daughter of the Beastman Union¡¯s representative. I will overcome this.¡¯ Karin steeled herself. "Give it to me." Karin snatched the biscuit from Joo Hyuk¡¯s hand and popped it into her mouth. ''That was the one I licked.'' Joo Hyuk turned his head. Roynel was staring at him intently. "Would you like one?" "No, I don¡¯t like sweet things." Dinner ended. The group drew lots to decide the watch duty. Lastly, the alarm magic. Ahiman closed his eyes and began the incantation. Strange words flowed from his mouth. Gilsian still looked uneasy, his body trembling. Joo Hyuk closed his eyes. From the corner of his mind, he heard scratching noises, but it was much more bearable than before. When the incantation ended, Ahiman opened his eyes. "It¡¯s done." Joo Hyuk wrapped himself in his cloak and flopped onto the floor. The wooden floor smelled musty, but it wasn¡¯t damp or cold. ¡®Not bad, I guess.¡¯ He reassured himself and closed his eyes. The rustling sound made Joo Hyuk open his eyes. He got up and saw the party members packing their things. The party members looked exhausted. Though they had laughed for a moment yesterday, lying down with his eyes closed, the tension and fear slowly crawled up their backs and squeezed their hearts. They had crossed the black portal for the first time. Fortunately, they had reached the fifth floor, but things felt different. The heavy air and silent atmosphere of the underground city rang an alarm in their minds. The party members, including Joo Hyuk, turned restlessly, unable to sleep soundly. The party members, with bloodshot eyes, finished packing their gear and gathered around the fireplace to eat. Roynel spoke up. "Shouldn¡¯t we consider other paths?" His voice was raspy, probably from breathing in dust. "The teleporter in the central zone is the quickest route." Karin replied. "We also need other plans. The teleporter there isn¡¯t the only one." There were three teleporters on the fifth floor. The one in the central zone led to the ''Hallway'' area. Further into the city, another teleporter led to the ''Forest'' area. Finally, another teleporter, located underground, could take them to the ''Sewers'' area. Each of these three zones was governed by different ''rules.'' The nearest teleporter was in the central zone. But Roynel had another suggestion. "Where are we going?" "The ''Forest'' area isn¡¯t bad either. If we quietly pass the outskirts of the city, we can safely move on to the next tier." Gilsian interrupted. "Did you forget? We¡¯re an investigation team sent by the guild and the council. We¡¯re obligated to find out what¡¯s happening in this creepy city." Ahiman nodded as if agreeing with Gilsian. "Gilsian¡¯s right. Karin, Roynel, don¡¯t forget your mission. Rushing isn¡¯t always the best choice." Karin scowled and alternated her gaze between Gilsian and Ahiman. "Do you sense something? Tell me." Gilsian fiddled with his helmet. "To be honest, I felt a power similar to the mystic¡¯s magic." Ahiman added his voice. "Though it¡¯s different, it¡¯s definitely a power from another realm." Karin sighed. "I see. Then let¡¯s walk slowly through the city and find out more. Is everyone ready?" The party members nodded. Karin¡¯s party left their camp and entered the streets. The dark and desolate streets were completely silent. They wandered around the streets for hours but didn¡¯t come across anything of note. After spending a full day, they had scoured the southern district of the city. They found nothing. Hans''s party was nowhere to be found. Karin¡¯s party returned to their previous shelter. After hours of tossing and turning with their eyes wide open, they headed back out again. As time passed, the faces of the party members, except for Ahiman, grew increasingly grim. It wasn¡¯t common for hobgoblins to appear on the main street. Many explorers passed through here. But this silence was strange. "This is too quiet," Karin murmured. No one answered her. But their thoughts were all the same. The strange silence didn¡¯t end when they reached the central district; it only grew heavier. ¡®We¡¯re really in trouble now.¡¯ A drop of cold sweat trickled down Joo Hyuk¡¯s neck. This didn¡¯t feel right. ¡®Something big¡¯s coming? Oh, please.¡¯ He knew dangerous things were ahead. Still, he had chosen to participate as a porter. Why? ¡®How could I resist gold coins?¡¯ He also wanted to know what was really going on in the labyrinth. He trusted the strength of the mid-tier scouts. He trusted their experience in exploring the unknown. After weighing the conditions, he made his decision. He figured they wouldn¡¯t die with the high-tier scout party involved, but now things were looking bad. The careful calculations began to unravel the moment they were swallowed by the black portal. Soon, the party members arrived at a large square. The Central Plaza. A statue with a collapsed upper half stood proudly in the center of the square. Surrounding the statue were hundreds of people and hobgoblins, all looking up at the underground ceiling. The explorers who had disappeared until now. The hobgoblins who hadn¡¯t been seen. They were all there. ¡®Ah.¡¯ Joo Hyuk didn¡¯t know what it was, but one thing was clear. ¡®We¡¯re screwed.¡¯ Chapter 33: New monster Roynell took a step back. The scene was so beyond understanding that even the lieutenant scout felt fear. "Let¡¯s... let¡¯s back up slowly." Karin spoke with a trembling voice. The group cautiously took steps back. When they had backed up far enough from the central plaza, someone staggered out from an alleyway next to the main road. It was a female human scout. The female scout wore damaged leather armor, torn here and there. She staggered slowly toward them. Gilsian stepped forward holding a torch and stood in front of the female scout. "Hey. Are you okay?" The woman''s neck twisted sideways. "Are you hurt? Your voice isn''t coming out..." Crack. There was the sound of bones cracking. The woman''s neck didn''t stop there; it twisted further at an unnatural angle. This wasn¡¯t right. Roynell inhaled sharply. Gilsian instinctively gripped the greatsword hanging on his shoulder with both hands. The woman''s mouth stretched wide, as if smiling. Swoosh!! Gilsian swung the greatsword, but the woman jumped backward, avoiding the strike. It was a speed humans couldn¡¯t achieve. Gilsian¡¯s body froze for a moment. In that instant, the woman convulsed. With a crack, her neck started to stretch out. It was an utterly shocking sight, one the group had never seen before. From the base of the neck, the cervical vertebrae began to stretch out, followed by the spine, all the way to the end. It resembled a parasite eating its host''s flesh and fluids, then bursting out. Clink. Slosh. Thud. The intestines attached to the spinal bones spilled out onto the floor in a white heap. The folded ribs spread out elegantly, catching the torchlight. At the end of the spine, there was a sharp stinger like a scorpion''s tail. A centipede that had made a human spine its body. The face was still human. The neckless woman¡¯s body collapsed. It ¡ô N§àv§Öl?g?t ¡ô (Only on N§àv§Öl?g?t) was like the shell of a host that had finished its task. "Gilsian! Snap out of it!" Karin grabbed her dagger and rushed forward. The human-faced centipede screamed. "Kwaaak!!" The grotesque scream echoed across the plaza, reaching even the square. Gilsian snapped back to his senses and swung his greatsword. The human-faced centipede dodged. Clang!! The greatsword hit the ground. Screech!! The centipede¡¯s tail shot toward Gilsian¡¯s neck. Ting!! But it bounced off his plate armor. Seizing the opportunity, Karin slashed with her dagger. Slash. The centipede¡¯s face split in two. It fell to the ground. Green blood oozed from the split face, flowing in a thick stream. It trembled faintly but no longer moved. "...It¡¯s the one we saw on the 4th floor. I didn¡¯t recognize it because it wore the skin of its face, but now I can tell." Gilsian spoke in a trembling voice. Why was a monster from the 4th floor here? Could it be that monsters can move between floors? Jeong Yushin¡¯s doubts didn¡¯t get a chance to continue. "They¡¯re coming!!" Roynell, from behind, shouted in horror. Turning around, hundreds of goblins and scouts were rushing toward them, screaming. "Run!!" There was no hesitation. Karin¡¯s party gritted their teeth and ran. Jeong Yushin fell behind. They ran at full speed for about 20 minutes. Breath was coming in ragged gasps. The distance between them and Karin¡¯s party was increasing. Jeong Yushin glanced back. When had they molted? Hundreds of centipedes with human heads were crawling up the ground at full speed. "Into the alley!!" Karin shouted. The party ran into the alley. They sprinted through the web-like alleyways. Jeong Yushin barely managed to keep up with the back of the party. "Damn!!" Karin shouted. Dozens of human-faced centipedes were crawling toward them from the front of the alley. There were countless more behind them. Some were even crawling up the walls. It was a perfect trap. "Prepare for battle!! Ahiman, block the rear!!" In an instant, the party formed a formation. Gilsian blocked the front. Roynell, Ahiman, and Jeong Yushin stood in the center. Karin took the rear. Ahiman closed his eyes and began chanting. The battle began with an arrow shot from Roynell. Swoosh!! The arrow flew with a loud sound. Boom!! The centipede¡¯s face exploded as it crawled up the wall. Ronnel shot arrows rapidly without pause. Swoosh!! Swoosh!! Centipedes with their heads missing fell to the ground in the alley. "Haah!!" From the front, Gilsian shouted as he swung his greatsword. The holy runes carved into his sword gleamed brightly. Gilsian spun the greatsword like a storm, steadfastly holding the front. Karin moved quickly, aiming only for the faces of the human-faced centipedes, swinging her daggers. Swish! With two daggers, she tore the faces of the centipedes. In an instant, dozens of corpses piled up in the alley. The lieutenant scout¡¯s resilience, even before unknown monsters, was revealed. Jeong Yushin¡¯s mouth slightly opened. Then, something unexpected happened. "Kuk!!" Karin¡¯s voice, filled with surprise, rang out. The blades of her daggers fell. The viscous blood of the human-faced centipede stuck to the daggers, refusing to come off. Jeong Yushin saw it too. Karin was struggling, but her stance was already faltering, and her sharpness had dulled. Her mind had wavered. And the cost of that became apparent. In an instant, the centipede¡¯s tail brushed past Karin¡¯s shoulder. The armor cracked, and blood splattered. Karin gritted her teeth. "Ahiman!!" Karin screamed. In response, Ahiman cast his spell. [Abyss Strike] Several portals emitting ominous energy opened in midair. Massive tentacles shot out from them, striking the human-faced centipedes. Boom!! Crash!! The enormous tentacles struck not only the centipedes but also the stone walls of the alley. Dust and debris flew everywhere. In an instant, dozens of human-faced centipedes were crushed and exploded. Boom. The alley began to collapse. The group of centipedes retreated. Karin also pulled back. Boom!! The alley completely collapsed. Jeong Yushin lowered his head. Dust and stone fragments brushed past his helmet. The rear was completely blocked. "Karin!!" Gilsian shouted. The glowing runes on his greatsword had dimmed. It was a sign of exhaustion. Karin, who had run ahead, collapsed. "Ugh!" Her body wasn¡¯t responding. Panicking, Karin flailed, but her stiffening body just convulsed, unmoving. Ahiman spoke. "Skah! Help Gilsian! I¡¯ll take care of Karin." "Yes!" There was no time to hesitate. Even though the back path was blocked, the human-faced centipedes were still climbing up the walls. Roynell was holding them off, but it was uncertain how long that would last. The number of arrows had visibly decreased. Jeong Yushin put down his baggage and pulled out a glass bottle. The black liquid inside sloshed. Poison oil. A potion to prevent fat buildup on a sword. He never thought he¡¯d need it like this. He saw the green fat sticking to Karin¡¯s dagger. He didn¡¯t know how effective this potion would be, but he uncorked the bottle. The black liquid poured down the blade. He carefully rubbed it onto the entire sword. "What are you doing? Hurry!" "Going now." At Ahiman¡¯s urging, Jeong Yushin rushed forward. Gilsian was barely holding on using the strength of his plate armor. He blocked most of the attacks with his armor and killed the human-faced centipedes with counterattacks. "Karin?!" Gilsian asked without looking back. "She¡¯s down! Ahiman¡¯s checking on her now." "Kuk! Buy me some time." "Yes!" They didn¡¯t ask what to do next. Passing Gilsian, Jeong Yushin stepped forward. He raised his sword high. The upper stance. ¡®That damn guy.¡¯ The sword master¡¯s words suddenly came to mind. He grinned and clenched his teeth. The human-faced centipedes charged. Downward slash. Swoosh!! The centipede split in half, passing Jeong Yushin. "Haah!!" A diagonal cut. The centipede¡¯s neck was severed. ¡®Weak spot found.¡¯ The cervical vertebrae between the skull and thoracic spine. His experience working in the monster disassembly shop had sharpened his eyes. He stood firm. His lower body, hardened by constant training, anchored him to the ground. Jeong Yushin¡¯s sword moved like a beam of light. In an instant, he severed the cervical vertebrae of three human-faced centipedes. ¡®Relax your shoulders.¡¯ The sword master¡¯s advice echoed in his mind. "Yes." There was no one to advise him, but he answered and corrected his stance. The stiff sword became a little faster. Swoosh!! In an instant, five heads flew off. One human-faced centipede, outside the range of Jeong Yushin¡¯s sword, charged at Gilsian. [Sacred Weapon] Swoosh!! A light dagger flew and pierced the centipede¡¯s skull. The dead centipede rolled and bumped into Gilsian¡¯s feet. But Gilsian didn¡¯t budge, burying his greatsword in the ground, murmuring. Boom!! A loud explosion sounded from behind. It seemed Ahiman had cast another spell. "Skah!! It¡¯s poisoned! Be careful of the tail stinger!" Ahiman shouted from behind. "Yes!" Jeong Yushin answered loudly and repositioned himself. Three human-faced centipedes flew into the air at once. [Sacred Weapon] He threw the light dagger, taking down one. A large arc cut through, simultaneously severing two more necks. A human-faced centipede crawling slowly below swung its tail. The sharp stinger shot toward his foot. Jeong Yushin stepped back slightly and stomped down on the tail with his foot. Thud! The walker¡¯s iron plate crushed the tail. "Kyahhh!!" The human-faced centipede screamed. He grabbed the longsword by the reverse hilt, shoved it into its mouth, and twisted. The centipede convulsed and stopped moving. "It¡¯s done!! Skah! Well done." Gilsian stepped forward. A holy light surged from his entire body. "Everyone, get ready to charge forward!!" Gilsian thrust his sword forward and lowered his stance. "Understood!!" Turning around, Jeong Yushin saw Ahiman carrying Karin. Roynell was carrying the baggage Jeong Yushin had dropped. Roynell met his eyes. Without a word, Roynell nodded. [Holy Lance] Gilsian¡¯s greatsword was engulfed in holy light. The aura, shining like the sun, made the sword appear twice as large. Boom!! In an instant, Gilsian¡¯s holy aura vanished. Only shards of light fluttered in its place. Jeong Yushin¡¯s eyes widened. The front was wide open. Dozens of human-faced centipedes were shredded and stuck to the alley wall. Gilsian was standing at the very end of the alley, in the same position as before. "...Crazy." An overwhelming speed and breakthrough. "Run!!" Roynell shouted. Jeong Yushin snapped back to his senses and ran. They sprinted madly, breaking through the alley. They were back on the main road. "We¡¯re almost there! Just a bit further north!!" Roynell shouted. At that moment, dozens of alleyways, as well as the streets behind, were filled with a massive number of human-faced centipedes. At least a thousand of them. Roynell¡¯s face went pale. "Run!" Just then, Gilsian collapsed. His body was shaking violently. It seemed he had been stung by a broken tail stinger that had pierced into his armor or helmet. "Damn." Roynell tore at his hair, his lips trembling with curses. Jeong Yushin rushed over and lifted Gilsian. ¡®Damn.¡¯ The weight was immense, and his legs wobbled. Jeong Yushin¡¯s face turned red. He gritted his teeth. Without a level-up, he wouldn¡¯t have dared to carry such a weight. "Skah! Thank you." Roynell said. "...It¡¯s nothing." They ran northward. How long did they run? It felt like they had been running for a long time. With plate armor and a beastman and a greatsword on his back, running at full speed was driving him crazy. The demon Jeong Yushin and the angel Jeong Yushin were screaming together, telling him to drop everything. ¡®Shut up. Shut up. Damn idiots!!¡¯ Even if they were willing to abandon the ranged DPS, they couldn¡¯t abandon the only tank in the party. The number of pursuing enemies was steadily increasing. Just then, a large circular tower came into view. And ahead, hundreds of human-faced centipedes were visible. If they kept going, they¡¯d pass the tower and encounter them head-on. Roynell gritted his teeth. "Let¡¯s go into the tower." "Ugh. Ugh. We¡¯re in a trap. The worst move." Gilsian gasped, barely managing to mumble. "We don¡¯t have a choice!" "..." Eventually, the party dashed toward the tower. Bang!! The wooden door of the tower swung open. Karin¡¯s party entered. The first floor of the tower was surprisingly spacious. Whether it was good or bad, there was no one there. "Ahiman! Block the entrance!" "I understand." Ahiman lowered Karin and stepped back to begin casting magic. Roynell took all the arrows out of his quiver. Jeong Yushin also set Gilsian down and kneeled. "Ugh. Ugh." His heart felt like it was going to burst. "...Thank you." "Ugh. Ugh. Quiet." His anger burst out, and he spoke casually. ¡®The plate armor was really over the line.¡¯ Gilsian closed his mouth. Jeong Yushin breathed heavily, then stood up and grabbed his longsword. "Here." Roynell approached and handed him a potion filled with yellow liquid. Jeong Yushin lowered his visor, popped the potion cap, and drank it down. "Haah. What is this?" "Energy tonic." "Why do you carry this around?" "It¡¯s better than health potions. Please. Buy us some time." His depleted stamina slowly began to recover. Strength returned to his body. As he regained some composure, he suddenly remembered something he had forgotten. "I have an anti-poison scroll in my bag." "It won¡¯t be very effective. The poison has mixed with powers from another world." Ahiman stopped chanting and spoke. ¡®Damn.¡¯ It was too late to escape alone. He didn¡¯t even want to. Outside the tower, hundreds of human-faced centipedes were howling. Jeong Yushin stood at the dark entrance of the tower, a flickering torch beside him. He gripped the handle of his longsword tightly. "Come on in, you bastards." Chapter 34: A fierce struggle The torch illuminated the sword. Jung Yu-shin looked at his longsword. The blade of the sword was missing here and there. There were also marks of leaks. The sword''s lifespan was running out. He needed a new weapon. He made his decision after hearing the sound outside. He had a little bit of time. Jung Yu-shin glanced at Karin and Gil-sian. They looked like they had been poisoned and couldn''t come to their senses. Gil-sian was able to stutter, but that was all. He quickly ran over and picked up Gil-sian''s Zweihander. "I''ll borrow it." "¡¤¡¤¡¤Okay." It was quite heavy, perhaps because it was a two-handed greatsword. Next was Karin. Karin was groaning with a pale face. "Karin, how are you?" Karin mumbled something in response to Jung Yu-shin''s question. It was hard to understand what he was saying. He took Karin¡¯s two daggers and attached them to his belt. Jung Yu-shin looked down at Karin and said. ¡°People depend on each other to live, right? Recognition and reflection. Good. Good children deserve rewards.¡± He took a bear biscuit out of his bosom and placed it on Karin¡¯s stomach. When he got up, Roynel was looking at him like he was crazy. Jung Yu-shin ignored him and stood at the entrance to the tower again. He wiped the blood and oil stuck to the two daggers and the greatsword on his robe and sprinkled blood oil. If I had time, I would have prepared a little more. It was a pity. The screams of the raccoons outside were getting closer and closer. He didn¡¯t think that Karin and Gil-seon were lacking in ability. He was impressed by the skill they showed against a monster he had never seen before. I only took note of the parts I had to watch out for while watching and experiencing the battle. It was fortunate that I bought light armor. Life was full of things I never ¡ô N§àv§Öl?g?t ¡ô (Only on N§àv§Öl?g?t) knew. Jung Yu-shin blocked the entrance to the tower. ¡®I¡¯m blocking the entrance alone.¡¯ [Abyss Protection] Ahiman casted a spell. A dark energy flowed out of the air and enveloped Jung Yu-shin. ¡°What?¡± Jung Yu-shin was flustered. ¡°It¡¯s a spell to counter foreign objects. I was sure of it. The opponent is a monster from another world. It must have developed some resistance to poison. Scar, I can only trust you. Block it well.¡± Ahiman said. Jung Yu-shin was dumbfounded by the faith without a plan. ¡°I can¡¯t block it, can I?¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll die. All of them.¡± ¡°Shut up!!¡± Contrary to Ahiman¡¯s calm demeanor, Roynel shouted in anger. Ahiman smirked, closed his eyes, and began to chant again. It was strange to see him talk about death so easily. Are mystics like that? The human mind is something you can never know. He put his doubts aside. He did what he had to do first. Jung Yu-shin took a stance. ¡®Coming.¡¯ Thump!! The wooden door of the tower creaked. Jung Yu-shin raised his sword. Kwaaaaang!!! The wooden door shattered and fragments flew everywhere. A raccoon stuck its face into the shattered hole. A raccoon with a goblin head. ¡°Kueeeeek!¡± Paaaaah!!! An arrow flew at the speed of light. The arrow pierced the head in an instant. The raccoon flew out. In the meantime, five raccoons jumped out. Jung Yu-shin firmly stepped on the ground and swung his sword. Horizontal slash. Tsaaaaaaak!!! Three heads flew into the air at the same time. He cut one head in half with a downward slash and kicked the remaining one with his walker. Boom!! A civet with a crushed head flew through the air, hit a wall, and crashed to the floor. More civets swarmed over, trampling on the fallen civet. He grabbed the civet flying in the air and twisted its neck. Crush. He felt its bones breaking in his grasp. The civet''s body fell limp. He threw it away. Several civets rolled on the floor after hitting the flying civets. Jung Yu-shin''s sword moved faster and faster. Swish!! Before he knew it, he started hearing the sound of ripping the wind. Choaaaak!! He cut the cervical vertebrae of the group of raccoons that were rushing towards him and split their faces. Sticky blood poured onto the floor and the screams of the monsters echoed through the entrance. Roynel fired his arrows like crazy. Kyaang!! Finally. The longsword broke. He expressed his condolences briefly and threw it at the group of raccoons. The one hit by the longsword handle that flew away screamed and rolled around. The one who rolled around was swallowed by the swarm of bees. [Sacred Weapon] He thought of Einhofer. He thought of his single-edged axe. The image of the dwarf swinging his sword tenaciously was still vivid in his mind. His magic gathered in his hand. He quickly sharpened his golden single-edged axe. He lowered his posture and firmly maintained his balance. ¡°Huhh ... A stone fragment flew and hit the helmet. He went back in and slashed. The bodies of five foxes were torn apart. Jung Yu-shin swung his greatsword with all his might. The entrance to the tower was already filled with torn and shredded fox corpses, but more foxes were rushing in from outside. ¡°Damn it!! I¡¯m out of arrows!¡± Roynel¡¯s sigh pierced Jung Yu-shin¡¯s ears. He gritted his teeth and swung his greatsword. Every time he swung the heavy lump of iron, all his strength drained away and his muscles screamed. Roynel, who had run out of arrows, drew his sword and stood in front of Ahiman. The situation became increasingly bleak. The number of human-faced foxes that Jung Yu-shin missed increased one by one. Roynel was swinging his sword while swearing. Boom!! Another vertical slash. The greatsword smashed through the raccoon''s body and stuck in the ground. At that moment, a human-faced raccoon rode the sword and rushed at Jeong Yu-shin''s face. He put down the greatsword and turned his head. Kkang! The raccoon''s poisonous stinger hit his helmet and passed through. His head rang. He pulled out the two daggers he had tucked into his waist and swung them in reverse. Clang!! The raccoon''s tail and cervical vertebrae were cut at the same time. Jeong Yu-shin took another step forward and stood closer to the entrance. The dagger had a shorter reach than the greatsword. He didn''t think about anything else. He only imagined Karin swinging her dagger in his head. He swung his dagger relying on that. Clang!! Clang!! He only cut the face. The faces were diverse. Elves, dwarves, watermen, humans, hobgoblins. There were also faces of races he had not yet seen. There was a face that Jung Yu-shin knew. Jung Yu-shin''s eyes widened for a moment. Jackson. A relationship they had in a beginner explorer class. The class was only a week, but since they were both beginners, they got along well. His prejudice against Barbaroi wasn''t that big either. The time they spent together became affection, and Jung''s heart was shaken. Jung Yu-shin''s hand slowed down for a moment. A raccoon with Jackson''s head dodged the dagger and rushed at him. The raccoon''s tail poked into the helmet''s eye socket. "Huh!" "Scar!!" Roynel screamed. The stinger didn''t pierce his eye. The raccoon shook its tail vigorously. The helmet on the end of the tail was taken off. The helmet flew far away, revealing Jeong Yu-shin''s face. He swung his dagger in a fit of rage. The body was torn in half and fell to the ground. Bam! Another raccoon''s stinger that had come near before he knew it was stuck in Jeong Yu-shin''s neck. "Ugh!!" The venom quickly spread through his blood vessels and into his body. He swung his dagger and cut off the tail. The stinger was still stuck in his neck. When he pulled it out, poison and blood flowed out from his neck. He avoided the carotid artery. He couldn''t worry about anything else. The raccoon kept pushing. Jeong Yu-shin swung his dagger like crazy. Karin''s movements had already disappeared from his mind. He had forgotten the teachings of the swordsmanship union. Only evil and courage remained. He cut, cut, and tore. He trampled and crushed the ones rushing from below without regard to their necks, faces, or tails with his walker. But he couldn''t stop all the guys who were rushing in. Boom!! Thigh. Boom!! Shin. Boom!! Right arm. He was stabbed in several places that the iron plate couldn''t cover. His vision was blurry. He didn''t even know how he was standing. He was still able to endure thanks to the defensive magic that Ahiman had cast. But that was also getting closer to its limit. His body was getting duller. Roynel shouted something from behind, but he couldn''t hear it. Boom!! Jung Yu-shin''s eyes widened. The poisonous needle was stuck in his neck again. He made eye contact with the human-faced fox. ''I see.'' They were the ones who would rip his head off by inserting a needle deep into his neck and control his body by inserting their spine into the neck section. He understood their behavioral principles with his body. You damn bastards. Jung Yu-shin grabbed the raccoon that was clinging to his neck. The raccoon bit his arm with its sharp teeth. Jung Yu-shin opened his mouth wide. Crash!! He bit the vertebra with his teeth and roughly ripped it off. ¡°Kkeueeeeek!!¡± The raccoon let out a final cry and fell limp. ¡°Tsk!¡± He spat out the bone fragments and gathered the remaining magical power in his palms. [Sacred Weapon] The weapon he wanted was a warhammer. He grabbed the brilliant golden hammer that had formed in an instant with both hands and struck it down. Kwaaaaaaaang!!! A cloud of dust rose. The living and dead raccoons were mixed together, breaking into pieces and flying in all directions. This is the end. There is no more magical power. It¡¯s the end. Thud!! Thud!! Boom!! The iron plate of the light armor was ripped off. The sharp poisonous needle pierced the leather of the light armor and pierced his body. The sticky poison spread all over his body. He sensed death. That was when. [Abyss Barrier] An enormous force burst out from behind and pushed the human-faced martens. He drove away not only the martens clinging to Jung Yu-shin''s body, but also those entering through the entrance. It was a barrier magic that expelled the energy of the other world. Among those being pushed away, there were those who had crashed into the wall and burst. Jung Yu-shin knelt down upon seeing that. Roynel came up to Jung Yu-shin in a panic. Karin and Gilsian, who had come to their senses, crawled on the ground and approached Jung Yu-shin. "Skaa." A trembling voice leaked out from Karin''s mouth. Jung Yu-shin opened his mouth. ¡°Bhheeeek.¡± A handful of black blood flowed out of his mouth. ¡°Don¡¯t talk. Just wait a minute.¡± Roynel jumped into the luggage. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Why are you doing this?¡± Karin muttered as she looked up at Jung Yu-shin. Her eyes were trembling. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤To survive. To survive.¡± ¡°How is this survival?!!¡± ¡°You. Survived. Right? This time. You. Save. Me.¡± Jung Yu-shin spoke intermittently and then banged his head on the floor. Karin shook Jung Yu-shin¡¯s body and shouted, but it didn¡¯t reach Jung Yu-shin. ¡°Skaa!!¡± Darkness approached. A faint consciousness lingered in reality and floated. Occasionally, the voices of the party members could be heard. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Isn¡¯t there a way?¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤All the recovery potions¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°Block it!!¡± ¡°Bring me some arrows!!¡± ¡°We have to set up the barrier again! Ahiman!¡± Her consciousness and body shook back and forth like leaves in the wind. Her eyes closed and darkness came again. Jung Yu-shin opened her eyes. Her entire body was stiff and she couldn¡¯t move properly. Her stomach was rumbling and she felt nauseous. She barely managed to get up and looked around. She was still inside the tower. However, it didn¡¯t seem to be the first floor. Only a faint torch remained, illuminating the dark space. ¡°Are you awake?¡± Karin said. She was sitting close to Jung Yu-shin. Her face was pale and her lips were dry. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Where are the other party members?¡± ¡°Gilsian and Roynel are searching the tower. They¡¯re probably upstairs.¡± Karin stammered and explained the current situation. Two days had passed since Jung Yu-shin collapsed. Jung Yu-shin barely managed to hold on to his lifeline with the defensive magic that Ahiman had cast, and was barely able to survive with a recovery potion and Gilsian¡¯s purification magic. Karin continued. ¡°I used the purification magic four times. Only then did he breathe. It was close.¡± Jung Yu-shin nodded and stopped listening. Purification magic? ¡°What is purification magic?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a sacred magic exclusive to priests. It¡¯s a magic that cleanses impure things.¡± It wasn¡¯t a engraving, but a sacred magic exclusive to paladins. But doesn¡¯t he need to be healthy to use magic? ¡°How did Gilsian recover?¡± ¡°The Abyss Barrier has driven out some of the otherworldly energy inside of his body. In the meantime, I used the Anti-Poison Scroll to heal Gilsian first, and Gilsian used purification magic on you. Of course, me too.¡± When Ahiman used the barrier magic, I could see why Karin and Gilsian came to their senses and moved a little. Besides, Gilsian had been stammering before. I realized that the paladin could resist the power of the otherworld a little. Karin continued to explain. Blocking the entrance to the first floor failed. The second floor also failed. They were pushed back to the third floor. Ahiman was currently using the barrier magic on the stairs leading up to the third floor to block the intrusion of the human-faced foxes. ¡°We can¡¯t hold out much longer. Ahiman is at his limit.¡± Karin finished her speech with a gloomy mutter. ¡°...¡± Jung Yu-shin listened to Karin silently. Two days had passed since they had been trapped in the tower. It was right to think that it was too late to hope for salvation. It was not a situation where they could wait any longer. They had to get through it on their own. Crunch! One of the two wooden doors on either end of the third floor opened wide. It was the wooden door on the right. The torch between Karin and Jung Yu-shin swayed. Jung Yu-shin turned his head. Someone was standing at the doorway. Chapter 35: Lucky day The person standing in the doorway was Roynel. Gilsian was there too. I heard he was exploring the tower, but it seemed he had already finished. Roynel opened his eyes wide when he saw Jung Yushin. ¡°Oh! You¡¯re awake!¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Gilsian approached Jung Yushin and patted him on the shoulder. ¡°Thank you. Thanks to you, I survived.¡± Jung Yushin shook his head. ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. I just did what I had to do.¡± Jung Yushin turned his head and looked at Roynel. He had something he wanted to ask. ¡°I heard you went upstairs. Did you find anything useful?¡± Roynel shook his head with a gloomy expression. ¡°Nothing. All the useful items were looted in the first place. All I got was a magic scroll that digs the ground. I don¡¯t even know if it can be cast properly.¡± Jung Yushin¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Are there scrolls in places like this?¡± Gilseon answered instead. ¡°Various magical tools appear starting from the 5th floor. Magic weapons, magic books, magic scrolls, etc. Most of them are in boxes or carried by monsters. Good magical tools are sold for a high price, but since this is a low floor, there aren¡¯t many great items.¡± ¡°Do better items appear the deeper you go? Why do they appear?¡± ¡°The deeper you go, the higher the ¡®probability¡¯ of obtaining better magical tools. And don¡¯t ask me why magical tools appear. I don¡¯t know either. If you¡¯re really curious, go to the Labyrinth Academy and learn.¡± Jeong Yu-shin frowned. Last time, Darmon told me. It costs 10 gold coins to attend the Labyrinth Academy for a year. ¡®You burn 10 gold coins in the academy? Phew.¡¯ He didn¡¯t have the luxury of doing something crazy like that. Jung Yu-shin returned to the main topic. ¡°Have you tried going up to the rooftop?¡± Gil-seon folded his arms and shook his head. ¡°No. I came down halfway. It was too high. I guess it¡¯s about 15 stories.¡± Jung Yu-shin looked around. Ahiman was nowhere to be seen. ¡°Where is Ahiman?¡± Roynel raised his finger and pointed to the wooden door on the left. Jung Yu-shin approached the wooden door and opened it. He saw the stairs leading down to the second floor. Ahiman was standing there with his back turned. ¡°Ahiman? How are you?¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Yumashum.¡± Ahiman muttered something he couldn¡¯t understand. Jung Yu-shin scratched his head once and answered. ¡°Understood.¡± He returned to where Roynel was. The party members gathered around the torch. ¡°I can¡¯t see any way to survive.¡± Roynel muttered bitterly. ¡°If we hold out a little longer, the Labyrinth Investigation Team might come.¡± Gilsian replied. ¡°...¡± Karin was still gloomy. Jung Yushin silently chewed on the jerky. ¡°We don¡¯t even know where Captain Hans¡¯ party is, so how can we expect the Investigation Team on the 4th floor?¡± ¡°Roynel, don¡¯t give up hope.¡± ¡°I was just stating the reality. Damn it!!¡± Despite Gilsian¡¯s reassurance, Roynel suddenly got angry and slammed the floor. ¡°Ahiman¡¯s magic has its limits now. We have to find a way.¡± Roynel chewed his lips. Then he saw Jung Yushin chewing on the jerky. ¡°Barbaroi, is it delicious? I¡¯m going to die soon, but is the jerky going down my throat?¡± ¡®When I eat it, even a dog won¡¯t touch it.¡¯ Jung Yu-shin took out a jerky from his pocket and held it out. ¡°Would you like some?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Roynel and Gil-seon started arguing again. Jung Yu-shin got up from his seat. Roynel looked at Jung Yu-shin. ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go to the bathroom for a moment.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Okay.¡± Jung Yu-shin took out a new torch and went upstairs. It was the same as the floor below. There were only dusty bookshelves, tables, and chairs. He went up one more level. It was no different. While other fantasy protagonists were like pigs, eating hidden pieces and all, and overcoming crises with ease, he barely managed to overcome them by groaning like a puppy that needed to poop, pulling out his hair, and rolling around. However, this was his limit. This time, there was no way to survive. ¡®Shut up.¡¯ Jung Yu-shin slapped his own cheek. But his frustration didn¡¯t go away. Jung Yu-shin went up a few more floors. He reached the 8th floor after climbing the stairs. He opened the wooden door, went inside, and looked around with a torch. ¡®There¡¯s really nothing much.¡¯ All there was was an empty bookshelf covered in dust and a wooden table that had already rotted away. ¡°Huh?!¡± Jung Yu-shin¡¯s eyes stopped at one place. There was a wooden box in the corner. Wasn¡¯t that the box that Gil Si-eon had mentioned earlier? Gilseon told him not to expect much, but he didn¡¯t know. There was a possibility that it was a magical tool that could overcome this gloomy situation. Maybe it was a Hidden Piece. A box that only shows up when a person comes alone. A box that only shows sympathy. Jung Yu-shin approached the box with a pounding heart and opened it. Creak. The box opened with a creaking sound. ¡®Huh.¡¯ Inside the box was a parchment sealed with a green seal. A magic scroll. It looked the same as the sealed parchment Carlton had given him. He picked up the magic scroll with trembling hands and quickly went down to the third floor. He wanted to climb up the tower and search the next floor, but Karin¡¯s words weighed on his mind. Didn¡¯t he say that Ahiman didn¡¯t have much time left to stop him? Roynel opened his eyes wide when he saw Jung Yu-shin running towards him in a hurry. ¡°What?! A monster coming down from above?!¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°But why are you running like that?¡± ¡°Look at this. I found a magic scroll.¡± Everyone¡¯s eyes were focused on it. Roynel approached and frowned as he examined the magic scroll. ¡°It¡¯s trash.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a random teleportation scroll. Wasn¡¯t this the one on the 8th floor?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t this great? We can all escape from here together!¡± Jung Yushin shouted excitedly. Roynel sighed and said. ¡°You¡¯re talking crazy. This is a first-generation scroll. It¡¯s impossible to move between levels, and the transfer coordinate designation method is outdated. In short, if you open a portal and go inside, you¡¯ll immediately become one with the wall or the dirt, the worst of the worst. Especially in this city. If you get stuck in the wall and only expose your butt, that¡¯s all that matters.¡± Jung Yushin¡¯s shoulders slumped. He thought again. He remembered what Karin had said at the inn. Didn¡¯t he say that monsters avoid portals? Jung Yu-shin raised his head. ¡°Can¡¯t we use this to block the entrance?¡± ¡°The portal lasts a short time. It won¡¯t last long.¡± ¡°Haa.¡± It was a fool¡¯s errand. No matter how hard he thought, there was no good way. ¡®No. There must be a way.¡¯ He sat down and closed his eyes. Jung Yu-shin thought desperately in the gloomy silence. I can¡¯t die in a place like this. ¡®Even if the sky falls, there¡¯s a hole to escape from.¡¯ Wait. Jung Yu-shin¡¯s eyes flashed open. ¡®Collapse?¡¯ ¡®A hole?¡¯ Jung Yu-shin opened his mouth. ¡°I have a plan.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Tell me. Gilseon spoke as the representative. Jung Yushin explained his plan. The party members who had been listening to Jung Yushin¡¯s plan became more and more bizarre as time passed. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤How about this?¡± He finished explaining. ¡°...¡± Silence fell. Roynel muttered blankly. ¡°Are you crazy?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Does this make sense? You¡¯ve completely lost your mind.¡± Roynel raised his voice. He looked hysterical. ¡®You¡¯ve been nitpicking since a while ago.¡¯ Jung Yushin, who had become uncomfortable, spoke bluntly. ¡°Are elves naturally timid? Is it a racial trait?¡± The veins on Roynel¡¯s forehead turned red. ¡°No, you punk.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s not swear. It¡¯ll make you lose your cool.¡± Roynel laughed as if he was in a good mood and looked around. The party members were seriously considering Jeong Yu-shin''s plan. ¡°It¡¯s reckless, but it¡¯s worth it.¡± Karin opened her mouth. ¡°I agree. Of course, I hope it goes as planned, but I¡¯m a little worried.¡± Gilsian agreed. ¡°Haa.¡± Roynel shook his head. ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s give it a try. There really isn¡¯t a normal person among the Barbaroi.¡± Jung Yu-shin went to Ahiman and explained the plan. Ahiman, who had been listening silently, opened his mouth. ¡°Umtaku.¡± ¡°Do you agree?¡± ¡°Hadoppua.¡± ¡°If you agree, nod.¡± Ahiman nodded. All preparations were complete. Jung Yu-shin packed his bags. He picked up the one-handed sword that Roynel had lent him. Gilsian looked back and said. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± The party members nodded silently. Ahiman released the barrier magic. A roar was heard from below. Kwaaaaang!!! Gilsian took the lead and broke through the stairs. Golden light emanated from the letters engraved on Gilsian''s greatsword. Since the stairs were narrow, there was no place for the human-faced martens to escape. They were all cut down as soon as the sword was swung. In an instant, they broke through the second floor and came down to the first floor. Human-faced martens were ? N§àv§Öl¦Éght ? (Read the full story) swarming on the first floor. "Haaaaap!!" Gilsian gathered his strength and swung his greatsword. Puhaaaaak!!! As the greatsword swept away the human-faced martens all at once, a space appeared on the floor where he could stand. "Ahiman!!" Ahiman took his position and immediately recited the spell. Jeong Yu-shin stayed next to Gilsian and assisted. Tsuaak!! He slashed and stabbed with his sword. There wasn''t much for him to do. Gilsian stood firm and swept away the enemy with overwhelming force. ''As expected, Lieutenant Explorer.'' Karin also moved nimbly and swung her dagger. It didn''t collapse all at once like last time. [Abyss Strike] Ahiman casted a spell. The tentacles shot out. The tentacles that looked like they would strike the human-faced raccoons at any moment suddenly struck the pillars of the tower. It was the plan that Jeong Yu-shin had explained. Even if the tower collapses, there will be a hole to rise up from. The so-called Tower Hole Plan. Boom!! Boom!! Boom!! The tower began to shake. Rocks fell from above. Roynel tore the seal on the scroll. The first floor was in the tower! The tentacles of the tentacles were stopped at that time. Jung Yu-shin quickly grabbed Ahiman by the collar and threw him into the pit. ¡°Puldaaaaaaaaa!!¡± Ahiman let out a strange scream and fell into the pit. There was a loud crashing sound, cursing, and groans. Jung Yu-shin gritted his teeth. One more hit was not enough. One more hit to collapse the tower. [Sacred Weapon] ¡®If it doesn¡¯t work, I have to make it work.¡¯ What he wanted was a hammer. He gathered magical energy particles from his hands and created a giant war hammer. It was a war hammer of a different size than anything he had ever made before. ¡°Hwaaaaaaaap!!!¡± He used all his strength to hit the pillar. Kkwaaaaaaaah!!! The pillar was completely destroyed and the tower began to collapse. Jung Yu-shin rolled his body to avoid the falling pieces of wood and rocks, then shook off the raccoon that was clinging to him and went into the hole. ¡°Kkueek.¡± Ahiman, who had received Jung Yu-shin¡¯s body, let out a pig-snapping sound. He took out a random teleportation scroll from his bosom. When he tore the seal, a portal appeared above Jung Yu-shin¡¯s head. [Random Teleportation] Whoooooo. It was a portal that was emitting yellow light. Roynel screamed from the bottom. ¡°Are you sure this is true?!!¡± He suddenly shouted in frustration. ¡°I don¡¯t know!!¡± ¡°You crazy Barbaro-yaaaaak!!!¡± Roynel screamed. A huge boulder fell on his head. ¡®Please.¡¯ The wind came true. The portal created above Jung Yu-shin swallowed the rock. However, the size of the portal was not large enough to completely cover the hole. Small trees and rocks fell through the gap between the holes. The party members moved around like a tangled swarm of larvae in the hole, adjusting their positions. Then Jung Yu-shin and Karin¡¯s bodies were stuck together. ¡°Why do you look at me like that?¡± Karin continued to look at Jung Yu-shin¡¯s face without answering. Many people stood behind her. There were few who stood next to her, and only a very small number who stood in front and turned their backs. As the daughter of the representative of the Suin Union, she had been leading people and fighting along the border of the Eastern Union, so perhaps it was natural. I had seen many people, but there was no one like this man. Despite his weakness, he was strong. He did not run away even in desperate situations and protected the party until the end. The sight of him swinging his sword confidently without being discouraged in front of countless monsters was still vivid in my mind. What should I call this feeling? Yes. A man I can lean on. Karin lowered her head and took a deep breath in Jung Yu-shin¡¯s arms. The thick scent of this man that was gnawing at her heart couldn¡¯t be blocked by dirt and dust. A comfortable and solid smell. A lewd smell that made her stomach pound. Is this the smell of her father who died before she was born? Karin¡¯s face turned red at the absurd thought that occurred to her unconsciously. Karin couldn¡¯t raise her face, so she lowered her head even deeper. Jung Yu-shin looked down at Karin¡¯s crown. ¡®What¡¯s with the sudden nosebleed?¡¯ ¡°Hh ... A giant tower collapsed north of the forgotten city of Engrav. Phew. An arm suddenly popped out from the ruins of stones and trees. A face rose after a moment. ¡°Poohaat! I thought I was going to die.¡± A pale-faced elf crawled out of the rubble. Soon after, Ahiman, Gilsian, Karin, and finally Jeong Yu-shin emerged. As soon as Jeong Yu-shin emerged, he took out a flint from his pocket and lit the torch he had prepared in advance. The surroundings were quiet. Most of the human-faced raccoons had died under the rubble of the tower. The few remaining ones had either fled far away or dispersed to other places. The party members, covered in dust and looking like beggars, sat huddled together in a daze. ¡°Hehehe.¡± Suddenly, Roynel started laughing. ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± Jung Yu-shin asked. Then, Roynel stopped laughing and started shedding tears. Large teardrops fell onto the rubble floor. ¡®What?¡¯ ¡°Domuta.¡± Ahiman looked at Jung Yu-shin and gave him a thumbs up. ¡°I¡¯m the best? Thank you.¡± Ahiman shook his head, but Jung Yu-shin turned his head and pretended not to see. Karin just stared blankly at Jung Yu-shin¡¯s face. Gil-seon got up from his seat. ¡°Let¡¯s go. We should go out of the labyrinth first. It¡¯s dangerous to stay here any longer.¡± At Gil-seon¡¯s words, all the party members got up from their seats. The party members walked through the quiet streets. There was no attack. The party arrived in front of the transfer stone in the north without a hitch. ¡°Karin...¡± Gilsian looked at Karin. He gave her a look that said he couldn¡¯t go any further. Karin nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s go back to the labyrinth city and fix it.¡± Gilsian said to the transfer stone. He touched it. The blue portal and the red portal opened. Jung Yu-shin and his party entered the blue portal. They passed the light and came out of the labyrinth exit. Warm sunlight and refreshing air greeted them. This was the first time they came out completely unharmed. My heart was pounding and a sense of liberation shook my body. I could tell intuitively. Imprint. I got the imprint. My heart was pounding. Jung Yu-shin turned his head and looked at the faces of the party members one by one. The mission failed, but somehow they survived. No one died. Jung Yu-shin was glad about that fact. Wouldn''t they be able to join Karin''s party? I was confident that I could overcome any crisis with them. Just as Jung Yu-shin was about to open his mouth, something strange happened. "Huh!!" Roynel suddenly shouted. His entire body began to glow. ¡®Imprint?¡¯ The light flashed. Roynel disappeared, leaving behind only his clothes. Jung Yu-shin opened his eyes wide. A trembling voice escaped from his mouth. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Duck?¡± A duck crawled out from the pile of clothes. ¡°Huh!!¡± Ahiman also shouted. And his entire body began to glow. ¡°What the hell?!¡± The light flashed. Ahiman also disappeared, leaving behind only his clothes. After a while, a small lizard slowly crawled out from the pile of clothes. ¡°Crunch crounch!!¡± ¡°Crunch.¡± Jung Yu-shin quickly looked at the two and turned his gaze away. Gil Si-eon was standing quietly. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Gil Si-eon over there?¡± ¡°...¡± He called out to Gil Si-eon, but there was no answer. ¡°Excuse me for a moment.¡± Jung Yu-shin approached and lifted the cap of Gil Si-eon¡¯s helmet. ¡°Heh...¡± Thick drool flowed from Gil Si-eon¡¯s mouth. His pupils were dilated. Thump. He closed the cap. ¡°Karin?¡± Fortunately, Karin seemed fine. Karin sighed and scratched her dusty head. ¡°Haa. This is really annoying. Go quickly and smell the Scar towel and sleep..¡± Karin quickly covered her mouth before speaking. Her face turned red like a ripe apple. Then she suddenly ran off somewhere. ¡°No. Where are you going?¡± Jung Yu-shin muttered in a weak voice. ¡°Kwak kkwak!!¡± ¡°Chirup. Chirup.¡± ¡°Heh...¡± Jung Yu-shin couldn¡¯t stand to see the party members, so his legs gave out and he collapsed on the floor. The priest and the guards were running towards him from afar. But Jung Yu-shin just stared at the ¡®things¡¯ that were once his party members. Somehow, he was lucky. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤I¡¯m not confident about this.¡± Seriously. Chapter 36: Ori, Jeong Yu-shin and Mi-on Jung Yoo-shin was guided by the guards to the explorer''s guild exchange office, which was located right in front of the labyrinth. Since the labyrinth closure order hadn''t been fully lifted, there were no people inside the exchange office, and it was quite empty. He entered a small office in the corner of the exchange. An elf was sitting at a desk, scribbling on a scroll with a pen. The elf raised their head. Dark circles lingered under their eyes. "The Labyrinth Exploration Team 12, the leader would be Karin, right? Are you the only one who survived?" Jung Yoo-shin approached and plopped down onto the chair opposite the elf. "No, but who are you?" "I''m the head secretary of the Labyrinth Exploration Team. I''m with the committee. My job is to take the team''s reports. Tell me what happened." The elf glanced at Jung Yoo-shin¡¯s hair and added, "Leave out the mating stories." "Yes." Jung Yoo-shin began speaking. He summarized what had happened in the labyrinth, leaving out the emotions and sticking to the facts. Thirty minutes passed. "...And so, Karin ran off somewhere, and two party members turned into animals. One of them seems a bit out of it. They seem to have some sort of idiot imprint." "Where are those party members?" "They¡¯re waiting outside the exchange office." "Then I¡¯ll go check..." "Quack quack!!" The sound from outside made the elf stop standing up and sit back down. "I heard that. Good work. Go back and get some rest now." After reporting everything that had happened in the labyrinth, Jung Yoo-shin now had some questions of his own. He asked, "What happened to the other exploration teams?" The elf sighed and rubbed his eyes. "Some of them have finished their investigations and returned. Some haven¡¯t come back yet. It¡¯ll take a little more time before we can know for sure. An announcement will be made soon, so wait for that." The elf spoke vaguely, skirting around the core issues. It didn¡¯t seem like they were going to tell him anything more. Jung Yoo-shin stood up and left the office. Creak. Thud. The door closed, and silence returned to the office. The elf muttered to himself, rubbing his forehead. "Hoo. Destroying the tower, digging a hole, and making a portal on top? Even a strong-minded person wouldn¡¯t be able to do that. This guy¡¯s completely crazy." The elf¡¯s pen moved quickly across the parchment. A moment later, he finished writing the report and added his opinion at the bottom. "Further investigation needed." The elf put the pen down and scanned the entire report once more. Seemingly satisfied, he nodded a few times and leaned back in his chair. It was a quiet noon, unusual for a labyrinth city. Jung Yoo-shin, guided by the guards, left the exchange office. At the entrance of the exchange, Ory and Lizardman, along with Gil Syeon, were waiting and greeted Jung Yoo-shin. Jung Yoo-shin quickly scanned his party members and spoke. "Well, see you later. Stay healthy." Just as he was about to leave, Roynell, who had transformed into a duck, bit Jung Yoo-shin¡¯s foot. "Ugh! What is this?" "Quack quack!!" ¡®What is it?¡¯ "Are you asking me to take you to the temple? To erase your imprint?" The duck shook its head. "Then what are you asking for? Speak, like a human." "Quack." The duck gathered its two wings and pretended to sleep. "You want to be put to sleep?" "Quack!" "And money?" The duck stuck out its plump belly. Jung Yoo-shin stared at the soft, white fur on the duck¡¯s belly for a moment and spoke. "Shall I cut your belly open?" The duck nodded. Jung Yoo-shin couldn¡¯t help but laugh. "Come here for a moment. Don''t back off. This elf really." As if it were instinct, the duck, who had once been an elf archer, quickly backed away and began loudly quacking. A passing guard saw the situation and approached. "What¡¯s going on?" "The duck is making fun of me." "You must be tired. Were you with an exploration team? Go and rest." "Understood. Come on, duck. Let¡¯s go home. Oh, you¡¯re cute." The duck slowly approached. ¡®Now.¡¯ Chomp! Jung Yoo-shin grabbed the duck''s body firmly. "Roynell, stop this. Get a grip. You¡¯re an elf." The duck flapped its wings wildly. "Quack quack!" The guard laughed and said, "That one¡¯s tough. He¡¯s getting some good rest." The duck¡¯s body stiffened. Jung Yoo-shin¡¯s face became serious. "Really, you¡¯re an elf." "I know. I saw you from afar. Just playing around. But be careful. It might not just be a game when you go out on the street." Upon hearing this, Jung Yoo-shin¡¯s mind snapped to attention. Earlier, the priests had come to check if he was in his right mind and had asked him a few questions, which now made sense. It was a procedure to confirm if he could fulfill his duty as the protector of the party. Jung Yoo-shin unpacked his things and searched through Roynell¡¯s clothes. His fingers brushed something cold. When he took it out, it was a silver badge. A silver badge symbolizing a mid-level explorer. Jung Yoo-shin hung the badge around the duck''s neck. The guard''s words felt strangely serious. He barely survived, only to be kidnapped by a passerby and end up with a duck meat ending. How tragic could that be? Jung Yoo-shin looked around, but Ahiman was nowhere to be seen. "Chirrup." Ahiman, who had turned into a lizard, was already sitting on Jung Yoo-shin¡¯s shoulder. "Ahiman, are you going to erase your imprint? Should I take you to the temple?" The lizard bit Jung Yoo-shin¡¯s earlobe. "Let¡¯s talk. If you don¡¯t like that, just slap my palm twice." Jung Yoo-shin held out his palm. The lizard stared at it for a moment before biting it. Once. Twice. "You don¡¯t like it? Confirmed." He couldn¡¯t understand what these people were thinking. Jung Yoo-shin sighed as he looked at Gil Syeon and took his hand. "Let¡¯s go." The strange procession began. At the front, the duck, with its silver badge hanging around its neck, waddled proudly. Following behind, Barbaro was holding the hand of a warrior in plate armor. A lizard sat on the warrior¡¯s black-haired head. The street was crowded with people, all chattering. "Could it be the Labyrinth Exploration Team?" "Did they fail?" "I don¡¯t know. But it''s really unusual to have two animal transformation imprints." The people whispered to each other but didn¡¯t approach. Jung Yoo-shin¡¯s face turned red. ¡®Stop looking. I¡¯m embarrassed.¡¯ The duck shook its bottom proudly, swinging its silver badge as it walked. Receiving attention from the people, they passed through the southern street and arrived at the Dar Mong inn. "We¡¯re back." Dar Mong, who was sitting at the counter, jumped up. "You made it back alive." "Yes. How long has it been since I left?" "It¡¯s been about a week." Has it really been that long? ¡®Time really flies.¡¯ Dar Mong looked around Jung Yoo-shin and spoke. "Duck, lizard, paladin. Quite the unusual combination. Where¡¯s Karin?" "She suddenly started talking about towels and then ran off somewhere." "I see. Well, welcome back." When Jung Yoo-shin sat at the counter, Dar Mong pulled out a cup and poured some liquor. "Wait a moment. I¡¯ll bring something to eat." "Okay." The duck flapped its wings beside him, so Jung Yoo-shin sat it down in a chair. He gently took Gil Syeon¡¯s hand and led him to sit next to the duck. The lizard, who had already descended to the counter table, was licking its tongue. "Haah." An unknown sigh escaped him. Dar Mong came out of the kitchen holding bread, cheese, and dried sausages. "The earthquake made it impossible to start a fire. Apologies." "It¡¯s fine. Thank you." Jung Yoo-shin slowly ate the food. When Roynell, with its eyes shining, pressed its beak against the bread and cheese, Jung Yoo-shin tore off a small piece and gave it to him. ¡®It should be fine, right?¡¯ Since he wasn¡¯t sure what the duck usually ate, he was anxious, but he felt reassured when Roynell gulped it down happily. He also gave some bread pieces to the lizard, which licked them up with its tongue. ¡®It eats well.¡¯ Feeling relieved, Jung Yoo-shin also took off Gil Syeon¡¯s helmet and fed him the food. Thankfully, Gil Syeon ate it without issue. Watching them, Dar Mong smiled faintly. Once the meal was finished, Jung Yoo-shin began recounting the events in the labyrinth. "...When we left the labyrinth, Roynell turned into a duck, Ahiman became a lizard, and Gil Syeon became an idiot. We reported everything to the explorer guild and returned." "Ska, you¡¯ve grown." Dar Mong patted Jung Yoo-shin¡¯s shoulder. "I don¡¯t know. I was just lucky." "Luck is also a skill." Splash! Beer splashed on Jung Yoo-shin¡¯s face. Looking to the side, he saw Roynell swaying its bottom, its head in a beer mug, moving its beak rhythmically. ¡®Oh, my head.¡¯ The dizzying sight made him grab his head. "Roynell, aren¡¯t you an elf? A noble highborn? Let¡¯s maintain some dignity." "Quack!!" Splash! Beer splashed on his face again. ¡®Is this guy insane?¡¯ No wonder, he was laughing and crying at the end of the labyrinth, and it seemed his mind had snapped. Anger flared up, but it quickly extinguished. ¡®Ah, I don¡¯t care anymore.¡¯ He was so tired. It had been a series of shocks, both mentally and physically. Jung Yoo-shin wiped the beer off his face and stood up. "Dar Mong, I¡¯m going up to rest." Dar Mong smiled and nodded. "Got it. Is this paladin serving the Light Spirit?" "Yes." "I¡¯ll contact you separately. You look really tired." "Yes. I¡¯ll rest first." Jung Yoo-shin bowed and went upstairs. The duck and the lizard followed him. The lizard was riding on the duck''s back. "Let¡¯s get separated. Go to a different room." "Quack!" "I should¡¯ve kept quiet." Once inside the room, Jung Yoo-shin grabbed Roynell, who was squirming around, and wiped its feet with a damp towel. The lizard slowly avoided to the corner, so he just shared the towel. Jung Yoo-shin also undressed, wiped his body with the towel, changed into new clothes, and lay down on the bed. The lizard and the duck crawled into the blanket. "Sigh." Jung Yoo-shin sighed and closed his eyes. Late lunch the next day. Jung Yoo-shin woke up. He lifted the blanket to find Roynell and the lizard, eyes closed, snoring gently. "Wake up." Jung Yoo-shin shook the duck and lizard awake and brought them downstairs to the inn¡¯s first floor. "Did you wake up? Gil Syeon was taken by the Earth Spirit priest last night." "Yes. That¡¯s a relief." Jung Yoo-shin ate the food Dar Mong had prepared and went for a walk. Ronnell, whining and pulling at his pants, was impossible to resist. The street was still full of knights and guards glaring and controlling the area. Several times, the guards stopped him and ¡ã? N o v e l i g h t ?¡ã interrogated him, but each time Roynell stepped forward and poked the guards'' knees with its beak. The guard looked down at the duck with a pitying gaze. "Is it your companion?" "Yes. I¡¯m an elf." "Ha. For an elf, this is quite... go on. You''ve had a tough time." "Yes. Take care." After several sympathetic looks from the guards, they finally reached the park. The park had many tents scattered around. People who had fled because of the earthquake had set up camp there. Jung Yoo-shin sat on a bench, some distance away from the fountain. Roynell was playing around the fountain, completely forgetting its dignity. Soon it seemed like it might even eat worms. Ahiman, on the other hand, was lying next to Jung Yoo-shin, enjoying the warm sunlight. Jung Yoo-shin sat idly, watching the duck and the fountain. He had a lot to do, but it was hard to take his eyes off his party. ¡®Really having fun.¡¯ "Ah? Ska!" At the call, he turned his head and saw Mion standing there. "Mion-sensei." Jung Yoo-shin stood up and bowed to Mion, who also smiled softly and nodded. "I heard you joined the Labyrinth Exploration Team. It¡¯s a relief to see you safe." "I was lucky." Really. This time, he had barely escaped death, with the Grim Reaper slapping him on the cheek and dragging him away. Had he not regained his senses, or if his luck had been just a little bit worse, he would have died. Chapter 37: Your imprint is Mi-on got up from her seat. ¡°I¡¯ll see you in class, Ska-nim.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Jung Yu-shin looked at Mi-on¡¯s back as she left. The wind blew. The loose white priest¡¯s clothes rolled up. The tight black priest¡¯s clothes were revealed, and the buttocks with prominent panty lines swayed. A natural buttocks that fascinate people. Swish! ¡°Ouch!¡± Ahi-man bit Jung Yu-shin¡¯s ear. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Chirup.¡± The lizard raised his small hand and pointed to the fountain. Roynel was approaching two ducks that had flown into the fountain. The two ducks looked like a couple. Roynel slowly approached the female duck. ¡®What are you doing?¡¯ Jung Yu-shin sensed something strange and got up from his seat. Kook. Roynel poked the female duck¡¯s butt with his beak. The female duck was startled and squawked. The male duck saw this and glared and flapped his wings. ¡°You crazy bastard!¡± Jung Yu-shin shouted and quickly ran to grab Roynel. The duck couple spread their wings and flew away from the fountain. ¡°Kook quack!¡± ¡°Why are you burying your face in another man¡¯s wife¡¯s butt?! Are you crazy?¡± He grabbed the struggling duck and returned to the inn. He was afraid of what else this crazy duck would do. ¡°I¡¯m home.¡± Darmon greeted him at the counter. ¡°Are you here?¡± A female elf and a little girl wearing a robe were standing in front of the counter. ¡°Honey.¡± An old-fashioned female elf approached Ori. Ori¡¯s body stiffened. It was like a prey caught by a wild beast. ¡°Roynel Acrein, if you have such a strange imprint, you should stay in your room quietly. Where are you wandering around like that?¡± Ori¡¯s head drooped. The female elf crossed her arms and glared at Ori. Ori¡¯s body gradually shrank at her overbearing attitude. The female elf opened her mouth. ¡°I can¡¯t understand how you can act so stubbornly after being married for over 100 years. We took in a wandering elf with nothing and even gave him the family name. Was that all? We gave him financial support and a beautiful and virtuous wife like me. I thought you had grown into a suitable member of the Acrein family through proper education for a long time, but I was wrong. You really don¡¯t have even a speck of manners or dignity.¡± Roynel¡¯s head almost touched the floor as his wife¡¯s words poured out like a machine gun. ¡®I never thought Roynel would be my son-in-law.¡¯ It was a bit pitiful to see Roynel being so harassed. But I didn¡¯t feel like interfering in someone else¡¯s marriage and saying anything, so I just watched. The elf woman said. ¡°You really are losing face. Come with me. I will educate you again.¡± The elf woman bowed her head slightly to Jung Yu-shin and Darmon and left the inn. Ori followed the elf with her head down. ¡°Master.¡± This time, a small girl wearing a robe approached. The girl extended her hand to the lizard sitting on Jung Yu-shin¡¯s shoulder. The lizard climbed onto the girl¡¯s hand obediently. The girl gently stroked the lizard and bowed her head toward Jung Yu-shin. ¡°Barbaroi, thank you for taking care of the master.¡± ¡°No need. I was just there for you as a companion.¡± The girl closed her eyes for a moment and then opened them. ¡°The master wants you to convey his thanks.¡± Jung Yu-shin¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°How?¡± ¡°I have a mark that allows me to communicate with animals. My name is Maya. I am a beginner explorer, although I am lacking.¡± ¡°When did you get that mark?¡± Maya tilted her head. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤When I first went in.¡± ¡®As expected, this is a labyrinth of bad luck.¡¯ Maya nodded. ¡°The streets are still messy, so I¡¯ll go back first.¡± ¡°Yes. Please take a look.¡± Jung Yu-shin also bowed. After Maya left, only Jung Yu-shin and Darmon remained at the inn. It felt relieved, but also regretful. ¡°Phew.¡± Jung Yu-shin suddenly laughed. ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± ¡°When I went out for a walk earlier. Well, Roynel¡¤¡¤¡¤¡± Jung Yu-shin started talking. Darmon listened with a smile. The streets where the sun had set were filled with tension and anxiety, but Jung Yu-shin laughed. He spent the evening quenching his thirst with alcohol and chatting with Darmon about this and that. It was late at night, and Jung Yu-shin parted ways with Darmon and returned to his room on the second floor of the inn. He lay down on his bed, his arms resting on his pillow, and looked up at the ceiling. The investigation failed, but he survived. Strictly speaking, it wasn''t a failure. A large number of human-faced raccoons. Missing explorers. And the black portal. He got all the clues he could. They were all tangled up and inconsistent, making it difficult to draw a conclusion. He had no choice but to wait, as the Explorers'' Guild and the Tower would soon make an announcement. He had tried to check the imprint today, but he missed the opportunity because he was taking care of his colleagues. However, he had no regrets. He spent the day walking around the park with his party members, briefly forgetting what had happened in the labyrinth. I guess it''s okay to put it off for a day. Jung Yu-shin closed his eyes. Ducks and lizards were spinning around in his eyes. And darkness came. * * * Jung Yu-shin opened his eyes. ¡°This is?¡± He got up from his seat and looked around. A familiar place. A place with a convenience store and a sewer. It was the place before he teleported. ¡°A wolf?¡± A red-furred wolf came from somewhere. Judging from the way it walked carefully, it seemed very cautious. ¡°What?! Don¡¯t come near me.¡± Jung Yu-shin backed away. Could it be that I¡¯m going to get bitten? Leveling up like that was out of the question. The red wolf stopped approaching and bent down. Its tail was wagging. ¡°Kkiing. Kkiing.¡± The wolf cried sadly and pushed its head in little by little. ¡°Do you want me to pat you?¡± The wolf nodded. He slowly approached and held out his hand. The wolf stuck its head in and sniffed, so I pushed it away slightly. It was too clingy and burdensome. Then the wolf whined again. I felt sorry for it, so I patted its head and scratched its chin. It wagged its tail and licked my cheek as if it was excited. And then. Jung Yu-shin opened his eyes. Darmon''s Inn. It was his room. "A dog dream all of a sudden?" Jung Yu-shin muttered blankly. His mouth and cheeks were sticky and wet, as if he had drooled while sleeping. At that moment, the vitality in his body surged. The hot energy spread throughout his body, melting into his bones and flesh. ''Level up.'' His body realized it first. ''Leveling up this easily?'' Jung Yu-shin looked down at his body and smiled. Either way, it was a win. He got up from his seat, put on his clothes, and went down to the first floor. Karin was sitting at the table with her arms crossed. ¡°You woke up early.¡± ¡°Karin? How are you? I was worried because you suddenly ran off somewhere.¡± ¡°I got a strange seal, so I went to the temple to erase it. It wasn¡¯t a big deal, so don¡¯t worry about it.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Jung Yu-shin nodded. It was strange that Karin kept nagging at him even though he told her not to worry about it. Karin looked at Jung Yu-shin¡¯s face. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Oh...you¡¯ve got spit on your face.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± ¡°Wipe it off with this. It¡¯s not clean.¡± Karin handed him a handkerchief from her pocket. ¡°Thank you.¡± Jung Yu-shin wiped his mouth with the handkerchief. Karin stared at him as if she was possessed. ¡®Is it expensive?¡¯ Jung Yu-shin handed the handkerchief back. ¡°I used it well.¡± ¡°Uh...uh.¡± Silence lingered between the two for a moment. ¡°Do you have anything else to do today?¡± ¡°Yes. I have something to do today.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to the temple to get the seal checked..¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Jung Yu-shin suddenly remembered something curious. ¡°Karin-sama.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Did you level up?¡± ¡°Masou adaptation, right? Yes. Did you do it too?¡± ¡°Yes. Isn¡¯t it a bit strange? It seems like you leveled up too fast.¡± Karin crossed her arms and stared into space at Jung Yu-shin¡¯s words. After a while, Karin opened her mouth. ¡°It seems like the new monsters that came out this time had a lot of masus. We¡¯ll have to wait for the announcement from the Magic Tower and the union for more details, but I heard that most of the Labyrinth Investigation Party that participated this time leveled up.¡± I see. It was a life-threatening burning event. It was a terrifying event where if you lived, you leveled up. If you died, you lost your body and face. ¡°But where did Darmon go?¡± ¡°He went out to buy breakfast.¡± ¡°When did Karin-sama come?¡± ¡°Why are you so curious? Stop asking!¡± Karin suddenly got angry. ¡®Look at your personality. Who would take you with such a brash person?¡¯ Jung Yu-shin clicked his tongue and shut his mouth. Thud! Karin placed the leather pouch on the table. A clinking sound was heard from the pouch. Jung Yu-shin¡¯s eyes flashed. ¡°This is a gift. I mixed some gold and silver coins in it.¡± ¡°Thank you. I will be loyal forever.¡± Jung Yu-shin smiled and grabbed the leather pouch. It was heavy. Peace came to his heart. ¡°Would you like a back kiss?¡± ¡°No problem.¡± Karin blushed slightly but firmly refused. Clang! The inn door opened. Darmon came into the inn carrying his bag. ¡°Hmm? ¡°Ska, are you awake?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Darmon opened the bag embroidered with a bear doll and took out food. It was bread, cheese, and sausages bought at the market. Since there was still a risk of earthquake, they had to avoid using fire to cook food. Jeong Yu-shin got up from his seat and went to the kitchen to get some dishes. He put the food in a wooden bowl and placed it on the table, and the three of them sat together. The meal ended in silence. Jeong Yu-shin got up from his seat. ¡°I¡¯ll go to the Earth Mother Temple for a moment.¡± ¡°Okay. Take care. There are still guards, so be careful not to get caught.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Jeong Yu-shin clutched his head. ¡®I was Barbaroi.¡¯ ¡°Should I go with you?¡± Karin asked. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yeah. I have nothing to do anyway.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Jung Yu-shin and Karin left the inn and walked down the street. The guards looked at Jung Yu-shin with suspicious eyes, but since Karin was next to them, they let them go. They arrived at the Earth Mother Shrine. They went to the priest in charge of the shrine reception and told him that they would check the engraving. ¡°Here¡¯s one silver coin.¡± Jung Yu-shin took out the silver coin from his pocket and handed it to the priest. The priest who received the silver coin wrote something on a piece of paper and said to Jung Yu-shin. ¡°Ska-nim, Mi-on-nim will check the engraving. If you wait here for a moment, someone will come to guide you separately.¡± ¡°Yes. I understand.¡± Jung Yu-shin nodded and answered. ¡°Ska, do you know Mi-on?¡± Karin asked. ¡°Yes. We met by chance. She is also a teacher who teaches writing at the orphanage.¡± ¡°Huh.¡± Karin snorted and crossed her arms. Karin¡¯s face hardened slightly as if she felt uncomfortable. ¡°Why are you doing that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± After waiting for a while, a male priest approached. ¡°You can just follow me.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Jung Yu-shin followed the priest. Karin followed behind him. ¡°Why are you following me?¡± ¡°Why can¡¯t I go?¡± The priest turned around to look at Karin. ¡°Karin, are you in the same party as this person?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Okay. You can come with me.¡± The priest nodded and turned around again to walk. They walked down the hallway and arrived at a room. It was the same room as the one they had seen last time. The male priest knocked on the door three times. ¡°Priest Mion, I brought Ska.¡± ¡°Please come in.¡± Following the priest¡¯s instructions, they entered the room. ¡°Ska-sama, you¡¯re here. Then... um?¡± Mion stopped talking and looked at Karin. ¡°Karin-sama?¡± ¡°Mion.¡± The two looked at each other in silence. A strange tension filled the room. ¡®What? Do you know each other?¡¯ Jung Yu-shin crossed his arms and watched the two. Karin spoke first. ¡°Mion, is it okay for you to wear such tight clothes? It doesn¡¯t seem to meet the temple regulations.¡± Mion took off her baggy clothes and was wearing the tight black priest¡¯s uniform that she had seen at first. ¡°Is it okay for Karin-sama to wear clothes that reveal her underwear so clearly? For the daughter of the representative of the Suin Union to wear such outrageous underwear? I am ashamed of myself.¡± ¡°You¡¯re talking to others.¡± ¡°I should be the one to say it.¡± Silence fell between them again. ¡°Do you two know each other?¡± Jung Yu-shin asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Karin turned her head. ¡°We¡¯ve only met once or twice in the past.¡± Mi-on continued, looking at Jung Yu-shin. ¡°Ska-nim, please check the imprint.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Jung Yu-shin approached Mi-on, knelt on one knee, and clasped his hands together. ¡®Check T-pants.¡¯ Her plump mound was stuffed to its limit into a small piece of cloth, protruding beyond her tight priest¡¯s uniform. Jung Yu-shin bowed his head deeply and repeated. ¡®Thank you. Thank you.¡¯ He closed his eyes and prayed a prayer of thanks to the Mother Earth. Karin¡¯s sharp gaze pricked his back, but Jung Yu-shin¡¯s heart was calm. Mi-on muttered something, but Jung Yu-shin couldn¡¯t hear it. About three minutes passed. Jung Yu-shin¡¯s heart was pounding with anticipation for a new imprint. What could it be? What kind of imprint could it be? He worked hard. He fought monsters from another world and wisely overcame the crisis. He even saved his comrades. He deserved a good reward. ¡°Hit!¡± Suddenly, Mion took a step back, making a strange noise. Jung Yu-shin raised his head. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡®Please, cheat imprint.¡¯ ¡°That...that.¡± Mion couldn¡¯t continue her words, her face reddening. ¡°What is it? Tell ? N§àv§Öl¦Éght ? (Read the full story) me quickly, Mion-sensei.¡± Mion¡¯s face turned red like a tomato at Jung Yu-shin¡¯s urging. ¡°S...Ska-sama¡¯s imprint.¡± Chapter 38: That might not be bad, right? ¡°...Virgin...Imprint.¡± Mion muttered ? N§àv§Öl¦Éght ? (Read the full story) in a mosquito-like voice. I couldn¡¯t hear her clearly. ¡°What imprint? Please tell me clearly, Mion-sensei.¡± ¡°Female...virgin corruption imprint!!¡± Mion screamed. What? Jung Yu-shin lost his strength and collapsed on the floor. ¡°Female what?¡± He spoke informally. ¡°Virgin...corruption imprint.¡± ¡°Hehehe.¡± Jung Yu-shin stared blankly into space. ¡°Scar! You were hiding this imprint?!¡± Karin screamed in shock. ¡°...I just found out today too. Why would you hide it?¡± Jung Yu-shin answered weakly. ¡°Hmm? There¡¯s one more imprint. It¡¯s the last imprint.¡± There''s more? Wait. Jung Yu-shin looked at Mi-on and asked cautiously. "Teacher, is it possible for a person to obtain two seals at the same time in one labyrinth?" "No. You get one seal in one labyrinth. Of course, the probability of obtaining the seal is not that high." Jung Yu-shin stuttered and searched his memory. He got the Sacred Weapon seal in the first labyrinth. Did he get the Virgin Female Corruption seal in the second labyrinth? He remembered losing consciousness after killing the Hobgoblin Warrior with the abandoned party. When he was rescued by the Labyrinth Investigation Team and came out of the labyrinth. ''Ah.'' Was that when he got the seal? When he woke up in bed, Luke was looking down at him. ''No. If that old man had seen the seal, he would have taught him. ¡®Just let it go.¡¯ Did he treat me like a demented old man and treat me like shit? It was karma, but it was very unfair. Mion nodded her head little by little, as if she had guessed something. Karin¡¯s face turned pale, as if she was quite shocked. At this point, fear took precedence over curiosity. What kind of evil imprint could the last imprint be? Jeong Yu-shin hesitated and said. ¡°Do you really need to know?¡± ¡°This time, it¡¯s a good imprint.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a revenge imprint.¡± Mion came to her senses and calmly explained. ¡°It¡¯s an imprint that restores the body if it damages the target with a physical or magical attack in any way.¡± Mion continued. ¡°¡®Recovery¡¯ means increasing magic power, stamina, and physical regeneration ability. Of course, it¡¯s not a complete recovery. There is a certain amount of recovery, and physical deficiencies are not restored either.¡± Mi-on regained her composure. If you hit and then hit, your body will recover? It was literally a ¡®revenge¡¯ imprint. There was a limit to recovery, but it was still enough. Jeong Yu-shin, who had come to his senses, asked. ¡°If you harm yourself, will you also become a target of revenge?¡± ¡°Self-harm is an exception.¡± ¡°How can I check if the Revenger imprint is activated or not?¡± ¡°I heard that the eyes are burning with natural fire.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± ¡°Ah! I¡¯m in the rear, so I don¡¯t know the detailed value of the Revenger imprint. If there¡¯s anyone in the vanguard who knows, go and ask.¡± Ashur, the leader of the swordsmanship association, flashed through his mind. ¡®I should ask that elf.¡¯ He got the virgin female something imprint and the Revenger imprint. It felt like shit and honey were mixed well and forced into his mouth. It was bitter and sweet. Jung Yu-shin got up from his seat. Karin and Mion took a step back. ¡°Why are you doing that?¡± ¡°What...what?¡± ¡°Why are you looking at me like shit?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never done that. It¡¯s just excessive self-consciousness.¡± Jung Yu-shin took a step closer to Karin. ¡°Hic!¡± Karin took two steps back. ¡°Well...still, it¡¯s not a bad imprint for a virgin female corruption imprint.¡± Mion took a step closer and said. ??? What? He felt as if he had been hit in the head with a hammer. Jung Yu-shin¡¯s mouth opened wide. His throat was blocked by the excessive verbal abuse, and he couldn¡¯t speak. He barely managed to open his mouth, holding on to his wavering mind. ¡°Why is that? I¡¯ve never seen such a vicious imprint in my life. Please erase it.¡± Mion answered. ¡°Please reconsider. You must endure this level of negative imprinting.¡± What on earth is this priest talking about? Could it be that there is an imprint more horrible than this? Mion said. ¡°This is okay compared to the worst imprint I¡¯ve ever seen.¡± ¡°What is that worst imprint?¡± ¡°Whew.¡± Mion put her hand on her chest and took a deep breath. Mion¡¯s actions made Jeong Yu-shin tense. ¡°An imprint that becomes the underwear of the person you like.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°It was really a big deal.¡± Mion kept fanning her red face, embarrassed by her own words. Mion regained her original complexion for a moment and spoke again. ¡°Scar, what I want to say is this. There are many fatal negative imprints in the world. If you keep erasing negative imprints because you don¡¯t like them, you¡¯ll end up having an unfortunate event where you can¡¯t erase the imprint when it¡¯s really important.¡± Mion stopped talking and smiled at Scar. There was a sad sadness behind Mion¡¯s smile. ¡°How about you wait and see for a while? We don¡¯t know what will happen in the future. Really.¡± Jung Yu-shin and Mion¡¯s eyes met in the air. Jung Yu-shin nodded. ¡°Understood. If it¡¯s not too much trouble, could you explain the female corruption imprint? I¡¯ll be careful where I have to be careful.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a ¡®virgin¡¯ female corruption imprint. Please be careful with the name.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°A virgin becomes sensitive to the saliva, breath, smell, and touch of a person with this imprint, and eventually becomes corrupted and becomes that person¡¯s flesh... flesh slave. As evidence of the corruption, a vulva is formed on the uterus.¡± Mion¡¯s face turned red again and her hands flapped. I understand. It¡¯s embarrassing to hear, so how embarrassing would it be for the person explaining it? ¡°But... don¡¯t worry, Student Ska. There¡¯s a secret magic in our Earth Mother Temple. Karin may not know, but I absolutely won¡¯t become a female corrupted.¡± Mion opened the door first. A vein appeared on Karin¡¯s forehead. ¡°I have a way too!¡± Jeong Yu-shin let out a deep sigh. No matter how these two prepared, he had to prepare separately. He couldn¡¯t do something crazy like carve a vulva into the stomach of a strict virgin walking down the street and turn her into a slave. ¡°It seems a bit dangerous.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. There are two important conditions for the virgin female corruption imprint to activate.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°The other party must have at least a little ¡®favor¡¯ toward the person with the imprint and must be a ¡®virgin.¡¯¡± Hmm. ¡®Hmm?¡¯ Silence fell over the small room. The three stood there in silence. Glance. Karin glanced at Jung Yu-shin. Jung Yu-shin, who received Karin¡¯s gaze, glanced at Mion. ¡°Tch!¡± Mion put her hands on her chest and fidgeted, then glanced at Karin. Karin looked down at the floor for a moment, then glanced at Mion. Mion glanced at Jung Yu-shin. They glanced at each other in silence in silence. ''Do you like me?'' Jung Yu-shin''s shoulders rose slightly. Karin crossed her arms and said. "Then there''s nothing to worry about. Who would feel good about Barbaroi?" Jung Yu-shin''s expression darkened at the sudden blow. "Why do you think there wouldn''t be someone like that?" "I''ll ask you the opposite. Why do you think there would be someone like that?" ''No? Then that''s right. Not everyone who feels good likes someone. Phew. Yu-shin, come to your senses.'' He shouldn''t have mistakenly thought that a woman liked him just because she smiled at him. Jung Yu-shin''s shoulders slumped again. "...I''ll go back now." Jung Yu-shin bowed his head weakly. "Yes. Take care." Mi-on smiled awkwardly and accepted Jung Yu-shin''s greeting. Karin looked at Jung Yu-shin and said. ¡°I¡¯m going to talk for a bit, so wait at the entrance to the temple.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Jung Yu-shin replied dryly and left the room. Thump. The door closed. Karin glared at Mion and growled. ¡°Put your nipples in. Where are they standing up so stiffly? Have you already become a corrupted female?¡± ¡°Tch!¡± Mion covered her chest and countered. ¡°Ka...Karin-sama, you were the one rubbing your tail against Ska-sama¡¯s waist, almost touching it! Like a vulgar female.¡± ¡°Natural contact? I¡¯m the daughter of the representative of the Suin Union. I won¡¯t become corrupted by something like that. Ska licked my stomach and kissed me on the cheek this morning, and I was fine.¡± Mion¡¯s body froze as if she was greatly shocked. After a moment, Mion trembled. ¡°Uh...how?¡± ¡°Are you curious? I can¡¯t tell you that.¡± ¡°That...is that so? But what can I do? Ska-nim touched my chest? He stroked it gently and kindly with his firm hands, but Karin-nim has never done that before, has he?¡± Karin¡¯s proud expression suddenly collapsed. ¡°What...what did you say?¡± ¡°Huh.¡± Mion took her hand off her chest and faced Karin confidently. Her wariness of corruption turned into a strange sense of competition, and she bragged about where Jeong Yu-shin had touched her. The two women stared at each other in silence. Karin gritted her teeth and said. ¡°I won¡¯t give in.¡± ¡°Me neither.¡± Karin turned around and left the room. They looked different and were of different races, but the two women had the same thoughts. The condition that corruption only occurred when there was a favorable impression, not an imprint that simply promoted corruption, made the two men''s suspicions disappear. There was a favorable impression. The problem was that they had a rival. Scar would avoid his imprint and keep women at a distance. They knew that Scar would do that. Because they had seen it from the side. Karin and Mion quickly thought of a plan. It was a plan full of darkness, to find a way to prevent corruption, to reassure Scar, and to enjoy his touch a little more. Boom!! Karin left the room and the door closed. Mion put her hand on her chest and sighed. There was a more horrifying imprint than the underwear transformation imprint, but she held back her words after seeing Scar''s expression. In the labyrinth city filled with selfishness, the warm-hearted half-blood Barbaroi I wanted to protect her heart. And from that annoying red-haired bitch. Mion gritted her teeth. Jeong Yu-shin and Karin left the temple and walked down the street to Darmon''s Inn. Karin stood at the entrance of the inn and linked arms. "Scar, have you ever touched Mion''s chest?" Her mind was dizzy when she suddenly blurted out the bombshell. "Ah... no." "Really?" "Yes." She had brushed past her, but she had never touched her like kneading rice cake. "Ugh. Okay. I''ll go." "Yes. Take a look." She parted ways with Karin and entered Darmon''s Inn. "Darmon." "What''s going on?" "¡¤¡¤¡¤I got this imprint." Jung Yu-shin sat at the counter and explained to Darmon. It was past time to have a cup of tea. Darmon crossed his arms after hearing Jung Yu-shin¡¯s explanation. ¡°Hmm...¡± ¡°Should we leave the inn?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll talk to the guests first. It¡¯ll probably be okay. They¡¯re all men.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± ¡°Go up and rest.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Jung Yu-shin returned to his room and lay down on his bed. He thought he should get ready to leave soon. He had acquired a retarded imprint. He didn¡¯t want to interfere with Darmon¡¯s business. He had received money from Karin, so it wouldn¡¯t be a bad idea to look for a place to stay. But would there be a place that would accept him? He thought about it carefully, but he couldn¡¯t come up with a proper answer. There must be a place where Barbaroi is staying somewhere in the city. He couldn¡¯t even guess where it was. His head started to spin as he thought about this and that. His head started to feel dizzy after he left the labyrinth. His mind flickered and he fell asleep for a moment. Knock knock!! Jung Yu-shin opened his eyes to the sound of a knock on the door. Seeing that the room was dark, it was evening. He got up and opened the door. Darmon was standing there. ¡°The guests said it was okay. I can stay a little longer.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± The door to the next room opened wide and the cross-eyed Rat Su-in poked her head out. ¡°You¡¯re the only Barbaroi who¡¯s been quiet for almost 4 months. Be proud.¡± Jeong Yu-shin scratched his head at the sudden compliment. ¡°Oh, yes.¡± ¡°No matter how much I think about it, it¡¯s a miracle. Do you really like men?¡± ¡°I like women.¡± ¡°I understand. Don¡¯t change your mind.¡± Rat Su-in finished speaking and closed the door. Darmon shrugged. ¡°Actually, I trust me more than you. But it¡¯s true that your behavior influenced those people¡¯s choices.¡± ¡°Tch, thank you.¡± There was a gentle emotion in my heart. Despite all the slander, I tried hard to act sensibly. This is how I am rewarded. Jung Yu-shin smiled. Darmon smiled faintly upon seeing that. Darmon left and Jung Yu-shin lay down on the bed again. I couldn¡¯t sleep. I was lost in thought again until I reached the imprint. There were so many strange imprints in the world. An imprint that becomes the underwear of the person I like. Jung Yu-shin thought deeply with his arm as a pillow. ¡®Becoming Mi-on¡¯s T-pants...¡¯ Hmm. A certain evil younger sister lover came to mind for a moment and then disappeared. I can rub my face to my heart¡¯s content in Mi-on¡¯s soft and plump secret place. Jung Yu-shin stroked his own face. ¡®Whew, maybe that¡¯s not so bad?¡¯ Chapter 39: A dangerous guy? A week passed. Shocking news swept through the Labyrinth City once again. The Explorers'' Guild announced first. Three out of five high-ranking Explorer teams from the Labyrinth Investigation Team returned. Twelve out of twenty middle-ranking Explorer teams returned. Hans'' party was nowhere to be found. Among the returning investigators, there were some who had passed through the black portal. They testified that passing through the black portal teleported them to a random floor. That was why there was no support from other Labyrinth Investigation Team parties when Jeong Yu-shin''s party was trapped in the tower. Most of the bodies of the missing novice and middle-ranking Explorers were found on the fifth floor. In particular, many of the bodies were buried under the rubble of the collapsed tower. Most of them had no heads, but they were identified through ID cards. Next came the Labyrinth Magic Tower announcement. A new ''phenomenon'' occurred in the Labyrinth. A phenomenon in which new monsters appeared in random floors. Matap called this phenomenon the ''Eldritch Wave''. The reason was simple. When the otherworldly energy that was sleeping in the abyss of the Great Labyrinth burst out and stayed in a certain layer, otherworldly monsters would appear there. The earthquake occurred because of this explosion. However, now that the ''phenomenon'' had become a ''law'', he predicted that another earthquake would not occur. At least that''s what Matapju claimed. The Eldritch Wave''s movement through the layers occurred slowly. This was also why the human-faced fox found on the 5th floor was also found on the 4th floor. People on the street talked a lot about this announcement. They even went to see the people who had participated in this investigation to hear more information. The Jangsaeng tribe nodded and said nothing. They thought that what was going to happen was going to happen. On the contrary, they thought it was strange that there had been no change in the Great Labyrinth for nearly 300 years. Their theory was that the devil took on different forms depending on the era. The evil sealed by the wise Ezdras was still writhing and changing its form underneath. After hearing the announcement, Jeong Yu-shin summarized it in one word. ¡®It was just a random level-up burning event.¡¯ From the first labyrinth to the third labyrinth, everything was related to this burning event. I thought life was hard, but there was a reason for everything. Jeong Yu-shin accepted it and let it go. The method of dealing with the Eldritch Wave was simple. Either endure until the wave disappears. Run to the transfer stone and return to the city. The chaotic atmosphere in the city calmed down after a few days. Since the unknown had revealed itself with a name, it was not fearful, but reluctant. People began to enter the labyrinth one by one, as their throats were filled with grapes. The city returned to normal in an instant. The Knights returned to the castle and the people started working again. Two days had passed since the closure of the labyrinth was completely lifted. Karin''s party gathered at Darmon''s Inn early in the morning. Five people sat at the table. "This is strange. It''s really like a dream." Roynel, who had returned to being an elf, muttered blankly. "What?" Jung Yu-shin asked. Roynel blankly stared into space and then looked at Jung Yu-shin. "When I became a duck, I liked flapping my wings and walking around the streets. Living the life of an elf and becoming a duck, seeing the world with the senses of a duck was amazing and fascinating. Transcending the elf''s ''me'' and looking at the world with the eyes of nature, everything felt new. I guess I felt like my field of vision had broadened. It''s hazy. I wonder if I was a duck or if the duck was me." It was absurd. Is it not Jangja''s Ho-Jip-Jimong or Ori-Jimong? "So what do you want to say?" Jung Yu-Shin asked cautiously. "I will leave the party." "Yes?" "I will go back to my hometown and raise ducks. I don''t need any more wealth or fame. Useless things." "Oh, really." Jung Yu-Shin scratched his head. Suddenly having an epiphany, he spoke of the Oneness of Water and declared his withdrawal from the party. Karin nodded. "I understand. Do you need anything else?" "Nothing." "Chirup." Ahiman''s disciple, Maya, said. "The Master also said he would leave the party. He said he wanted to do a little more research on lizards..." "Yes." Karin nodded. Jung Yu-Shin looked at Gil-Shi-Eon. The eyes that had regained their ease were calm. ¡°I¡¯ll go to the temple that worships the spirit of light. It¡¯ll probably take some time.¡± Why was he talking in a tone that suggested he had come from a faraway place? Curiosity arose. ¡°Isn¡¯t there a temple that worships the spirit of light in the city?¡± Jeong Yu-shin asked. ¡°No. The temple of light is outside the city.¡± ¡°I see.¡± That¡¯s interesting. ¡°I understand.¡± Karin also accepted Gilsian¡¯s withdrawal. The party meeting ended like that. I didn¡¯t think it was the end. Roynel didn¡¯t know, but he thought they would meet again and again while staying in the labyrinth city. They drank while talking about this and that. Darmon approached. ¡°Karin, Luke is calling.¡± Karin tilted her head. ¡°Why that old man?¡± ¡°He said we should talk about the details at the temple.¡± Karin sighed and got up from her seat. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll go first. Take care. I¡¯ll see you later.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Stop by the duck farm later.¡± ¡°Chirup.¡± Karin waved her hand once and left the inn. The party leader was gone, but the people didn¡¯t seem to have any intention of getting up from their seats. Their faces were slightly reddened by the charm of daytime drinking. The side dishes Darmon brought also played a part in the charm. They talked about all sorts of pointless things. Among them, the topic of magic tools came up. You can definitely get them from the 5th floor. I remember. Gilsian mentioned it when he was in the 5th floor tower. I¡¯m curious. If there are various magic tools, wouldn¡¯t there be magic tools that suppress the effects of engraving? Or maybe something like magic. ¡°I have something to ask you.¡± Jung Yu-shin said to Maya. ¡°Go ahead.¡± ¡°Is there a way to suppress the imprint?¡± Maya tilted her head. ¡°Yes. I do, but did you get a negative imprint?¡± Jung Yu-shin¡¯s face turned slightly red. ¡°Please listen without misunderstanding.¡± Jung Yu-shin told Maya about the negative imprint he had received. The party members who had been talking among themselves stopped talking and focused on Jung Yu-shin¡¯s story. Jung Yu-shin blushed a little more when he realized that the party members were listening to his story. He could trust them because they ? N§àv§Öl¦Éght ? (Read the full story) had gone through the same fate as him. However, he felt quite embarrassed when they were talking about something as shameful as the virgin female corruption imprint. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤That¡¯s why I¡¯m looking for a way to suppress this imprint.¡± Jung Yu-shin finished talking. Maya nodded. ¡°It was the virgin female corruption imprint.¡± Gilseon pulled his chair back a little. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Please speak quietly.¡± Jeong Yushin looked around and whispered softly. ¡°Yes.¡± Maya answered dryly, resting her chin on her hand and thinking deeply. The lizard squeaked and poked Maya¡¯s neck. Maya clapped her hands. ¡°Ah! Normally, you suppress the imprint using magic tools. There are spells and magic, but they are not efficient. How about going to the magic tool shop in the central area?¡± ¡°Where is the central area?¡± ¡°Hmm. It¡¯s hard to explain in words. Would you like to go with me tomorrow?¡± ¡°Would you mind staying by my side?¡± She was worried. If he had any feelings for her, he would fall into an abyss from which there was no return. Maya laughed in disbelief. ¡°Barbaroi, I didn¡¯t see it that way, but you were overly self-conscious. Come to your senses.¡± ¡°Ah...yes.¡± Suddenly creating a dark history. I want to die from embarrassment. Jung Yu-shin looked down at the table and looked for a mouse hole. ¡°Besides, I have someone I like.¡± Maya smiled and gently stroked the lizard. The lizard¡¯s body froze like ice. ¡°I see. Please.¡± Jung Yu-shin bowed his head and asked. In the evening, Roynel, Gilsian, and Ahiman were seen off. Jung Yu-shin leaned against the entrance of the inn and looked at the backs of the party members. Jangja''s dream of a tiger''s cub. Roynel''s dream of an origami. ''If I become a water man, will I be able to understand Karin?'' ''If I become an elf, will I be able to understand Roynel?'' Del came to mind. The elf archer who had become a goblin. The party members disappeared across the street. Jung Yu-shin stretched and went into the inn. It was an early summer evening in the labyrinth city. The next morning, Jung Yu-shin went to the central area with Maya. He passed by the Explorers'' Guild headquarters that he had seen at first and passed the central square. There were more people wearing nice clothes than in the southern area. He walked for a long time. Jung Yu-shin and Maya entered an alley lined with wooden buildings. It was a street with a faint smell of old trees. ¡°This is it. The magic tool store street.¡± ¡°There are so many.¡± Jung Yu-shin stuck out his tongue as he looked at the signs jutting out from the alley. ¡°I have a store I recommend. Please be careful with your actions.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Maya walked skillfully through the complicated alley. Jung Yu-shin followed along slowly. Maya stood in front of an old-fashioned wooden building and made eye contact with Jung Yu-shin. It was a look that told her not to do anything useless. Jung Yu-shin nodded. Clink. A bell rang as he opened the door and went in. It was a store that smelled of old paper and herbs. The bookshelves were filled with magic books of unknown names. People wearing long robes were standing in front of the bookshelf, looking at books. Maya walked past the people and approached the counter. A dwarf with a neatly shaved mustache and glasses was sitting on a counter chair, reading a book. ¡°Maya, what¡¯s going on?¡± The dwarf looked up from his book, glanced at Maya, and opened his eyes wide at Jung Yu-shin standing behind him. ¡°Barbaroi?¡± The dwarf asked in a surprised voice. Jung Yu-shin, who had nothing to say, shrugged his shoulders and got to the point. ¡°I¡¯m looking for a magic tool.¡± The dwarf frowned. ¡°Are you looking for a magic tool that increases the size of your penis? We don¡¯t carry that kind of thing in our store.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need that.¡± ¡°Then what? There¡¯s no magic tool that increases your stamina infinitely?¡± ¡°Whew. I don¡¯t need that either.¡± ¡°Are you confident? We don¡¯t even have a collection of 108 positions and magic tools that drive women crazy.¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Listen to the end. We don¡¯t have a book called ¡®50 Ways to Take Down an Innocent Priest.¡¯¡± Hmm. No. You shouldn¡¯t be fooled. You should come to your senses. ¡°That... That¡¯s not it. I came here because I heard there¡¯s a magic tool that suppresses imprints.¡± ¡°What kind of imprint is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a virgin female corruption imprint.¡± The dwarf¡¯s expression frowned. ¡°You¡¯re just going to sit there and swallow up only the virgins you like? Even if you don¡¯t have a conscience, you should at least have a moderate amount. If you¡¯re Barbaro, shouldn¡¯t you at least pretend to hunt brides?¡± ¡®Fuck. Did I get it because I wanted to?¡¯ Jeong Yu-shin¡¯s expression distorted. Maya interjected. ¡°It¡¯s Barbaro anyway. I think it¡¯s difficult since you have to have ¡®favor¡¯.¡± The dwarf nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. Just wait a minute.¡± The dwarf got up from his seat and went into the storage behind the counter. There was a sound of searching through things. After a while, the dwarf came out. He was holding a small ring in his hand. ¡°There was one. It was hard to find.¡± ¡°Is this a magic tool that suppresses female corruption?¡± ¡°Yes. But it has a side effect.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°The wearer¡¯s sexual desire increases.¡± It was a tolerable side effect. It was currently over 4 months since the gold was used. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± The wise man Jeong Yu-shin nodded readily and continued. ¡°How much is it?¡± ¡°I came here through an acquaintance, so I¡¯ll give you a discount. Just give me 1 gold coin.¡± Jung Yu-shin''s eyes bulged out. "What...what did you say?" Jung Yu-shin''s voice trembled. A single gold coin is not a dog''s name. I wanted to rip off the dwarf''s beard that he blurted out so easily. "Oh. Why are you doing this? I''m giving it to you cheaply, but what''s with that expression?" Jung Yu-shin turned his head and looked at Maya. "Is this right?" "Yes. This is a cheap price." It''s too expensive. Jung Yu-shin gritted his teeth. But he still had to buy it. Barbaro was already a turnoff at parties. It would be as hard as picking stars from the sky to get into a normal party with this female corruption mark. Besides, he had to learn to read and write at the temple, so he couldn''t do something crazy like unintentionally carving a vulva into the stomachs of young children. He could have been branded a child hunter who corrupts innocent children, and the guards could have chased him with swords. ¡®Yoo-shin, you have really become a deadly man.¡¯ Jung Yoo-shin sighed inwardly and took out a gold coin from his pocket. ¡°Here is one gold coin. I will think of it as a sacrifice to save countless young girls in the future who will fall for my charm and become corrupted.¡± ¡°...¡± The dwarf and Maya looked at him as if he was crazy, so he said something. ¡°I¡¯m joking. Let¡¯s make a face.¡± ¡°Barbaroi, where should I laugh? Besides, there are many old girls in our city.¡± The dwarf owner complained. Jung Yoo-shin shook his head and touched his forehead. They really had no sense of humor. He thought that if they talked to each other, they would get even more at odds. He gave up talking and immediately put the ring the dwarf gave him on his finger. ¡°Hmm? Is the imprint suppressed?¡± I didn¡¯t feel anything. ¡°Just wait a minute.¡± ¡°Ugh!¡± As the dwarf said, after a minute, the effect took effect. My vision was spinning. I covered my eyes with my hand for a moment. After waiting for a moment, the dizziness subsided. I put my hand down and opened my eyes. The world I should have seen originally unfolded. How could I have forgotten? The dwarf standing in front of me¡¤¡¤¡¤looked like a female. Short body and fat expression. I wanted to knock her over right now and carve the female¡¯s pleasure into that wrinkled face. Jeong Yu-shin¡¯s eyes narrowed like an animal hunting for prey. He reached out and stroked the dwarf¡¯s beard. ¡°Dwarf, is it okay for you to have such a desirable beard? Come to the warehouse right now. This is an interview.¡± The dwarf''s face turned pale. [Mind Flash] Maya casted a spell. Bam! Something exploded before his eyes. Jung Yu-shin''s neck snapped upward. His vision shook and he felt nauseous. "Ugh." Jung Yu-shin groaned and grabbed his head. "What...what just happened?" Jung Yu-shin said in a trembling voice. He couldn''t remember anything. He just felt like he almost did something terrible. "Nothing happened. Barbaroi, don''t be consumed by desire." "Understood. I almost did something very dangerous just now, but I can''t remember it well." "Be careful. Darkness lurks everywhere." "Yes." The dwarf coughed as Maya and Jung Yu-shin''s conversation ended. ¡°Hmm...let¡¯s go now.¡± At that moment, Jung Yu-shin pushed himself against the counter. ¡°Huh...huh!¡± The dwarf let out a single word of shock. ¡°Master.¡± Jung Yu-shin spoke quietly. ¡°...Why?¡± ¡°There¡¯s that...last item, right?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°50 ways to take down the...priest. If it has a name, it must exist, right? Where can I buy it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s in the eastern district. I¡¯ll look for it later.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Go quickly.¡± The dwarf shop owner realized this after seeing Jung Yu-shin¡¯s back as he left the store. The fact that his back was soaking wet. ¡®Dangerous guy.¡¯ The dwarf trembled as he remembered Jung Yu-shin¡¯s beastly eyes. Jung Yu-shin and Maya left the magic tool shop. ¡°Thank you, Maya.¡± Jung Yu-shin bowed his head to Maya. ¡°This is my thanks for saving my master. Although it¡¯s not enough, I¡¯m glad I could help.¡± Maya stroked the lizard once and turned around. ¡°Then let¡¯s part ways here. Goodbye.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Jung Yu-shin watched Maya leave and exited the alleyway, returning to the southern district. He had spent a lot of money. His mouth was heavy. But it was meaningful to protect the peace of the surrounding area. To him, a peaceful daily life was more important than ignorant mating. Still. ¡®I should stop by the eastern district once.¡¯ Jung Yu-shin¡¯s eyes sparkled like starlight. Chapter 40: Actually he’s a bit crazy The day after buying a ring at the magic tool shop. Jung Yu-shin left the inn after finishing his early morning exercise and eating breakfast. ¡°Darmong, I¡¯ll be back.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± He ran to the temple. Since he had the female corruption prevention ring on, he could learn to read and write among the children without any ? N§àv§Öl?g?t ? (Official version) worries. He gritted his teeth to be on guard against the side effects, as Maya had advised. His sexual desire surged several times, but he never lost his mind like when he first put on the ring. When he entered the orphanage, the children welcomed him. ¡°Ugh. You¡¯re here again?¡± ¡°Whew. It¡¯s scary.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you working, sir?¡± Jung Yu-shin nodded at the children¡¯s enthusiastic welcome and found his seat. He ignored the children¡¯s chattering and sat down for a moment to wait. A man entered the classroom. His expression looked cold, perhaps because he was wearing glasses. ¡°Everyone be quiet.¡± The man stood at the podium and looked around at the children. The classroom became quiet in an instant. The man and Jung Yu-shin made eye contact. ¡°Teacher Mi-on isn¡¯t coming today.¡± ¡°Ugh...¡± ¡°Wow.¡± The children made a noise full of complaints. ¡°Quiet.¡± The man lightly knocked on the podium. ¡°We¡¯ll start class today. Open your books. Take out your writing instruments.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The man conducted the class meticulously. The blackboard was filled with elegant writing. Contrary to his cold appearance, he taught each and every student with care. The male priest also meticulously checked Jung Yu-shin¡¯s studies and did not spare any advice. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤This character should have its strokes drawn downwards. If you bend it upwards, the meaning changes completely. Be careful.¡± ¡°You memorized all the words in the storybook? That¡¯s great. Let¡¯s move on to the next textbook. If you keep working hard, you¡¯ll get good results.¡± The class that started in the morning ended around lunchtime. I was glad to be able to learn properly after a long time. The children rushed out of the classroom to eat lunch. Jung Yu-shin packed his writing utensils and books and put them in his teddy bear bag. A male priest approached him. ¡°That¡¯s not like Barbaro.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry to hear that.¡± ¡°My name is Diego Perez. I¡¯m a mid-level priest who serves the Earth Mother.¡± Diego held out his hand. ¡°I see. Please take care of me.¡± Jung Yu-shin took Diego¡¯s hand. Was it because of his mood? Diego¡¯s glasses sparkled. Jung Yu-shin got up from his seat, carrying his teddy bear bag. ¡°Let¡¯s meet up.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± After leaving the orphanage, he went to the temple restaurant. The menu was simple. Black rye bread, tomato soup, and a small piece of cheese. Jung Yu-shin put the food in his mouth and got up from his seat. He had been thinking about going to the swordsmanship guild for the first time in a while. It was the most valuable way to use the money he received from Karin. In addition, as Mion had said, there was an elf there who could tell him the value of the Revenger seal. He walked down the street in the early summer breeze and arrived at the swordsmanship guild. As he entered the swordsmanship guild building, he saw an elf sitting at the reception desk. ¡°Are you here?¡± The elf rested his chin on his hand and looked at Jung Yu-shin. Ashur Startree. City official sword master. ¡°Yes.¡± Ashur held out his hand. Jung Yu-shin took Ashur¡¯s hand indifferently. Ashur squinted and slapped Jung Yu-shin¡¯s hand away. ¡°Money. 30 silver coins.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Jung Yu-shin put the pouch containing the 30 silver coins on the counter. Ashur yawned and took out the silver coins one by one from his pocket and counted them. ¡°You burned a gold coin on the armor?¡± Ashur muttered while counting the silver coins. ¡°Well, that¡¯s how it turned out. Thanks to that, I was able to save my life.¡± Jung Yu-shin looked around the swordsmanship guild and answered. ¡°Isn¡¯t this your third time going to the labyrinth? No matter how much Karin likes you, you need to take care of yourself. You¡¯re a beginner explorer. Stay safe and calmly improve your skills on the lower floors.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Tsk. Let¡¯s go. To the training grounds.¡± Ashur put the silver coins back in his pocket and stood up. The training ground was crowded with people. Ashur and Jung Yu-shin held their wooden swords and faced each other. ¡°You must have a lot of money judging by your face.¡± ¡°Not much.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a big, fat pig. Let¡¯s get some.¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we go back to the training ground first?¡± ¡°You run around Darmon¡¯s yard at dawn, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Are you a vicious stalker?¡± Jung Yu-shin glared at Ashur. Ashur smirked and then hardened his expression. ¡°Friend, your eyes are a little weird?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll open them nicely.¡± ¡°No. Not that. Come here for a moment.¡± Jung Yu-shin approached Ashur. ¡®What¡¯s wrong?¡¯ Ashur squinted his eyes and observed Jung Yu-shin¡¯s eyes. ¡°What happened to you in the labyrinth?¡± ¡°Why are you like that?¡± ¡°The madness of ¡®darkness¡¯ is swaying in your eyes.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± He was swallowed up by a black portal with Karin on the 4th floor of the labyrinth. He was transferred to the 5th floor and was unconscious for several hours without a torch. ¡°I was on the 5th floor without a torch for about 3 hours. I¡¯m not sure.¡± ¡°Are you crazy?¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t help it.¡± Jung Yu-shin briefly explained what happened at the labyrinth investigation team. Ashur stuck out his tongue. ¡°That should make you crazy. Are you really okay?¡± Jung Yu-shin thought deeply about what happened in the labyrinth. He spoke honestly to Karin, spoke informally to Gil-seon, and even killed a monster with his teeth, but there were no major problems. Isn¡¯t this a common adventure that most explorers experience? Jung Yu-shin took his hand off his chin and looked at Ashur. ¡°No problem.¡± ¡°Huh. How strange. Killa!¡± Ashur called the vice-chairman of the swordsmanship association. A moment later, a bald man walked out into the yard. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Come here and look at this guy¡¯s eyes.¡± Killa approached and looked into Jung Yu-shin¡¯s eyes. ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but they¡¯re a bit shiny.¡± ¡°Right? This guy¡¯s been in the lower levels of the labyrinth without a torch for hours.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Killa stroked his hairless head. ¡°It¡¯s brave that he¡¯s not crazy.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ll have to look now.¡± Ashur held out a finger. ¡°How many do you think this is?¡± ¡°It looks like one.¡± ¡°What about this guy?¡± Ashur pointed to Killa. ¡°You seem like a sincere person.¡± Jung Yu-shin answered clearly. Killa nodded and gave a thumbs up. ¡°How do I look?¡± Ashur pointed to himself. ¡°Are you being honest?¡± ¡°Yes. Talk comfortably.¡± ¡°You look a little sullen.¡± ¡°...¡± Ashur glared at Jung Yu-shin. Ashur turned his head and looked at the vice-chairman. ¡°Is this guy crazy?¡± ¡°I think he just told the truth.¡± Killa defended Jung Yu-shin. ¡°The vice-chairman should return to work.¡± Ashur glared at Killa and pointed to the swordsmanship guild building. ¡°It¡¯s not my job, but I¡¯ll go to work.¡± ¡°Your tongue is long. That¡¯s why you¡¯re bald. You¡¯ve grown your tongue long without even having time to grow hair, so it¡¯s a proper karma.¡± Killa ignored Ashur¡¯s words, patted Jung Yu-shin on the shoulder, and left the yard. Ashur asked again. ¡°Have you ever had a hard time suppressing your impulses?¡± Jung Yu-shin stroked his chin and thought deeply. It¡¯s been four months since you had a baby, so it¡¯s hard to suppress your impulses? No. There was a time when he briefly lost consciousness at the magic tool shop, but neither the dwarf store owner nor Maya mentioned what Jung Yu-shin was trying to do. They just advised him to be careful. They probably didn¡¯t say anything because it wasn¡¯t that big of a deal. He made that judgment and opened his mouth. ¡°I¡¯m suppressing it well.¡± ¡°Be careful. Right now, the madness is quietly sleeping, but at an extreme moment, it will burst out and swallow you up." ¡°Tenika.¡± ¡°What happens if you get swallowed?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the end.¡± ¡°Is there a way back?¡± ¡°No.¡± The Din of the Kaal Party flashed through his mind. A boy who lost consciousness in the darkness of the labyrinth. Ashur pointed to Jung Yu-shin¡¯s eyes. ¡°Protect your mind.¡± Jung Yu-shin frowned at the empty words. ¡°Please explain it in a more understandable way.¡± ¡°Get your mind together.¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°It¡¯s obvious what a prosecutor should do. Swing your sword hard. Don¡¯t swing it like an animal. Engrave the sword¡¯s path on your body and mind.¡± ¡°I understand for now.¡± ¡°And don¡¯t enter the labyrinth. For the time being.¡± ¡°Suddenly?¡± ¡°Do you really want to turn back?¡± ¡°...Well, I understand for now.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that ring?¡± Ashur looked at the ring on Jung Yu-shin¡¯s finger and asked. ¡°It¡¯s a seal suppression ring.¡± ¡°What seal suppression?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a virgin female corruption seal.¡± ¡°Really? You¡¯ve got all sorts of strange seals. There must be side effects to the seal suppression magic tool.¡± Ashur casually brushed aside Jung Yu-shin¡¯s seal. ¡°They say it increases sexual desire.¡± ¡°Take off the ring as much as possible.¡± ¡°Why should I do that?¡± ¡°You¡¯re unstable right now. You¡¯re easily swayed by strong desires.¡± Since we¡¯re talking about seals, there was one more thing he wanted to ask. ¡°Do you know about the Revenger seal?¡± ¡°I know.¡± ¡°How good is it?¡± ¡°It depends on your skill.¡± ¡°Please explain in detail.¡± ¡°What else is there to explain in detail? In order for the Revenger imprint to fully activate, you have to get hit by the opponent and you have to hit the opponent. If the skill gap is too big, your head will be blown off or the opponent will die before the Revenger imprint even activates. It¡¯s good when you hit and take on equal skills. It¡¯ll be good when you¡¯re dealing with a lot of guys.¡± Ashur added, pointing at Jung Yu-shin with his finger. ¡°In the end, what I¡¯m saying is that as a swordsman, your skills are important.¡± ¡°So the Revenger imprint is an imprint that gets better the higher your skills get.¡± ¡°Yeah. You could see it that way.¡± Ashur nodded, then looked at Jung Yu-shin and continued. ¡°Don¡¯t pretend to be sane and go home. I¡¯ll go to the Magic Tower for a bit.¡± ¡°Why are you going to the Magic Tower?¡± ¡°Are you a stalker? Stop asking.¡± ¡°...¡± Jung Yu-shin was speechless and stared blankly at Ashur. After a while, Jung Yu-shin managed to speak. ¡°I already paid the tuition?¡± ¡°I¡¯m paying it all, so don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°Well... I understand.¡± ¡°Go and be quiet. Until I call you.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Jung Yu-shin scratched his head at Ashur¡¯s order to ward off evil and left the Swordsmanship Guild building. Are you crazy? That doesn¡¯t seem right. He repeated what Karin had told him. However, Jung Yu-shin thought that even Karin wouldn¡¯t have been able to properly measure the time in the darkness. He walked around the southern area. It was quiet around lunchtime. ¡°Black hair over there.¡± Someone called Jung Yu-shin. When he turned around, a man was standing there. He was carrying a sword wrapped in bandages on his shoulder. He had an iron mask on his face and a robe wrapped around his head. He looked suspicious enough that the guards would run to him. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I want to register as an explorer. Where should I go?¡± ¡°You can go to the explorer headquarters in the central area. It¡¯s in the far left corner. You can register there by paying 10 silver coins.¡± ¡°I¡¯m new here, so I can¡¯t tell even if I look at the map. Can you point to me with your finger?¡± The man approached him and handed him a map. It was a tourist map of the Labyrinth City. A coppery smell pierced his nose. It was a mixture of the smell of chemicals and the smell of rotten seafood. It wasn¡¯t a good smell. Jung Yu-shin glanced at the man and tapped a place marked on the map. ¡°Here it is.¡± The man nodded. ¡°Confirmed. Thank you.¡± ¡°No problem.¡± Jung Yu-shin left the man. ¡°Are you Barbaroi?¡± Iron Mask asked. ¡°Yes. Is this your first time seeing me?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard a lot of rumors.¡± What an innocent Iron Mask. Jung Yu-shin decided to say something to the man. ¡°Be careful. All the other Barbaroi are crazy.¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°They are the ones who commit indiscriminately, regardless of whether they are men or women. Should I call them the outlaws of the Labyrinth City? They have no respect for virtue and act as they please, like villains.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Aren¡¯t you Barbaroi too?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a good Barbaroi who doesn¡¯t rape.¡± Jung Yu-shin said seriously. ¡°Huh.¡± The man looked at Jung Yu-shin for a moment, then turned around and said. ¡°I¡¯ll see you often. I¡¯m not sure, but I feel like I¡¯ll see you often.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The man in the iron mask slowly walked forward after saying that. He seemed very suspicious, but his actions and words showed that he had been properly educated. Furthermore, the two eyes visible through the eye sockets of the mask were clearly clear and firm. Perhaps because he was a noble man, he spoke politely to him naturally. Jung Yu-shin felt the gaze of the general store owner looking at him from the side. He was a man who had helped him several times when he bought supplies for dungeon exploration. ¡°Master, the world is wide and there are many unusual people.¡± Jung Yu-shin looked at the general store owner and said. ¡°Barbaroi, you are the most unusual.¡± The general store owner replied. ¡°Are you dissatisfied with my speech? Let¡¯s go inside for a moment and talk. Let¡¯s talk openly.¡± Jung Yu-shin approached him stealthily. The color drained from the general store owner¡¯s face. ¡°What...what are you complaining about? Have we only met once or twice? The people of the eastern district know very well that you are a great Barbaro who protects the good customs of the city. I was just joking. Seriously.¡± ¡°I was just joking.¡± The general store owner¡¯s face twitched at Jung Yu-shin¡¯s response. ¡°You...are so funny that my belly button is tickling. You have a great sense of humor.¡± The general store owner barely managed to reply. ¡°Let¡¯s make a face. I can¡¯t even joke.¡± Jung Yu-shin shrugged and started walking again. The general store owner sighed deeply as he watched Jung Yu-shin¡¯s back as he walked away. ¡®What the hell happened in the labyrinth? That crazy Barbaro guy.¡¯ Chapter 41: Shadow of the Labyrinth City Jung Yu-shin returned to the inn and immediately confronted Darmon. ¡°What?!¡± Darmon shouted in shock. ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± ¡°The law that governs the lower levels of the labyrinth, ¡®darkness,¡¯ drives people crazy. Didn¡¯t you see that happen to the boy named Dean from the Kaal Party that we first met? Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± Jung Yu-shin scratched his head at Darmon¡¯s serious voice. ¡°I didn¡¯t know it was that important. I thought Karin was mistaken since he wasn¡¯t crazy.¡± ¡°Huh.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. It seems that Ashur went to the Magic Tower to find out about my condition.¡± ¡°I understand. Ashur is a long-lived person who has held the position of Sword Master for a long time. He is one of the sharpest people in the city, so he must have judged your condition clearly. Do as he says.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± There was no great anxiety in Darmon¡¯s worried eyes. It was because the pocket Karin gave him contained 5 gold coins and 50 silver coins. In addition, there were 26 silver coins that he had saved up. In total, he had accumulated a huge sum of 5 gold coins and 76 silver coins. He spent 1 gold coin to buy a seal suppression ring. He spent 30 silver coins to register for the swordsmanship guild, but he still had 4 gold coins and 46 silver coins left. Of course, he had to pay the inn rent, food, and orphan academy tuition, but it wasn''t much. Since Ashur had told him not to enter the labyrinth for the time being, he planned to properly prepare himself, train at the swordsmanship guild, and learn at the temple. Even though madness was lurking in his head, Jeong Yu-shin''s mind was at peace. It was because he had plenty of money and like-minded people around him. I got a shitty seal, but I also got a pretty good seal and leveled up. If I think about it carefully, it wasn''t such a bad labyrinth city life. It was when I was thinking that. Crunch!! The cat Suin opened the inn door and came in. "Darmong! A letter has arrived." The cat Suin took out a rolled up piece of parchment from her bag and handed it to Darmong. Darmong got up and took the letter. "Who did it come from?" "From your wife." Jeong Yushin''s eyes widened. "You had a wife?!" "Yeah. You have a daughter too." "Huh." You were married. And you had a daughter too. If I get the chance, I''d like to see your face. Darmong smiled and opened the seal. Darmong''s mouth fell open as he read the letter with a smile. His lips trembled and his eyes widened. His hands trembled like an aspen tree, and the letter fell to the floor with a thud. ¡°What... is that?¡± ¡°Why are you doing that?¡± ¡°Oh... your wife is pregnant.¡± ¡°You¡¯re having a second child? That¡¯s great news. Congratulations.¡± ¡°What the hell are you talking about!! I was here the whole time!!¡± Darmon shouted. ??? ¡®Affair.¡¯ A word flashed through his mind. Jeong Yu-shin stared blankly at Darmon. Darmon seemed anxious and moved around, then suddenly dashed into the kitchen. Boom!! Crackle!! The sound of kitchen utensils flying and breaking could be heard. Darmon returned in less than a minute. Darmon was holding a 2m iron bar in his hand. It was just the right length for her height. Clang!! The inn door opened. ¡°Darmong, I¡¯m here.¡± Karin came in. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Karin. I don¡¯t have time to talk for long right now.¡± Darmon said with an urgent expression. A question appeared on Karin¡¯s face. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°My wife... huh!¡± Darmon stopped talking and distorted his face. ¡°My wife what?¡± Karin asked. ¡°She had an affair.¡± Jung Yu-shin answered instead. ¡°Bam!¡± Darmon bowed down as if spitting blood and shivered. ¡°Really? Are you going back to your hometown? Then what about the inn?¡± Darmon looked at Jung Yu-shin while clutching his hair in frustration. ¡°Scar, is it okay if I leave it to you? I don¡¯t mind if it¡¯s a deficit, but don¡¯t burn it.¡± ¡°Yes, leave it to me. I will definitely keep it. And if there¡¯s anything I need to discuss or if I have any questions while running the inn, I will send you a letter.¡± ¡°Understood. Karin-sama, I will go first.¡± Darmon bowed his head to greet Karin and ran outside. Whoosh!!! ¡°Gyaaaaak!!!¡± ¡°Whoa! Get out of here!¡± The wind blew because he ran so fast, and the people¡¯s gasps echoed through the streets. Karin looked out of the inn and came back in. ¡°Hmm. Darmon¡¯s village is far away. It would take about three months to go back and forth.¡± Karin crossed her arms and said. ¡°Is it that far away? Is there a reason to raise a child so far away?¡± ¡°I heard that the Labyrinth City isn¡¯t a very good place to raise a child.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t just an ordinary city... huh?¡± A city with Barbaroi, it¡¯s definitely not good for education. ¡°There must be a lot of things in the city. Strange people.¡± ¡°What are you going to do, Karin?¡± ¡°Why? You confidently asked me to leave it to you a little while ago, but now you¡¯re scared?¡± Karin covered her mouth and laughed. ¡°Karin.¡± Randolph opened the inn door and came in. Jeong Yu-shin met Randolph¡¯s eyes. He was the man who had buried his head in the mud when he first transferred to another world. ¡°What?¡± Karin crossed her arms and asked. ¡°Ingrid is calling.¡± Karin¡¯s expression hardened like stone at Randolph¡¯s words. ¡°Your mother? Why?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. She said it¡¯s urgent, so she asked me to come right away.¡± Karin frowned. Karin turned her head and glanced at Jung Yu-shin. ¡°I¡¯ll be back. Stay still. Our tribe is closer than Darmon. It¡¯ll probably take about two months. Silva, stay here and help Scar.¡± The white-furred wolf named Silva quietly came in and bowed her head. ¡°Yes, I understand.¡± Karin left the inn with Randolph. Darmon left and Karin left too. She was dumbfounded by the suddenness. On the other hand, she was worried about the two. But there was something she had to do. She shook her head to get her wits about her. ¡®Let¡¯s do what we have to do first.¡¯ Jung Yu-shin held out her hand to Silva. ¡°It¡¯s really messy. Please take care of me first. This is Scar.¡± ¡°It¡¯s Silva. Karin-sama has been talking to me a lot. Please take care of me.¡± Silva smiled and held Jung Yu-shin¡¯s hand. Jung Yu-shin and Silva worked together to clean up the inn. They picked up the dishes scattered in the kitchen and checked the food supplies in the warehouse. Since Jung Yu-shin had no experience in running an inn, Silva took care of most of the work. The way he calmly carried out his assigned tasks made him feel secure. Even though we had only met for a short time, he was already attracted to Su-in. Fortunately or unfortunately, the inn was deserted because the labyrinth had opened after a long time, and people had all left. Jung Yu-shin took a break and sat on the counter chair and looked outside the inn. He had tried to learn and train his body while resting instead of entering the labyrinth as Ashur had suggested, but the situation was not favorable. Darmon asked him to keep the inn even if it meant going into the red, but his thoughts were different. Darmon trusted him and left him in charge. Even though he didn¡¯t have time to ask anyone because it was urgent, he wanted to repay Darmon¡¯s trust. He thought that it was okay if training and learning were a little late. Jeong Yu-shin got up from his seat. There was still a lot of work left to do. In the evening. Explorers who had returned from the labyrinth began to visit the inn one by one. Silva mainly took care of the kitchen work, and Jeong Yu-shin served. Silva¡¯s cooking skills were truly amazing. People who stopped by the inn only tilted their heads in confusion despite Darmon¡¯s absence, and didn¡¯t ask him anything. The regulars joked around while watching Jeong Yu-shin carry the food. They were people who had become familiar with each other as they passed by. ¡°Is this the end of the world? Barbaroi is standing" ¡°Bing.¡± ¡°Huh. Barbaroi, did you put a poison in the food? Be honest.¡± ¡°Just eat. It wasn¡¯t me who cooked it, it was Karin-nim¡¯s subordinate.¡± ¡°Karin-nim? Aren¡¯t you the daughter of the representative of the Suin Union? Where did Darmon go?¡± ¡°Yes, Darmon is out for a moment because of an urgent matter.¡± Jeong Yu-shin said while wiping the table. He couldn¡¯t say that Darmon¡¯s wife had an affair and had a child, so he just glossed over it. ¡°Is that so? It must have been quite an urgent matter. If the chef is Karin-nim¡¯s subordinate, I can trust him. But be careful. My eyes are faster than your hands, so don¡¯t do anything foolish.¡± ¡°Have a drink. Please increase the sales.¡± ¡°This is completely Darmon-wanting. Got it.¡± People who saw the regulars chatting comfortably with Barbaroi felt relieved and ordered food and drinks. Was it because they were curious rather than afraid? Many customers asked various questions, but Jeong Yu-shin responded with common sense answers. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Are Barbaroi really a race that can¡¯t move its legs when it sees a hole? That¡¯s not true.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Do they like rubbing their faces on the bellies of soft children? Our customers are really drunk. Please leave.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤How big is my penis? Why are you curious about that, you punk? You should just leave.¡± As the night deepened, the drunk customers staggered out of the inn one by one. It was a pretty clean finish for the first time. Jeong Yu-shin sent the last customer away and helped Silva clean up the kitchen. ¡°Thank you, Ska.¡± Silva said, wiping his face with a towel. ¡°No. Silva worked harder than you. Thank you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad I could help. Then I¡¯ll see you tomorrow.¡± Silva smiled and said hello to Jung Yu-shin before going upstairs. An inn without Darmon. Sitting alone in a quiet inn, a strange sense of loneliness came over me. My mind was spinning, so I went outside for a short walk. I walked slowly through the park and sat on an empty bench. The early summer night breeze brushed my forehead. As I sat quietly and admired the fountain. A rustling sound was heard from behind the chair. Jung Yu-shin¡¯s head turned. ¡°Die!!¡± A little boy jumped out of the bushes and swung a knife. Thump! Jung Yu-shin¡¯s hand moved quickly. He grabbed the boy¡¯s wrist and twisted it. ¡°Eww!!¡± The boy¡¯s face twisted as his wrist became immobile. ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°Father¡¯s revenge!! Barbaroi!!¡± ¡°Who is your father?¡± ¡°Ditto Piglick!¡± He looked closely at his face and saw that it resembled Ditto. It was bitter. ¡°Your father tried to kill me. For money.¡± He snatched the child¡¯s dagger and examined it closely. It had the symbol of a slave hunter engraved on it. What the hell. ¡°Eeeeek!!¡± He let go of his wrist because the child¡¯s face looked miserable. ¡°Where did you get this?¡± The child didn¡¯t answer. Jung Yu-shin reached out and grabbed the child¡¯s collar. ¡°I asked where you got it!¡± The child¡¯s body froze as he shouted. Jung Yu-shin glared at the child who didn¡¯t open his mouth. ¡°Are your ears clogged? I¡¯ll tell you again. Your father tried to kill me. The guys who gave me this dagger paid Ditto to kill me. You idiot. You¡¯re trying to kill someone for a few pennies?!¡± ¡°What do you know?!¡± The child glared at him viciously. ¡°Do you know what it feels like to starve without money? Don¡¯t you know what it feels like to have your stomach stuck to your back!!¡± The child continued. ¡°My father passed away and my mother collapsed. My siblings are crying because they¡¯re hungry. What do you want me to do?!¡± ¡°So what you do is kill people? You loser. How much did you get?¡± The child closed his mouth again. Was he afraid of losing his money? He asked again. ¡°How much did you get?¡± ¡°50 Dong-hwa.¡± ¡°Fuck.¡± Jung Yu-shin let go of the child¡¯s collar. He was so small that he could cover his face with one hand. He looked like the children from the orphanage. He couldn¡¯t kill him. ¡°Follow me.¡± ¡°Why me?¡± ¡°At least give me some bread.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make me laugh!! Do you think I¡¯d be fooled by such words?!¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t like it, don¡¯t follow me.¡± Jung Yu-shin turned around and walked toward the inn. The child followed him from a distance. How miserable must the situation be for him to follow his father¡¯s enemy? Jung Yu-shin bit his lips tightly. ¡®You bastards.¡¯ As soon as Darmon and Karin disappeared, the slave hunters immediately reached out. Even so, it was the worst of the worst to send such a child. Jung Yu-shin went into the inn. The child didn¡¯t follow him. He went into the kitchen, found a leather pouch, filled it with bread, a bottle of wine, and cheese. Something was missing. He went up to the second floor, took out 20 silver coins, and put them in his pouch. He went down to the first floor, opened the inn door, and the child was standing there. ¡°Take it.¡± The child took the heavy bag and swayed. ¡°What...what is this?¡± ¡°I put some money [N O V E L I G H T] and food in it. Come back if you don¡¯t have enough.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t thank you.¡± ¡°Come back if you don¡¯t have enough.¡± Jeong Yu-shin repeated. The child didn¡¯t answer and turned around and ran. ¡°Whew.¡± Jeong Yu-shin sighed and went upstairs. He threw himself on the bed and closed his eyes, but he couldn¡¯t sleep. His stomach churned. The dark shadows of the labyrinth city were slowly revealing themselves. Chapter 42: Welcome to the Labyrinth City. The next morning. Jeong Yushin entrusted the shop to Silva and headed to the monster dissection house. When he returned after finishing his third dungeon journey, Dalmong told him that the monster dissection house chief had returned. The notorious monster dissection house chief who once ruled the back alleys of the eastern district. An elf who was beaten like a dog by the spirit teacher Shimus and was rehabilitated. Though he had put his reckless ways behind him, he still held influence in the eastern district, and it was highly likely he had information about slave hunter groups. He entered the western district, walking for a long time until he arrived at the building in front of the monster dissection house. It had been a while since he smelled the blood. As he entered the dissection house, Malone immediately recognized Jeong Yushin. "Hey! You''re that Barbaroi, aren''t you?" "Yes. Where is the chief?" "He''s here." From among the dismembered monsters, an elf wearing an eye patch walked out. The elf, dressed in loose work clothes, had a decadent aura. The monster dissection house chief. Aldain Ashwood. "What is it?" Aldain, with his hands in his work clothes, slowly approached and spoke. "Do you know about the slave hunters?" Aldain smirked at Jeong Yushin''s question. "I know. Did Dalmong tell you about me?" "What are their names? Where are they?" Aldain approached and stared straight into Jeong Yushin''s eyes. Jeong Yushin furrowed his brows. "Why are you looking at me like that?" Aldain grinned. "It''s nothing. I''ll help you. It''ll take a day. But there''s a condition." "What is it?" "Help me with some work." Jeong Yushin''s face twisted. He was in charge of managing Dalmong''s inn. He wanted to get back quickly. "Are you saying that now?" "Yes. That''s my condition." "Ugh. Alright." Jeong Yushin changed into work clothes and began working alongside Malone. Thanks to his leveling up and improved insight, he could easily dismantle the monsters. Once he started working, his focus sharpened instantly. All distractions vanished, and his mind poured into cutting, disassembling, and tearing apart. The restless thoughts within him calmed down. Evening arrived. Those who finished their work gathered in the yard of the dissection house, laid down iron plates, and began grilling meat. Jeong Yushin declined their invitations. He had left the inn all day today. He felt guilty that Silva must have handled everything alone. He felt a strong urge to go back and at least show his face. Aldain spoke from behind Jeong Yushin as he was leaving. "I¡¯ll come tomorrow evening. Stay here and wait." "Yes." He quickly walked back to Dalmong¡¯s inn. The inn was quiet. Silva was nowhere on the first floor, possibly already asleep after finishing all the work. Jeong Yushin looked around the inn, scratched his head, and went up to his room on the second floor. Exhausted, he threw himself onto the bed. Darkness descended. The next morning, at dawn. Jeong Yushin woke up early, feeling guilty, and helped Silva clean the inn¡¯s hall and wash the dishes in the kitchen. Jeong Yushin and Silva worked tirelessly from morning until evening. Night came. After sending off the last guest, they finished cleaning the inn''s hall. Jeong Yushin and Silva sat at the stairs of the inn, holding a bottle of alcohol. Silva took a sip, then sniffed the air. "It looks like it¡¯s going to rain." Jeong Yushin looked up at the sky. The dark night sky made it hard to tell. A gentle breeze passed, carrying a hint of moisture. Could it be the first rain of early summer? His mind was unsettled. ¡®Right!¡¯ He needed weapons. His longsword had broken on the 5th floor of the dungeon. His light armor was completely torn up. The only usable weapon he had was the slave hunter¡¯s dagger in his possession. He had taken it from Dito''s son. "I need to stop by the blacksmith for a moment. Silva, you go ahead and sleep." Silva tilted his head at Jeong Yushin¡¯s words. "At this hour? Well, there are some places open, but how about going tomorrow instead?" "I need to buy something urgently." Jeong Yushin got up and ran to the blacksmith in the western district. Boron''s blacksmith shop was closed. "What¡¯s going on?" He grabbed a passing dwarf and asked. "Oh? Boron? His new apprentice swung the hammer wrong and hit his head, knocked out cold." It seemed that Ainhopper, who had a tremor disorder, had finally caused a mishap. Jeong Yushin turned around and headed back to the inn. He couldn¡¯t go to another blacksmith. He had expected to buy equipment cheaply and had brought little money. ¡®Damn.¡¯ He felt frustrated, and nothing seemed to be going right. In the first place, going to the blacksmith this late was a mistake. Jeong Yushin walked quickly. His head grew hot, and his heart began to race. A few raindrops began to fall under the dark night sky. ¡®Why is this happening?¡¯ Jeong Yushin wiped his dampening hair and slowed his pace. He walked for a long while and finally reached the inn. Clunk!! He opened the inn door and entered. The inn was quiet. Most of the guests had gone to the dungeon, so it was always quiet at night. But this silence felt different. Jeong Yushin¡¯s head slowly turned. There was a wooden box on the table. The seat he often sat in. The one closest to the counter. Jeong Yushin, almost in a trance, approached the box. A strong scent of blood wafted from the box. His trembling hand opened the box. Creeeak. The lid of the box slowly opened, revealing its contents. A ? N§àv§Öl?§Ôht ? (Don¡¯t copy, read here) middle-aged female gnome¡¯s head. Three small gnome children''s heads. One of the small heads was already familiar. All four heads had their eyes gouged out. The corners of their mouths were torn up to their ears. Inside their mouths, silver coins and mashed food were mixed together, filling it up. The faces of the children, who had likely suffered until the very end, were twisted in agony. "Ughhh!!!" Jeong Yushin bent over and vomited. The reason why Dito had betrayed the worthless party. The reason Dito had tried to kill him. The answer was inside the box. Clunk!! The inn door opened. Jeong Yushin looked up. Aldain stood there. "It suddenly started raining. No wonder the weather felt off." Aldain, dressed in his loose work clothes, glanced at the box and spoke. Thud. Thud. Aldain shook off the water on his work clothes and walked over to Jeong Yushin. Squeak. Thud. Aldain closed the box on the table. Jeong Yushin stared up at Aldain vacantly. "What are you staring at like that?" Aldain bent down and placed a hand on Jeong Yushin¡¯s shoulder. "Get a grip." Aldain gave Jeong Yushin¡¯s shoulder a few taps. "You can¡¯t hold it together, can you?" Swoosh!!! Jeong Yushin¡¯s head turned. His cheek burned. The light returned to Jeong Yushin¡¯s eyes. Aldain grinned. "I brought you some information. Want to hear it?" Jeong Yushin nodded. Aldain stood up and shouted. "Hey, come in!" A few people in thief¡¯s attire entered through the inn''s entrance. There were a boar beastman, a cat beastman, a lizard beastman, and elves and dwarves. Some familiar faces from the monster dissection house. "Check for any ambushes. Clean this up." Aldain pinched his nose and pointed at the vomit. Aldain¡¯s subordinates scattered, heading to the second floor and kitchen. One of the subordinates returned with a rag and broom from the storeroom and began cleaning the vomit. "Sit." Aldain sat at a nearby table. He then pointed across from him with his finger. Jeong Yushin silently sat in the seat Aldain pointed to. Aldain took out a note from his pocket and waved it. "Can you read?" "I don¡¯t know well." Jeong Yushin¡¯s voice was hoarse. "I¡¯ll read it for you." Aldain started reading the note. "The name of the slave hunter group is Crimson Hunters." "They came from the Western Empire, washed their identities in the southeastern Lionell Kingdom, and gathered in Dungeon City." "These bastards have some money. They kidnapped people from the Eastern Alliance and made a fortune. Karin tried to stop them, but honestly, she was powerless." "...30 low-ranking members, 1 mid-ranking member. That¡¯s it." Aldain mumbled, finishing reading the note, then yawned. Jeong Yushin looked at Aldain. "Where are they now?" "In the eastern district." "Why are they left alone in Dungeon City?" "They¡¯re just a bottom-dwelling group focused on money. There are plenty of them. The higher-ups in Dungeon City have other things to deal with. The guards are busy." "Why...?" "Did you come to petition me?" Aldain tilted his head. "Did you come to say that Dungeon City¡¯s laws are wrong, that there¡¯s no justice? You, a dumb mixed-blood barbaroi, get a grip. You think you¡¯re something because you¡¯re hanging around with good people?" Jeong Yushin glared at Aldain. Aldain raised his finger and scratched his eye patch. "Dalmong, Karin, Mion, Shimus, Luke, Ashur." "Chief, we found a wolf beastman in the yard storage. Looks like they were forcefully injected with strong drugs." A cat beastman who had come out of the kitchen interrupted Aldain. "I¡¯m talking here, you idiot." Aldain glared at the cat beastman with his lone eye wide open. "S-sorry, Chief." The beastman trembled and bowed his head. Jeong Yushin gritted his teeth. ¡®Silva.¡¯ The face of the beastman who had been quietly smiling flashed in his mind. Aldain tapped the box lightly. "Can¡¯t you tell just by looking? Slave hunters don¡¯t mess with strong people. They target the weak, the unprotected, the trash of the city. Look at this white wolf beastman. He¡¯s high on drugs, but his limbs are fine, right?" Aldain leisurely leaned back in his chair and continued. "What are you going to do? Crawl into Mion¡¯s skirt? Run to your swordmaster and grab his pant leg? Can¡¯t you stand on your own when no one¡¯s around?" A murderous rage surged up. Those who would target his life, force children starving to death to kill, and make them carry out murders after giving them a few coins. Those who plucked the eyes out of the child he had shown kindness to, tearing their mouths open. Jeong Yushin raised his head. "I¡¯ll kill them all." A dark flicker swirled in Jeong Yushin¡¯s eyes. Aldain stared into Jeong Yushin¡¯s eyes for a while, then grinned. "That¡¯s more like it. You¡¯ve got the same eyes as when we first met. No, they¡¯ve gotten sharper. Nice eyes." Aldain¡¯s subordinates, who had thoroughly searched the inn, lined up behind him. "Take it out." Aldain spoke casually. "Yes." An elf responded and took out a set of clothes from a leather bag, placing them on the table. A black coat. "You don¡¯t have any equipment, right? Wear this. It¡¯s made from monster leather, so it can block most sword strikes." Jeong Yushin nodded as he looked at the coat. Clunk. Aldain unsheathed the sword from his waist and placed it on the table. "This is my sword. Try drawing it." The subordinates standing quietly behind him flinched. They didn¡¯t speak a word, but their eyes were as wide as lanterns. A long sword with a reddish tint. Jeong Yushin took the sword. Aldain observed Jeong Yushin¡¯s every move, as if he wouldn¡¯t miss a single moment. Swish. Under the dim light of the inn, the sword revealed its shape. It wasn¡¯t a regular double-edged sword. Not even a thin single-edged sword. It looked easy to cut through flesh but difficult to pierce armor. "It may look that way, but it cuts well." Clang. Jeong Yushin slid the sword into the scabbard. "Why are you doing this for me?" Jeong Yushin¡¯s question made Aldain lean on his chin and fall into deep thought. Not even the sound of a needle dropping could be heard in the inn. Aldain¡¯s mouth slowly opened. "When someone needs work, you give them work. When someone needs advice, you give them advice. When there¡¯s a desperate guy, you want to give him a sword. In short, it¡¯s my will." Aldain stood up from his seat. "This is all I can do. Those slave hunters are deep in the eastern district, so be careful. I¡¯ll attach a guide. I can¡¯t fight with you, though." "..." "Trench-nose, stay here and guide him. If you don¡¯t want to, just come back. Take this box and the wolf beastman with you. We¡¯ll protect you until the work is done." "Yes." The boar beastman answered, bowing his head. "I¡¯m going." Aldain stood up and walked slowly, then suddenly stopped. He turned back to Jeong Yushin and placed a hand on his shoulder. "I should have told you this, but I almost forgot." Aldain¡¯s single eye curved like a crescent moon. "Welcome to Dungeon City." Chapter 43: Death sentence Aldain led his men and left the inn. Jung Yu-shin was sitting at the table in the same posture as Aldain had left. The boar Suin was standing quietly behind Jung Yu-shin. Jung Yu-shin, who had been staring at the table motionlessly as if he was nailed down, got up from his seat. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± The boar Suin, called Deulchangko, was puzzled. He had expected that he would find a comrade to fight with and plan a strategy, but that was not the case. He should have at least brought a recovery potion, but that was not the case. Jung Yu-shin just grabbed the sword and coat that Aldain had given him and got up from his seat. ¡®Fighting 31 people alone?¡¯ He had to stop this young half-blood Barbaroi who was trying to do something reckless and crazy. Deulchangko opened his mouth. ¡°Are you talking now? It seems like you¡¯re not fully prepared.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t train him, be a guide.¡± Jung Yu-shin wrapped himself in a black coat and held a single-edged sword. The moment Dulchangko opened his mouth again, Jung Yu-shin¡¯s eyes met. A strange energy swelled beyond his eyes. It was like the ¡®darkness¡¯ of a labyrinth. Dulchangko¡¯s body trembled. ¡®These are not human eyes.¡¯ Dulchangko had experienced all sorts of things under Aldaine and was strong-minded enough not to care about anything, but his heart trembled as he looked into Jung Yu-shin¡¯s eyes. The beast-like eyes seemed to slowly grab Dulchangko¡¯s heart. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Jung Yu-shin said again. ¡°Yes.¡± Dulchangko bowed deeply, unable to meet his eyes any longer. The two walked along the dark and quiet southern streets. Dulchangko walked beside Jung Yu-shin and spoke about the characteristics of the eastern district. The Changgwan, the Redemption District, the Slums. It was a district where the lowest of the lowest of the city lived. A place where those with monster mutation marks or strange negative marks gathered and lived because they could not die. Jung Yu-shin walked silently while listening to Deulchangko. Before he knew it, he had passed the southern district of the city and was in front of the eastern district. ¡°Stop.¡± There was a guard blocking the entrance to the eastern district. Just like the entrance to the inner castle we saw last time, the eastern district was also blocked by guards. ¡°The curfew for the eastern district has passed. Go back.¡± Deulchangko stepped forward and handed a leather pouch to the guard, whispering something. The guard¡¯s eyes widened as he listened to Deulchangko. ¡°I...I see. Go through!¡± Jung Yu-shin took the lead and went through the gate. The eastern district. All kinds of lights flashed dazzlingly. As I had heard from Dulchanko, it was a place where those with the mark of a monster gathered. On one side of the street, slimes were crawling in a line. Arachne, half-human and half-spider, was wearing cotton and buying things on the street. Small kobolds were gathered with goblins, squabbling and arguing. A huge ogre was glaring with his arms crossed in front of a bar. In addition, various strangely shaped monsters were swarming the streets. The atmosphere was completely different from the quiet southern district. People were drunk, talking and screaming on the streets. Some people were negotiating a peace deal with prostitutes in a dark alley. Orange. Yellow. Green. Blue. Red. All the lights coming from the stores mixed together to illuminate the decadent and hedonistic streets. Only Jeong Yu-shin was walking with a gloomy expression. The stray dog ??said cautiously. ¡°We should go a little deeper from here. If you have any business, stay for a while...¡± ¡°Just go.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± He walked for a while after leaving the dazzling streets. Leaving behind the loud noises, he walked and reached a dark and quiet area. He saw houses made of planks. The ditch was flowing with foul-smelling sewage. Dirt and blood stains were pressed against the old walls. He walked for a while. The sounds of fighting, snoring, groans, and crying. All kinds of naked sounds flowed out of the shantytown. Jeong Yu-shin listened to all of those sounds as he went deeper. After walking for about 3 hours, he saw a place that looked like a wooden inn. Light was leaking out from between the cracks in the old wooden door. A chattering noise was heard. ¡°Here. The total number known so far is 30. They are probably all gathered here. The executives, excluding those who were scattered in the guerrilla organization, gather here once a month. Even though they are low-ranking.¡± Deulchangko said. They are all executives. ¡°It¡¯s not too late even now. Get ready a little more and go.¡± ¡°Go back.¡± ¡°Ska-nim.¡± Jeong Yu-shin looked back at Deulchangko. ¡°Go.¡± Deulchangko could no longer make eye contact, so he bowed his head and turned back. Jeong Yu-shin stood in front of the bar, watching the wild boar man disappear into the darkness. Creak. The old door creaked open and Jeong Yu-shin came in. The chattering noise suddenly stopped. Jeong Yu-shin looked around and counted the number of people. A total of 31 people. It was different from the number that Ddeulchangko had said. Jung Yu-shin''s eyes, looking around, suddenly stopped at one place. A human male wiping glasses at the counter. Tarman. A member of the Karl party. Jung Yu-shin went in instead because he had an injured leg and couldn''t go in with the Karl party. As a result, he almost died. The events that followed were buried and let go thanks to the goodwill and help that Jung Yu-shin showed. I heard that Tarman was working with Anne in the Labyrinth City. I heard that he was raising money to support Dean, who had gone mad from the ''darkness'', and Marie, who was pregnant with the hobgoblin. ''Why are you here?'' His head was spinning with despair. He wanted to know why he was here. He was going crazy. Just then, a human male with a thick beard approached him. "Who are you?" Jung Yu-shin took out a dagger from his bosom and showed it to him. ¡°This kind of person.¡± The man flinched and stepped back. When Jung Yu-shin showed him the dagger¡¯s mark, he nodded in relief. ¡°What is it? Is it Barbaroi? The new executive who just came in?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°He¡¯s a short-spoken guy.¡± The man nodded with a smirk. ¡°Here¡¯s a new recruit!!¡± The man shouted. There was a giggle from the surroundings. ¡°Sit down. Let¡¯s have a drink.¡± Jung Yu-shin followed the man¡¯s instructions and sat in the center of the bar. Tarman approached him with a bottle of alcohol and a glass. Jung Yu-shin and Tarman made eye contact. Tarman recognized Jung Yu-shin and flinched. ¡°What? Tarman, do you know him?¡± ¡°Oh...no.¡± The man smirked. ¡°Really? That¡¯s right. The Barbarians all look similar. Muscular, fierce, and useless if they see a hole. Beastly.¡± The man snatched the bottle and glass from Tarman and placed them on the table. The cross-eyed man opened the bottle and poured the wine into the glass. ¡°Come on. Drink a lot.¡± The wine poured down and filled the glass. The drops of wine splashed here and there, soaking the table. Jeong Yu-shin sat quietly and looked into the glass. ¡°Why? Are you afraid that the wine is poisoned? Are you scared?¡± The surroundings were quiet. There was not even a sound of a mouse dying. The man continued to speak with a round grin. ¡°Ska, you big punk. Where did you come from? Did you receive the gift we gave you?¡± The man was tinted in the tinge of the man. You can''t know that you can see it. Did you think you were? ¡± Jung Yu-shin listened to the man''s curse silently and turned his head to look at Tarman. Tarman stood there, trembling, unable to do anything. Jung Yu-shin said. "Why are you here?" Tarman hesitated and couldn''t answer. The hairy man motioned for Tarman to come here. Tarman approached the man and bent down. Crap!!! Crap! Tarman, who was slapped in the face, broke the chair and table and rolled around. "You have to answer. You stupid rookie. You asked this half-blood Barbaroi. You said you wanted to make money, so you grabbed your pants and can''t even do your job properly. You idiot." The man grinned at Jung Yu-shin. "Right?" "..." "Right or wrong? Answer me. Am I the only one talking?" ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Why did you touch Ditto¡¯s family?¡± The man grinned and leaned back, tilting his glass and taking a sip. ¡°That idiot kid was looking for a pharmacy to cure his mother, where did he get the money from? He killed her because he didn¡¯t want to see her hopeful face. He followed his father. If he had just done what he was told, this wouldn¡¯t have happened. It¡¯s more like karma than anything else.¡± The man got up from his seat and continued. ¡°There was even food in his pocket. Where did he meet that kind and easygoing guy?¡± ¡°Where¡¯s the captain?¡± The man chuckled and looked around, speaking softly. ¡°Guys, I¡¯m a rookie explorer who¡¯s only been in the labyrinth three times. I¡¯m just a young mixed-blood with nothing special, so take care of me.¡± Tsk tsk. The men surrounding the table where Jeong Yu-shin was sitting drew their weapons. He looked around while sitting on his chair. Various men were holding various strange weapons. Maces, harpoons, hatchets, crossbows, daggers, long swords, rapiers, hammers. All kinds of weapons glowed eerily under the bar lights. Similar emotions were floating on the faces of the men surrounding the table. Laughter, contempt, disdain, and ridicule. But Jung Yu-shin did not react to any of it. He just sat still and looked at Tarman¡¯s face. Tarman was still looking at Jung Yu-shin in the same position he had fallen down. The fact that the half-blood Barbaroi who had saved his childhood friends and even shown him kindness would soon die before his eyes pricked his conscience. But there was nothing he could do. He was just a weak, bottomless scum. A sneer appeared on the man¡¯s face. ¡°You¡¯re too scared to move. You idiot Barbar.¡± At that moment. Ssueeeeeeeeek!!! A light flashed from the sword shop. Phuwaaaaak!!! In just one move, the man''s head flew into the air. Phuuuuuut. Blood spurted out from the neck where the head had been blown off. The body, which had lost its head, lost its strength and fell to its knees on the floor. Thuuung! Thud! Thud! The man''s head fell to the floor and rolled around. The people in the bar watched him, blinking their eyes, stiff. In Jung Yu-shin''s hand was a long, single-edged sword. No one in the inn saw when Jung Yu-shin pulled out the sword. Tarman''s eyes grew as big as a lantern. Jung Yu-shin slowly got up from his seat and looked around. "You filthy bastards. I''ll kill you all." The one with the mace shouted in a fit of rage. ¡°Kill me!!¡± Jung Yu-shin kicked the table. Boom!!! The ones who were hit by the table rolled around. The weapons swung at Jung Yu-shin at the same time. Mace on the right. Spear sword on the left. Dagger behind. The instantaneous cognitive ability gained through leveling up made it possible. He turned his body and dodged the dagger stabbing from behind. Jung Yu-shin swung his sword. The target was the one with the mace. Choo-a-a-a-aak!!! The face of the one with the mace split in half. Blood and pale brain matter splashed on his face. He killed one. There was a price to pay. The spear sword dug into his shoulder and ripped off a handful of flesh. Choo-doo-doo. ¡°Ugh.¡± The sound of gritting his teeth leaked out of Jung Yu-shin¡¯s mouth. [Revenger] Imprinting activated. Blue fireworks blazed in Jung Yu-shin¡¯s eyes. One of them shouted in shock. ¡°Imprinting ability!¡± ¡°Be careful!¡± They began to move cautiously. The spear sword that had passed his shoulder flew back. Jung Yu-shin turned his body and swung his sword diagonally. From below to above. Tsk tsk!!! The thin sword cut through his stomach skin and cut out his internal organs. ¡°Kkwaaak!!!¡± The one holding the spear sword threw away the sword, grabbed his stomach, and screamed. There was no time to rest. Even at this moment, weapons were flying. Jung Yu-shin quickly rolled over and stood behind the man who was grabbing his stomach. All kinds of weapons flew in, smashing and chopping the man apart. Bam. Swish. Swish. Jung Yu-shin ran towards the next guy, ? N§àv§ÖIight ? (Original source) his coat hem fluttering. The one with the longsword. The man screamed and stabbed him with his longsword. ¡®Wrist.¡¯ The bloody sword cut off the man¡¯s wrist. Ts ... He grabbed the spear that was coming in and swung his sword. The sword split the wind. Swish! He cut off the Adam''s apple of the man holding the spear and the eyes of the man holding the rapier at the same time. "Kkaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!" One grabbed his Adam''s apple and the other covered his eyes and stepped back, screaming in pain. An axe flew. Jung Yu-shin took another step toward the axe that was coming down. Boom!! The axe handle hit his shoulder. His shoulder hurt. At the same time, a dagger stabbed him in the stomach from the side. One blow. Two blows. Three blows. The dagger slashed at Jung Yu-shin''s side. But Jung Yu-shin didn''t care and bit the axe-wielding man''s neck with his mouth. Like a wolf. Crunch. Flesh and bone were chewed into his mouth. The man whose scapula was torn off flinched back and fell to his knees. Crunch. The axe fell to the floor. He chewed it and spat it out. ¡°Thwack!¡± The shredded scapula and flesh mixed with saliva and flew away, sticking to the floor. Jung Yu-shin looked down at the man who was diligently stabbing with a dagger next to him. [Revenger] Blue irises burned in Jung Yu-shin¡¯s eyes. The man¡¯s face twitched as his eyes met. ¡°You little punk... stop stabbing me.¡± Jung Yu-shin grabbed the wrist of the man holding the dagger and twisted it to the side. Thud. ¡°Whew!!!¡± The man whose wrist bone was crushed swallowed a gasp. He snatched the dagger and stabbed the man in the stomach. Phuuk. ¡°Keuuk!!!¡± He didn¡¯t stop there and thrust the single-edged sword deep into the man. Phuuk. ¡°Keuuk!!!¡± Jung Yu-shin pushed the man¡¯s body forward and continued stabbing the man¡¯s stomach with the dagger he held in his other hand. Phuuk phuuk phuuk. Every time the dagger stabbed his stomach, the man¡¯s body flapped like a fish. Thump!!! The sound of the crossbow¡¯s strings. Jung Yu-shin quickly ducked. Phuuk!!! The bolt pierced the man¡¯s head and lodged itself. The dagger tore through his intestines, so he wouldn¡¯t be able to live anyway. ¡°Monster...monster.¡± The remaining ones trembled. ¡°Kill...kill them!!! We still have the advantage!!!¡± A large man rushed in and swung a huge hammer. Jung Yu-shin pulled out his sword and dodged to the side. Kwaaaaaaaang!!! The table and chair hit by the hammer shattered and wooden shards flew out. The flying wooden shards flowed slowly. Jung Yu-shin grabbed the sword with both hands. This is enough. Downward cut. Tsuaaaaaak!!! The man''s wrist fell off. "Woooooooo!!!" The big guy with his wrist cut off screamed and twisted his body. Knee cut. The long sword cut through the knee cartilage. The big guy got down on one knee. Upward cut. He retrieved the sword and hit the neck one last time. Tuwoong!!! The large neck flew through the sky and fell to the wooden floor, rolling somewhere. Kweeeeek!!! Jung Yu-shin instinctively raised his palm. Swish!! The sharp awl of the military pick pierced Jung Yu-shin''s palm and popped out. "Whoo. Whoo." A triumphant smile appeared on the face of the man who was gasping for breath. Jung Yu-shin gritted his teeth and pulled his pierced hand. The man put down his weapon and stepped back. ¡°Now!¡± The man couldn¡¯t continue his words. Crack!!! Jung Yu-shin¡¯s headbutt slammed into the man¡¯s face. His nose was crushed and his broken teeth flew into the air. ¡°Kkeuuuk!!!¡± The man screamed and struggled. He pulled out the military pick stuck in his palm and slammed it into the man¡¯s forehead. Crack!!! The awl broke his forehead bone and lodged itself in his brain. The man¡¯s eyes rolled back and he fell down like a log. Kuuung. The sound of his torso collapsing on the floor was his signal. ¡°Hwaaaaak!!!¡± The few remaining men ran to the entrance. Are they trying to escape? [Sacred Weapon] The shining dagger flew like a bolt. It sank into the wrist of the man who had just grabbed the doorknob of the bar. ¡°Kwaaak!!!¡± The man screamed as he grabbed his wrist. Jung Yu-shin quickly ran over and cut off the man¡¯s neck. A strong stream of blood gushed out from the neck and painted the bar¡¯s door. Whirlwind. Jung Yu-shin swung a thin sword in the air and shook off the blood. The effect of the Revenger imprint was slowly healing his wounded body. Jung Yu-shin, who was blocking the entrance, looked at the single-edged drawing illuminated by the bar¡¯s lights and said. ¡°You can¡¯t go out. No one.¡± Jung Yu-shin¡¯s indifferent voice sentenced those who remained in the bar to death. Chapter 44: I’ll teach you how to survive in the labyrinth city. All eyes in the bar were focused on him. However, Jung Yu-shin did not blink an eye and focused only on Donal. Was this really Mingdo? Not a single bit of fat, blood, or bone stuck to the blade. Jung Yu-shin lowered his sword and looked around the bar. You could tell just by looking at it. The guys¡¯ fighting spirit was broken. There were quite a few left, but they were only looking for a place to run away. They were weak to the strong and strong to the weak. They were like worms. They couldn¡¯t be left alive. Jung Yu-shin charged at him with his sword. The men scattered like a flock of sheep, peeing in their pee bags. Every time the sword shone, screams and begging filled the bar. The guys tried to escape somehow, but Jung Yu-shin didn¡¯t miss a single one. They ran around and went crazy. A guy trying to escape the bar using his colleagues as a shield. A guy groaning because he was hurt. A guy whose eyes were cut open and he couldn''t see anything. A guy begging for mercy, saying he had an old mother. A guy who gave up and ran towards him while spitting out all sorts of curses. A guy who peed in his pants and looked up blankly. A guy who called him the devil. Jung Yu-shin ignored all of those words and cut, tore, hacked, and sliced ??like a mindless butcher. The bar that had been in an uproar soon became quiet. He killed everyone who was alive. Except for one. Jung Yu-shin looked around the floor covered in blood and entrails and fell down on the chair he had just sat on. "Tarman." He called out the name of the one who was left. The murderous intent did not subside and continued to burn endlessly. ¡°Bring me another drink, not this one.¡± At Jeong Yu-shin¡¯s words, Tarman¡¯s pants began to get wet. Jeong Yu-shin got up from his seat when he saw that. ¡°Please... spare me!¡± Tarman knelt down and buried his head in his hands. Jeong Yu-shin looked down at Tarman, went to the counter, took out a bottle of alcohol and two glasses, and brought them. He returned to his seat, uncorked the bottle, and poured it into his glass. Gulp. Jeong Yu-shin put his nose up to it and sniffed it before lifting the glass and drinking it in one gulp. He tilted the bottle again and filled his glass. ¡°When are you coming, Captain?¡± ¡°Please...please!! Save me!!¡± Tarman trembled and pleaded. Jeong Yu-shin let out a deep sigh. ¡°Let¡¯s stop talking.¡± He slowly drank the glass and placed it on the table. Jung Yu-shin spent time admiring Tarman¡¯s head, who was kneeling and praying. How much time had passed? Clank! The wooden door opened and someone came in. It was a leopard man. He was male. His glossy black fur was impressive. He looked exactly like Aldain¡¯s description. ¡®Kallik Hyman.¡¯ A former lieutenant explorer and mid-level manager of the Crimson Hunters. He had a total of four imprints. [Acid spit] [Iron arm] [Tracker¡¯s nose] [Fatal hand movement] He blocked attacks with his strong arms and blocked the opponent¡¯s vision by spitting acid spit. Finally, he killed the opponent with a fatal blow. He was an opponent who was inferior to Jung Yu-shin in terms of skill and number of imprints. But what does it matter? This guy should die too. Kallik glanced around and clicked his tongue. ¡°Tsk tsk. You¡¯ve killed a lot.¡± Thump. Thump. Kallik slumped down on the chair across from Jung Yu-shin. ¡°Ska, did you have something good in the labyrinth?¡± Jung Yu-shin just poured his drink without saying a word. Kallik turned his head and looked at Tarman. ¡°Newbie, come and pour me some drinks.¡± Tarman got up from his seat and poured the bottle. Slurp. Slurp. Because of his trembling hands, the drink splattered all over the table, so there wasn¡¯t much left in the glass. Kallik scratched his head. ¡°This kid is completely retarded. Get out of here.¡± Tarman put the bottle on the table and stepped away. Kallik picked up the bottle and filled his glass. Crunch. ¡°Scar, are you a murderer?¡± ¡°...¡± Jeong Yushin leisurely poured his glass without answering. ¡°These guys all have families. They have cute sons and pretty wives. They have parents to take care of.¡± ¡°Why did you kill Dito¡¯s family?¡± Kallik sighed deeply once again. ¡°Haa. That¡¯s ridiculous. Now is not the time to ask that, you crazy bastard. You¡¯re being targeted by us.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°And if you saw the dagger¡¯s pattern, you should have jumped to the east area and stabbed him in the head. Why are you comfortably walking around the labyrinth behind a bear?¡± Jeong Yushin and Kallik met eyes. Kallik chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen a Barbaroi who doesn¡¯t mate. All he does is go to the swordsmanship guild and the orphanage. This kid doesn¡¯t seem like a Barbaroi.¡± Kallik turned his head and looked at Tarman. ¡°Is it right or not?¡± ¡°I... don¡¯t know.¡± Tarman barely answered while shivering. ¡°If you don¡¯t know, you should find out. You idiot.¡± Kallik rubbed his eyes as if he was frustrated. ¡°Scar, you have two choices.¡± Kallik spread his fingers one by one. ¡°One. Come under me.¡± ¡°Two. Die here.¡± Jeong Yu-shin leaned back comfortably in his chair. Kallik and Jeong Yu-shin looked at each other in silence. Kallik looked into Jeong Yu-shin¡¯s eyes. ¡°I¡¯m not the type of person who makes suggestions like this. I¡¯m just a rookie explorer, but I¡¯m skilled and brave, so I¡¯m saying this. Work for me.¡± Are you a big shot or someone who can always get a subordinate? Kaliq continued. ¡°I¡¯ll teach you how to survive in the labyrinth city. You¡¯re like a demon. You have potential.¡± Jung Yu-shin¡¯s mouth slowly opened. ¡°Fuck it.¡± Kaliq shook his head at Jung Yu-shin¡¯s one word. ¡°Whoa. You crazy bastard.¡± Jung Yu-shin narrowed his eyes. His vision drifted back and forth. He couldn¡¯t suppress the murderous desire welling up in his chest. The world turned red and blue repeatedly. ¡®Is it a flash or a flash, that¡¯s the question.¡¯ Fantasy flashed dizzily under his eyes. Under the lights of the red-light district, Hobgoblin and Seamus held hands and danced. The human-faced fox sang along with Darmon. He couldn''t stand it any longer, so he blurted out a word. "I thought about it and it was right to go in. Yes, yes." Kallik sighed. "It''s too late." "Asurabalbalta." Player''s sure victory. He kicked the table. Ppeu ... Where did this guy come from!¡¯ He must have been on his third labyrinth. He was a porter once. He underestimated me. That¡¯s why he got the lead. Kallik, who was on the defensive, moved around and avoided Jung Yu-shin¡¯s sword. Kkang!! Kkaaaang!! The sound of swords clashing echoed through the bar. Tarman was trembling in the corner, not even thinking about running away. They exchanged blows several times. Jung Yu-shin stepped on the intestines that had fallen to the floor. For a moment, his posture collapsed and he staggered. ¡®Opportunity!¡¯ Kallik¡¯s eyes lit up. Kallik swung his sword horizontally. Tssaaaak!!! Kallik¡¯s sword aimed for Jung Yu-shin¡¯s arm. Ts ... The shoulder of the coat was slightly cut and blood flowed out. [Revenger] Imprint activated. Jung Yu-shin''s eyes burned blue. Kyaaang!!! Sparks flew. The sword and the dagger clashed again and fell apart. ''What power?!'' Kallik gritted his teeth. The force of the sword striking was terrifying. The two people stood in front of the broken pile of wood and they clashed swords, crossing each other. Kkang!! Kaaaang!! Sparks flew and as they combined, the number of sword marks on Jung Yu-shin¡¯s body increased one by one. The opponent was a lieutenant explorer. On top of that, he was a guy who had been rolling around in the labyrinth city for years and had been immersed in the underworld. The difference in skill that came with age could not be ignored. But Jung Yu-shin did not flinch. As flesh was cut and blood splattered, the blue iris in his eyes burned even bluer. Kkaaaang!!! The sword and sword clashed once again. The two men engaged in a sword-to-sword struggle. Kkagagagagak!!! The sound of metal grinding spread from the sword and sword that were intertwined. Jung Yu-shin and Kallik met eyes. A fleeting moment. Kallik closed his mouth and puffed out his cheeks. ¡®Coming.¡¯ [Acid spit] Jung Yu-shin turned his head. He couldn¡¯t completely avoid it. Thick spit splashed on his neck and shoulders. Cheeeeeeeeek!!! His flesh and clothes burned with a bubbling sound. Swish!!! ¡°Kkuuk!!!¡± In an instant, an excruciating pain shot up from his shins. Jung Yu-shin clenched his teeth. Something sharp broke his shinbone and lodged itself firmly. Jung Yu-shin pushed the sword away and limped back. Something was sticking out of Kallik¡¯s shoes. It was a jackknife hidden in the soles. ¡°How is it?¡± Kallik laughed viciously. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤It¡¯s a bit much.¡± Jung Yu-shin answered calmly and gathered his wits. Kallik swung his longsword, exploding with light. He was a guy who rolled around in the underworld. He couldn''t let go of the opportunity he had once seized. Jung Yu-shin limped and lifted his sword to block. His shin bone was shattered and he couldn''t stand firm on the ground, so his sword swinging power naturally weakened. The situation became increasingly unfavorable for Jung Yu-shin. Kallik seemed to really like this situation and leisurely pushed Jung Yu-shin. Shhhhhh!!! The sword slashed sharply. The target was the right arm. He finished calculating with the sword in an instant. He twisted his body. However, because of his injured leg, he couldn''t dodge completely and rolled. As he rolled on the ground, sticky blood stuck to his coat and hair. Kallik rushed and swung his sword. A single blow. He couldn''t dodge. Jung Yu-shin knelt down and raised his sword. Kaaaang!!! The strong sword strike twisted his wrist holding the sword. Blood spurted out from his right shin. Kaaaang!!! Kallik struck again. Jung Yu-shin''s body completely collapsed. Ppeuuuuuk!!! Kallik''s foot was lodged in Jung Yu-shin''s spleen. Jung Yu-shin flew and hit the wall. The sword he was holding also flew away and fell somewhere. "Keuheuuk!!!" Jung Yu-shin twisted his body like a bug and exhaled. Kallik grinned and slung his longsword over his shoulder. "You were quite the fighter. I''m sorry for suspecting you weren''t Barbaroi, even for a moment." "..." "Let''s finish this quickly. Stretch your neck out." Jung Yu-shin staggered and got up. Kallik stuck out his tongue. ¡°I almost didn¡¯t recognize the tiger cub. Dangerous cub. You should really die.¡± Hoooooooong!!! Kallik¡¯s sword aimed for Jung Yushin¡¯s neck. [Sacred Weapon] A golden longsword appeared in his hand. He held it with both hands and lifted it. Kaaaaang!!! The swords clashed. Fragments of light flew. ¡°That seal!! I knew it!! This is not the same!!!¡± Kallik growled, baring his teeth. He clung on tightly as if he would never back down. They were entering {N?o?v?e?l?i?g?h?t} a power struggle again. Jung Yushin¡¯s golden sword was pushed back towards his shoulder, pushed back by the force. 1 second. 2 seconds. 3 seconds. The golden longsword disappeared. This was because the weapon summoning time had reached its limit. Kallik snickered. There were no more obstacles blocking his path. He just raised his sword and stabbed it into Jung Yu-shin''s body. The sharp tip of the sword instantly dug through his internal organs and came out through his back. The cool sensation of the sword cutting into his stomach. And the pain that immediately struck Jung Yu-shin''s mind turned blank. He chewed his tongue tightly in the flashing vision. "What do you think? Why didn''t you just take it easy? That dirty little brat..." Kalik grumbled. "Tsk!!" Jung Yu-shin spurted out the blood he had in his mouth. "What the hell!!!" Kalik stepped back in shock. The blood Jung Yu-shin spat out entered Kalik''s eyes and obscured his vision. Swish! Kalik tried to pull out the sword he had stuck in Jung Yu-shin''s stomach. But the sword grip didn¡¯t move. Jung Yu-shin¡¯s hand was tightly holding Kallik¡¯s sword. He held it so tightly that it didn¡¯t move at all. ¡®What is this?!¡¯ A brief moment of shock. Bam!!! Kallik¡¯s head jerked back. His vision flashed and blood poured out of his nose. Jung Yu-shin¡¯s headbutt crushed Kallik¡¯s nose bone. Kallik screamed and spat out acid spit indiscriminately. Jung Yu-shin ignored it and threw his head back again. Headbutt. Paaaaaaak!!! ¡°Kuhahaaaaak!!!¡± Kallik screamed and twisted his body. But Jung Yu-shin was faster. [Sacred Weapon] The dagger of light was thrust deep into Kallik¡¯s stomach. ¡°Kuheuheuek!!!¡± Kallik let out a single scream and staggered backwards, then fell to his knees. Tsuuuuk. Jung Yushin pulled out the longsword stuck in his stomach with trembling hands. He should have just taken it to the temple instead of pulling it out, but he trusted the vengeance imprint. Clang. The longsword fell to the floor. Slurp. Blood flowed down the floor. Jung Yushin limped toward Kallik. Kallik''s eyes widened in fear. "Keuk. Keuk." He looked at Jung Yushin earnestly, as if he had something to say, but he was just spitting out blood. Jung Yushin grabbed Kallik''s snout. ''What!'' His hand gained strength. Kallik''s mouth slowly opened. Chiiik. His fingers were steaming and sticking to his mouth with the acid, but he didn¡¯t care. ¡°Aga-ga-gak.¡± Kallik shivered as his mouth opened wide. ¡®Please!! Please!!¡¯ Tsztztz. The corners of his mouth slowly began to tear. Kallik shook his body with all his might, but Jeong Yushin didn¡¯t move an inch. ¡°Aga-ga-gak!!! Aga-ga-gak!!!¡± Tears flowed from Kallik¡¯s eyes. Tsaaaaaaak!!! His lower jaw was shattered and his mouth was completely torn. ¡°Kahaaaaak!!!¡± Kallik¡¯s eyes rolled back completely. Jeong Yushin took his hands off Kallik¡¯s mouth and stood up. His body was slowly healing because the Revenger imprint was still being activated. The amount of blood flowing out of his stomach had decreased. Jung Yu-shin staggered, clutching his stomach, and found a good chair to sit on. The bar was a mess of blood, corpses, and broken tables. Jung Yu-shin banged on the table. ¡°Tarman, bring me some liquor.¡± Overwhelmed by Jung Yu-shin¡¯s mad fight, Tarman trembled and couldn¡¯t move. ¡°Bring me some liquor.¡± Jung Yu-shin spoke again. ¡°Huh?! Huh!¡± Tarman ran to the counter and searched through the liquor cabinet as if he was going to break it, bringing back a bottle and a glass. Tarman hurriedly ran over and placed the bottle and glass on the table. Jung Yu-shin picked up the bottle and poured it into the glass. Gulp. Jung Yu-shin lifted the glass and poured it into his mouth. But he didn¡¯t swallow it. He held it in his mouth, gulped it down once, and then spat it out on the floor. ¡°Tsk.¡± The blood-mixed liquor spread on the floor. Jung Yu-shin leaned back on his chair. He inhaled the smell of blood that filled the bar, filling his lungs with it and spitting it out. ¡°Who is going to teach whom how to survive in the labyrinthine city?¡± Jung Yu-shin muttered, looking up at the ceiling. Stop the unceasing murderous intent. He didn¡¯t sit down and became mad, poking Jung Yu-shin¡¯s mind. Jung Yu-shin turned his head and looked at Tarman. ¡°Tarman.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Kneel down.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Kneel down.¡± Tarman knelt on the floor covered in blood. ¡°Please... spare me.¡± Jung Yu-shin tapped his glass. ¡°You are such a worthless man. You kidnapped children and their mothers to make money, tortured them, and tore their mouths to death? Are you a human?¡± ¡°I... I didn¡¯t do it.¡± ¡°You must have assisted? If you say no, should I believe you?¡± Jung Yu-shin continued, looking at Tarman¡¯s head. ¡°Why did you come to a place like this?¡± ¡°I...needed money.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t there something going on in the southern district?¡± ¡°...I lost my job because of the labyrinth closure order. They said they would pay me a lot of money... Please believe me!!! I really didn¡¯t know this would happen!!!¡± ¡®What should I do with you? Should I save you by looking at Anne¡¯s face?¡¯ The desire to kill surged like a tide and receded like an ebb. ¡°My mind is wandering.¡± Jung Yu-shin brushed back his blood-soaked hair. He looked up at the bar¡¯s ceiling. Tarman lowered his head and trembled, shouting something. He couldn¡¯t hear it. Jung Yu-shin got up from his chair and walked among the dead. He found a dagger among the dismembered corpses and held it in his hand. ¡°Tarman, raise your head.¡± Tarman raised his head and froze when he saw Jung Yu-shin holding a dagger. Jung Yu-shin slowly walked behind Tarman and stood. ¡°What should I do? I¡¯m really worried.¡± ¡°Save...save.¡± Jung Yu-shin said softly. As he held the dagger in his hand, his murderous intent surged back up. His head was spinning. ¡°Shut up.¡± What is Tarman thinking? Is he reflecting on his sins? Or is he just begging to save his life right now? I don¡¯t know. The human mind was another labyrinth. That fact scratched Jung Yu-shin¡¯s mind without mercy. Jung Yu-shin grabbed Tarman¡¯s hair. Crunch. The severed hair fell to the floor. Jung Yu-shin cut Tarman¡¯s hair every time his murderous intent surged up. ¡®Should I kill him?¡¯ ¡®Should I not?¡¯ Tarman¡¯s hair fell to the floor. Tarman¡¯s hair had changed into something comical, as if he had no talent as a hairdresser. He really is a retard. I had already killed 31 people, but I couldn¡¯t kill the last one, so I was making a fuss all night. It was crazy and I was going crazy. Was my devotion to my childhood friend going in the wrong direction? What would I have done if I were in Tarman¡¯s position? Would I have just watched? Would I have stubbornly insisted on the right path? Maybe. ¡®Stop.¡¯ He stopped thinking. Jung Yu-shin glared at Tarman¡¯s head with bloodshot eyes and threw the dagger far away. ¡°Don¡¯t show up again. You loser. Leave the labyrinth city. Rehabilitate.¡± He thought of Simus and disappeared. Jung Yu-shin picked up the sword that was lying in the corner and walked among the dead. As he passed by, he saw Kallik spitting blood out of his torn mouth and rolling his eyes. He¡¯s not dead yet? Jung Yu-shin kicked Kallik''s neck. Bam!!! Jung Yu-shin''s walker mercilessly broke Kallik''s cervical vertebrae. A long tongue hung out of his torn mouth. It was a truly pitiful death. Will I die like this someday? Jung Yu-shin opened the door to the bar and went outside with that thought. A dark night. Someone was standing outside the bar. Chapter 45: How Jung Yu-shin Survives in the Labyrinth City The early summer night air brushed past Jeong Yushin. The streets of the shantytown were dark. Jeong Yushin''s heart felt the same way. The boar beastman approached. Was his name Trench-nose? "Skah-nim." Trench-nose politely handed Jeong Yushin a towel and a new coat. Jeong Yushin took off his worn-out coat and wiped his body with the towel. The towel was soaked with blood, and the smell of it filled the air. "Is it mostly cleaned?" Jeong Yushin handed the towel back and asked. "Yes." "Then why did you wait?" "Aldain-nim told me to wait outside and confirm if Skah-nim was alive, so I¡¯ve been waiting." "Is that so?" Trench-nose looked at Jeong Yushin, then quickly lowered his head. His eyes had become darker and more glossy than when Jeong Yushin had first seen him. "I''ll guide you." "Alright." The two men left the shantytown. They passed through dark alleys and walked down the brightly lit streets, eventually leaving the eastern checkpoint. The guards glanced at Jeong Yushin''s body but didn¡¯t speak. Once they reached the central district, Jeong Yushin spoke. "Go ahead. I need to buy a weapon." "At this hour?" "Yes." Would Ainhopper be there? Jeong Yushin thought for a moment. He didn¡¯t know if Ainhopper would be there or not. Still, he thought he would try to go to the western blacksmith street. "I¡¯ll go with you." "Go first." "I¡¯ll wait for you at the monster dissection house." "Alright." Jeong Yushin watched Trench-nose walk away before continuing on his path. After a long walk, Jeong Yushin arrived at the blacksmith street. Most of the shops were dark, except for one. It was Boron¡¯s blacksmith. Is he still awake? Jeong Yushin walked toward the blacksmith shop where light was spilling out. When he opened the door and entered, Boron was sitting in a chair. He had a bandage wrapped around his head. "Hey?! What¡¯s going on? At this late hour?" Boron asked in surprise. "I came to buy a sword." Jeong Yushin could already sense that nights without a weapon would become unbearable. Thud! Bang! The sound of a hammer echoed from beyond the wooden door at the corner of the blacksmith shop. "Ainhopper?" "Yeah. He¡¯s a stubborn one." Boron crossed his arms and clicked his tongue. "He doesn¡¯t eat, doesn¡¯t sleep, just keeps hammering away. He¡¯ll kill himself at this rate. Huh. I wonder why I took him in." "Can I watch?" "Do as you please. But be careful. He has tremors, so sometimes he drops the hammer." "Yes." Jeong Yushin walked towards the sound of the hammer. Screech. When he opened the door, the heat from the furnace enveloped him. The warmth and light from the forge filled the room. Ainhopper was swinging the hammer in front of the anvil. The hammer struck a red-hot sword. Sparks flew. Jeong Yushin slowly sat down at a distance from Ainhopper. Ainhopper¡¯s face was covered in thick sweat. The sweat dripped down his forehead, gathered around his eyes, and then flowed down his cheeks. It almost looked like he was crying. Jeong Yushin lowered his gaze. The hammer struck the sword, and sometimes it missed, hitting the anvil instead. Thud!! Bang!! Thud!! The strikes weren¡¯t consistent, and the sword was bent this way and that. It resembled the twisted shape of his own life, beaten by fate. It also mirrored Ainhopper¡¯s state. One man was tormented by the "darkness" of the dungeon, suffering from madness. Another was marked by the negative inscription, struggling to live a normal life. Watching Ainhopper, Jeong Yushin thought. He had killed 31 people today, and almost killed one more. Those 31 were beyond redemption, people who deserved to die. He had no regrets. The problem was Taruman. If he thought about it more, it was Taruman he had been debating whether or not to kill. The madness tightened around his heart and scrambled his thoughts. Thud!! Bang!! The sound of Ainhopper¡¯s hammer echoed, and Jeong Yushin¡¯s sharp mind began to settle. Sparks flew again. Ainhopper was crying. But his hands never stopped. ? N§àv§Öl?g?§ä ? (Continue reading) He didn¡¯t give up. A man who shed tears from the trials given by fate but refused to break. A man who didn¡¯t stray from the path, holding onto his integrity despite the madness. A man who could be seen as half-crazy. Thud!! Bang!! Thud!! As Jeong Yushin watched Ainhopper hammering away, a small light appeared from the dark corner of his mind. How Dalmong survived in Dungeon City. How Aldain survived in Dungeon City. How Ainhopper survived in Dungeon City. Each had their own way. Jeong Yushin closed his eyes. He combined Dalmong¡¯s kindness, Aldain¡¯s coldness, and Ainhopper¡¯s stubbornness. And then... He mixed his own resolve into it. He hammered down the madness, like Ainhopper¡¯s strikes. Thud!! Thud!! Bang!! Jeong Yushin slowly opened his eyes. His gaze, a mixture of clear and murky, flashed in the light of the hearth. ¡®Ah.¡¯ Ainhopper had dropped the hammer. It flew towards Jeong Yushin. He reached out and grabbed the hammer. "...Skah." Ainhopper stared at Jeong Yushin blankly. Jeong Yushin handed the hammer back and said. "Make me a sword later." "...Can I even make one?" Ainhopper¡¯s voice trembled. "Of course. I believe in you." Ainhopper¡¯s lips twitched. The two men stared at each other silently for a long time. Jeong Yushin stood up. "I¡¯ll come by from time to time." "...Alright." When he opened the door and stepped out, Boron was standing there. "I need a longsword." Jeong Yushin said. Boron glanced at the sword Jeong Yushin was holding. "Isn¡¯t that a single-edged sword the elves use? You already have a weapon, is it really necessary to buy another?" "I won¡¯t be using this." "...Alright." Boron went to the weapon display and took out a longsword. "Use this." "How much?" "Ten silver coins. What happened to your light armor?" "It got destroyed." "Ugh. Come by later to leave it with me. Bring the money then." "Yes." Jeong Yushin strapped the longsword to his other side and left the blacksmith shop. Dawn was approaching. He walked slowly and arrived at the monster dissection house. A bonfire was burning in the yard. It was a familiar spot. The place where he and his comrades used to grill meat after finishing work at the dissection house. Aldain was sitting there. The boar beastman was nowhere to be seen. Aldain didn¡¯t move even as Jeong Yushin approached, his eyes fixed on the flames. "Why did you spare one?" Aldain spoke. Instead of answering, Jeong Yushin handed him the sword. "Just take it." Aldain glanced at the sword and then returned his gaze to the fire. "I don¡¯t want it." "Why?" "It reeks of blood." Aldain took the sword Jeong Yushin had handed him. "Come by often. Show your face. Do some work." "I will." "Come closer." As Jeong Yushin approached, Aldain looked up and gazed into his eyes. "Annoying eyes you have. Take the coat with you. It suits you well." Jeong Yushin turned around and left the dissection house. As he disappeared from view, the boar beastman quietly came to stand behind Aldain. "That barbaroi never asked what we¡¯re doing. Isn¡¯t he curious?" Aldain grumbled. "Would you tell him if he asked?" "No." "Skah probably thinks the same." Aldain turned his head and looked at Trench-nose. "Why do you keep addressing him with respect?" "It¡¯s hard to explain. Whether it¡¯s because of his rank or his venom... I don¡¯t know, but it¡¯s hard to meet his eyes. That¡¯s why I can¡¯t help but address him respectfully." Trench-nose tilted his head and answered. "Enough of that. How did he fight?" Aldain asked. "Well..." "Why?" "It was brutal." "Tell me more." Trench-nose hesitated but then began recounting the fight in the tavern. A cup of tea had passed. "He bit his neck? Are you sure?" After hearing the story, Aldain scratched his head in disbelief and asked again. "Yes. He bit the man''s neck, chewed through the flesh and bone, then spat it out on the floor." "Huh." Aldain let out a strange sigh. "And then? How did he kill the leader?" "The leader stabbed Skah in the stomach." "He stabbed him? What? Hurry up and tell me." Aldain urged. "Without batting an eye, he used his... inscribed ability." Trench-nose stopped and, standing in front of Aldain, demonstrated Jeong Yushin¡¯s movements with exaggerated gestures. "He shoved a golden dagger into his stomach. Like this. It went in deep." "..." "And then?" "Yes. Skah came closer and grabbed the leader¡¯s mouth and tore it apart." "Tore it apart? With his bare hands, he pulled it open and tore it?" "Yes." "Huh... What? He got stabbed in the stomach, but still went and tore the leader¡¯s mouth apart? He¡¯s completely insane. He¡¯s young, mixed-blood, and I didn¡¯t expect him to fight like that. Is he really a barbaroi? You really didn¡¯t help him?" Aldain glared at Trench-nose. "Yes. I just watched. But what do we do about the remaining slave hunter cells?" Trench-nose asked. "Leave them. They¡¯ll scatter on their own. They¡¯re just a bunch of rich idiots. They¡¯re trying to get a foot in Dungeon City because business is tough, but that¡¯s not going to be easy." "Couldn¡¯t they take action in another way? They¡¯ll try to indirectly influence Dungeon City instead of getting involved directly." "Even so, they¡¯re just a rolling stone. What¡¯s a stone going to do in a city full of demons? It¡¯ll get crushed. We¡¯ll think about that when the time comes. Go now." "Yes." Trench-nose bowed deeply and left the bonfire. Aldain stroked the red single-edged sword. "How is it?" The sword trembled. "Was it that good? Looks like you¡¯ve found your true soulmate." Aldain spoke with an amused voice. "...You want to stay with him? Well, let¡¯s wait a bit. We¡¯ll probably meet again soon." This fight had likely spread throughout the eastern district. The demons lurking in the shadows of Dungeon City must have heard about it. All they had to do was wait leisurely, and Skah, tired of Dungeon City¡¯s evil, would soon come into their embrace. "Younger brother." Aldain muttered as he stroked the sword. Beneath the stars at dawn, Jeong Yushin walked alone. As he walked, he arrived at Dalmong¡¯s inn. Upon closer inspection, he saw someone kneeling in front of the inn. A strange, unevenly shaved head. It was Taruman. Jeong Yushin walked up to him. "...I told you to leave." "I have nowhere to go." "Are you saying you want to die by my hands?" "Where else would I go, abandoning my friends? Please take me in." Taruman looked up. The man who had been trembling and wetting himself in the tavern was gone. No. There was still fear in Taruman¡¯s eyes. But despite that, love for his friends could be seen. Could he really not leave his friends behind? Jeong Yushin lifted his head and looked up at the sky for a moment. The quiet breeze of the early morning street brushed past him. ¡®Dalmong.¡¯ The image of him rushing to his wife¡¯s infidelity stuck in his heart. Jeong Yushin slowly spoke. "Do you still have the explorer¡¯s iron token?" "Yes." "Give it to me." "Eh?" "Hand me the token." Taruman rummaged through his clothes and pulled out the token. Jeong Yushin took the token and placed it in his pocket. "I won¡¯t ask how you got here. Work here." It was probably Aldain who sent him. Was he trying to leave him as a contact? It didn¡¯t matter. "Yes." "If you pull any more crap, one of us will die. Understand?" The color drained from Taruman¡¯s face at Jeong Yushin¡¯s warning. "...Yes." Taruman barely opened his mouth and responded. "Can you cook?" "I can cook a little." "Alright. Get your hair cut. I don¡¯t know who shaved it, but it¡¯s disgusting." "Yes." "Good. I like seeing you try to redeem yourself." "Thank you." Jeong Yushin paused for a moment, tilting his head. "...Now that I think about it, it pisses me off. Stand outside a bit longer and come back in." "..." Jeong Yushin patted Taruman¡¯s shoulder once and entered Dalmong¡¯s inn. The first light of dawn began to appear in the dark street. Chapter 46: Looking for a chef A week passed. A quiet morning in the inn. Jung Yu-shin was sitting at the counter with his chin resting on his hand. ¡°Ugh, ugh!!! How can food be this bad?! Owner, come out!¡± Rabbit Su-in raised his voice and grumbled. Jung Yu-shin got up from his seat and approached Rabbit Su-in. ¡°Is it really that bad?¡± ¡°It¡¯s complete trash!¡± ¡°I agree.¡± Jung Yu-shin nodded. The food Tarman made was not even delicious in vain. ¡°Where did Darmon go?¡± Rabbit Su-in asked. ¡°I had some business back home, so I left.¡± ¡°Tsk.¡± Rabbit Su-in clicked his tongue and got up from his seat. Jung Yu-shin watched the back of Su-in as he quickly left and went into the kitchen. ¡°Tarman.¡± ¡°Yes. Ska-nim.¡± ¡°You¡¯re good at cooking?¡± Tarman scratched his head. His shaved head was drenched in sweat. ¡°My friends said it was delicious.¡± ¡°I just got slapped by a customer. He said it was really bad.¡± ¡°Are you...really?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a lie.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Tarman.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I guess our relationship ends here.¡± Tarman¡¯s eyes widened like a rabbit¡¯s. ¡°Huh?!¡± ¡°That¡¯s a lie.¡± ¡°Ugh.¡± Tarman clutched his heart and staggered. ¡°I have to pick someone. Someone who¡¯s good at cooking. Go to the monster dismantling center and bring me a stray nose.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Did you know?¡± ¡°You¡¯re Aldain¡¯s contact? Everyone in this town knows. While you¡¯re at it, find out how Silva is doing.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Tarman took off his apron and left the inn. Jung Yu-shin closed the shop and sat down at the counter. He crossed his arms and thought deeply. He looked at Aldain¡¯s words and actions and the eastern section of the labyrinth city. He could guess that there were worse guys than the slave hunters lurking somewhere. The problem was that he couldn¡¯t be sure whether they were paying attention to him or not. It could be his excessive self-consciousness. But it wouldn¡¯t hurt to be prepared. Besides, the remaining slave hunters could have come disguised as cooks. This is where Aldain¡¯s help was needed. He needed a sieve to filter out the trash. There¡¯s a saying that like-minded people talk. It was obvious that the underworld would recognize the underworld. Jung Yu-shin waited quietly. A few hours later. Tarman and Deulchangko came into the inn. ¡°Ska-nim.¡± ¡°Yes. Is everything okay?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I¡¯m trying to hire some people, so help me out.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Deulchangko bowed his head and answered immediately. Jung Yu-shin turned his head and looked at Tarman. ¡°Once the chef is chosen, you serve. The food tastes so bad.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Tarman answered in a sullen voice. He put up a recruitment notice for a chef the size of a door in front of the inn. Deulchangko ghostwrote Jung Yu-shin¡¯s conditions. He¡¯s a smart guy. You could say he¡¯s a talent that¡¯s becoming increasingly desirable. ¡°I hope you don¡¯t have high expectations.¡± Deulchangko said. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t Ska Barbaro? I think he might be able to find a female cook.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Let¡¯s wait for now.¡± One day. Two days. Three days. The inn was empty. No one came to help. On the fourth day, Jeong Yu-shin got up from the counter chair. ¡°Tarman.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t seem worried at all. Can¡¯t you see that the inn¡¯s fate is as precarious as a candle in the wind?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Go out. Go out and shout. I¡¯m looking for a cook.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± As Tarman began to stagger toward the inn door, the door opened. Clang!! ¡°I heard you¡¯re looking for a cook.¡± A small fox with yellow fur stood at the entrance of the inn and shouted proudly. Jeong Yu-shin narrowed his eyes and looked down at the fox. Then he looked at the snub nose. ¡°Is this right?¡± ¡°I think you should have an interview first.¡± Jung Yu-shin nodded and pointed to the seat opposite his. ¡°Sit here.¡± ¡°Hyuu.¡± The short fox Suin ran to the table and struggled to get onto the chair. Jung Yu-shin watched her and picked up the fox Suin and sat her on the chair. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Yeah. Do you know how to cook?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°How can you cook when you¡¯re a little short?¡± ¡°I have summoning magic.¡± The fox Suin stuck out her flat chest and raised her chin. ¡°What do you mean summoning? Cooking? Or a servant?¡± ¡°A servant.¡± The conversation didn¡¯t continue. ¡°So you¡¯re saying that you¡¯re going to summon the summoned beast you have and cook it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s it.¡± ¡°Summon it once.¡± ¡°Watch it carefully. Haap!¡± The fox Suin clasped her small hands together and spread them out toward the table. A flash of light appeared and something appeared on the table. Jung Yushin¡¯s eyes widened. ¡®What is this?!¡¯ Three small, colorful slimes appeared on the table. ¡°What...what is this?¡± Jung Yushin barely managed to gather his wheezing mind and asked. The fox Suin pointed to the red slime crawling on the table. ¡°This guy is Naelum. Isn¡¯t he cute?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°This blue guy is Mongmong. What do you think?¡± ¡°This green kid is Jjupjjup. Hehe.¡± Jung Yushin blankly looked down at the slimes. He couldn¡¯t stand to see them crawling on the table. ¡°So you¡¯re going to cook with these guys?¡± ¡°I can do it!¡± It seemed like there was more to show. Fox Suin closed her eyes and muttered something. ¡°Haap! Transform!¡± The slimes squirmed in time with Fox Suin¡¯s chant and each transformed into a different shape. They transformed into a bear Suin, an elf, and a strange lump. Jung Yu-shin pointed to the shapeless lump of slime. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a dragon.¡± Dragons really existed. This is a fantasy world after all. That aside. Jung Yu-shin spread his palm and wiped his face. How should I say it so that she¡¯ll reject him nicely? He was worried. Jung Yu-shin looked down at Fox Suin and slowly opened his mouth. ¡°That... is a great talent, but your work ability is not related to the duties of this inn...¡± Jeong Yu-shin stopped talking and looked at the fox Su-in. ¡°Uuuuu. You don¡¯t know what you are.¡± The fox Su-in¡¯s large eyes were filled with round tears. The gazes of Tarman and Deulchanko, who were staring at her from the side, were stinging. Jeong Yu-shin let out a sigh. ¡°Come to the inn sometimes and do a show.¡± ¡°I¡¯m hungry!¡± ¡®I¡¯m going to die.¡¯ It was harder to endure the little fox Su-in¡¯s whining than to fight and exchange swords. At that moment, Deulchanko smiled happily and took out a coin from his pocket and handed it to her. ¡°You can buy something delicious with this.¡± The fox Su-in¡¯s eyes sparkled at the fairy tale Deulchanko gave her. ¡°Wow! Thank you, gentlemen.¡± The fox Suin politely bowed and ran out of the inn. The three men sitting at the table linked arms and looked at each other. ¡°Doesn¡¯t that kid know what Barbaroi is? He¡¯s fearless.¡± Jeong Yu-shin grumbled as if it was ridiculous. Snapped nose smiled bitterly. ¡°It¡¯s interesting. Still, it¡¯s not a bad start.¡± ¡°I wish I could be like that.¡± Jeong Yu-shin said while looking at the inn entrance. After a while. ¡°Are you that Barbaroi?¡± ¡®What¡¯s this old man?¡¯ A dwarf with white hair sat down in front of the table and stared at Jeong Yu-shin. ¡°Sir, please tell me clearly what kind of Barbaroi I am.¡± ¡°You¡¯re that rape" ¡°Isn¡¯t this the good Barbaro?¡± ¡°I¡¯m that guy. The only man standing upright in the labyrinth city.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a guy like this before.¡± The old dwarf muttered blankly. ¡°Old man, are you here to apply for the chef position?¡± ¡°No?¡± The dwarf sat blankly and looked up at Jeong Yu-shin. Jeong Yu-shin sighed deeply, looking at the ceiling. ¡°Whew, go away. You failed. Next time.¡± ¡°What a strange guy. Let¡¯s meet often.¡± The old dwarf got down from the chair and walked out of the inn. The next applicant sat down on the chair. He was wearing a crow¡¯s ¡ï Novelight ¡ï beak mask, a robe, and a suspicious bag. ¡°Cook...are you here to apply?¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Buy this.¡± The crow beak mask took something out of his bag and placed it on the table. The voice was murky, making it hard to tell if it was a man or a woman. ¡°What is this?¡± On the table was a glass bottle the size of a fist. Inside it, a pink potion was sloshing. ¡°It¡¯s a happiness potion.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it a drug? Get out.¡± Jeong Yu-shin growled. ¡°It¡¯s an aphrodisiac. It makes women crazy.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the same. Get out.¡± The crow beak mask clicked his tongue, put the glass bottle back in his bag, and stood up. ¡°This medicine is expensive. Don¡¯t discount it next time.¡± ¡°Failed. Next time.¡± The beak mask left the inn and the next applicant sat down across from him at the table, A hyena man with yellow fur. There was a long knife wound on one eye. ¡®Hoo.¡¯ He smelled like a craftsman. It was the scent of a single-minded person who had only walked a single path alone. ¡°Do you cook?¡± Jung Yu-shin asked the hyena man with anticipation. ¡°That¡¯s not necessary.¡± Jung Yu-shin frowned at the hyena man¡¯s words. ¡®What are you doing...¡¯ He was slowly reaching the limit of his patience. The cook he had called didn¡¯t come and only strange guys were showing up. ¡°Are you that guy? The guy who suddenly showed up in the eastern district and slaughtered slave hunters?¡± Jung Yu-shin turned his head and looked at Dulchanggo. Dulchanggo nodded. Are you guys from the underworld? ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± Jung Yu-shin answered. A look of triumph appeared on Hyena Su-in¡¯s face. ¡°You really are the guy who killed 31 people in one night? For Barbaro, you seem quite weak.¡± ¡°Are you judging by appearances? You have to try to see if it¡¯s long or short.¡± The surroundings suddenly became quiet. A sudden silence enveloped the inn. ¡®Did I say something wrong?¡¯ What? Jung Yu-shin turned his head here and there to look at the people. Several of the applicants packed their bags and ran out of the inn in a hurry. Hyena Su-in¡¯s face turned slightly red. ¡°No... no way? Are you asking me to face ¡®that¡¯?¡± Shit. ¡°No.¡± ¡°I... really. Anyway, I have a proposal.¡± ¡°Tell me.¡± ¡°Come join our clan. I promise to treat you well.¡± ¡°Hoo.¡± Jung Yu-shin leaned back on his chair and glared at Hyena Su-in. I don¡¯t know what a clan means, but I decided to understand it as a group in the underworld. ¡°Will you hire me?¡± ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s a little different, but it¡¯s a similar story.¡± Jung Yu-shin looked into Hyena Su-in¡¯s eyes. Hyena Su-in¡¯s body flinched. ¡®What...eyes?¡¯ His spine tingled as he saw the strangely flickering eyes. Jung Yu-shin slowly got up from his seat. He was holding a longsword in his hand. ¡°No movement.¡± Everyone who was about to leave the inn stopped. Jung Yu-shin slung his sword over his shoulder and stood at the entrance of the inn. Clang!!! Boom!!! Jung Yu-shin locked the inn door. He turned around and looked at everyone. ¡°Are there any guys from the Eastern District among the people here?¡± Some flinched. Some remained silent. ¡°Did you hear everything? Rumors spread so quickly.¡± Jung Yu-shin ran his hand through his black hair. ¡°Let¡¯s make it clear. I didn¡¯t kill those guys for my glory or a high ransom.¡± A few people snorted. Jung Yu-shin ignored them and continued. ¡°Those guys crossed the line. Explorers can fight and kill each other. This is a labyrinth city. I understand. But gouge out the eyes of a child who doesn¡¯t know anything, rip open their mouths, and kill them? And show me that? You should beg me to kill you instead. You filthy bastards.¡± Jung Yu-shin¡¯s eyes sparkled. The silence in the inn grew even heavier. ¡°I don¡¯t know what kind of bastards you are, but if you do something like that and walk around in broad daylight¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°Ska-nim, there are no such guys here.¡± Dulchangko stood up and stopped Jung Yu-shin. ¡°Hoo.¡± Jung Yu-shin sighed and touched his eyes. He suppressed his rising murderous intent. Boom!!! Squeak!!! He opened the inn door. ¡°Except for those who are truly applying to be chefs, get out.¡± Most of them got up and left the inn. Among those leaving, there were a few who glared at Jung Yu-shin, and some who nodded as if they understood something. Some were too scared to make eye contact. ¡°Tsk. It¡¯s gone.¡± Jung Yu-shin returned to his seat. Hyena Su-in did not leave and was still sitting in his seat. ¡°Go.¡± Despite Jung Yu-shin¡¯s order to evade his orders, Hyena Su-in did not move at all. ¡°You must have come to the Labyrinth City because you want something. No one is without desire. Tell me what you want. I will do my best to grant it.¡± At Hyena Suin¡¯s words, Dulchangko¡¯s body froze. It was a bold saliva that would have made Aldain stand up immediately if he had heard it. ¡°What I want.¡± Jung Yushin crossed his arms and turned his gaze to the entrance of the inn. ¡°Yes. Tell me. What do you want?¡± Jung Yushin remained silent despite Suin¡¯s urging. How much time had passed? Jung Yushin blurted out to Suin, who was about to speak again. ¡°None of your business. Get lost.¡± ¡°Huh.¡± Hyena Suin sighed and glanced at Dulchangko. ¡°I see. You missed the first mover.¡± Hyena Suin got up and left the inn. Three men were left in the empty inn again. ¡°It¡¯s really hard to find one person.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not easy.¡± The snail nodded and agreed. Before he knew it, evening was approaching. The streets were getting dark. ¡°Should we call it a day?¡± Just as Jung Yu-shin was about to get up, someone was standing at the entrance of the inn. A red-haired girl. The rear guard of Karl Party. It was Anne. Tarman¡¯s body stiffened. Anne walked briskly and stood across from Jung Yu-shin. ¡°Anne?¡± Anne bowed deeply. ¡°Thank you, Ska, for saving Tarman.¡± Anne used honorifics. You knew everything. ¡°Yes. Didn¡¯t Tarman tell you?¡± ¡°I asked around because he hadn¡¯t come to the inn for a week. He left money in front of the door and disappeared. I didn¡¯t know what had happened, so I quit my job¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± Tears welled up in Anne¡¯s eyes. Jung Yu-shin and Deul-chang-ko linked arms and looked at Tarman. ¡°Ugh... Ugh.¡± Tarman turned his head awkwardly and coughed. ¡°It seems like you have a lot to talk about, so go inside the kitchen and do it.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Anne sniffed and glared at Tarman. ¡°Tarman, follow me.¡± Anne dragged Tarman into the kitchen. There was a sound of crying and a drum being blasted inside the kitchen, and there was also a sound of something breaking. Jung Yu-shin and Deul-chang-ko linked arms and stared at the poor ceiling. After a while. Tarman, with a big bruise on his eye, walked out, shivering. Anne smiled, feeling relieved. Hmm. ¡°Anne, do you cook?¡± Anne¡¯s eyes widened at Jeong Yu-shin¡¯s question. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°We need someone to cook at our inn. Salary, I¡¯ll give you plenty. How about it?¡± Tears welled up in Anne¡¯s eyes again. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Yes, it seems you have separate accommodations, so I¡¯ll go back today and see you tomorrow morning.¡± ¡°Yes. Thank you.¡± Anne repeatedly bowed to express her gratitude. Jung Yu-shin just nodded and looked at Tarman. ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Yes.¡± Tarman said in a hoarse voice. Anne grabbed Tarman by the collar and dragged him out of the inn. Jung Yu-shin got up from his seat, searched through the cupboard behind the counter, took out a bottle of wine and two glasses, and brought them to the table. Jung Yu-shin placed the glasses in front of Ddalchangko and poured him a drink by tilting the bottle. Slurp. ¡°Ddalchangko, you worked hard.¡± Ddalchangko smiled faintly at Jung Yu-shin¡¯s compliment. ¡°I¡¯m glad you hired a cook.¡± Dalchangko said, lifting his glass. Jeong Yu-shin smiled and poured himself a glass. ¡°First, I¡¯ll have to see how good your cooking skills are. If not, I¡¯ll have to think about it later.¡± Jeong Yu-shin said, lifting his glass. ¡°I think I¡¯ve said this many times, but it¡¯s really hard to find one person.¡± ¡°I agree.¡± Cheong! Two men clinked their glasses in an empty inn on a summer evening, laughing. Chapter 47: Krrrrung...Teacher Mi-on! The next morning, Anne came to visit. A girl with flowing red hair. A girl who clenched her teeth and struggled to protect her friends. ¡°What should I do first?¡± ¡°Cooking. What I¡¯m most confident in.¡± ¡°Yes, I understand.¡± Anne¡¯s cooking skills were decent. It wasn¡¯t comparable to Darmon, but it wasn¡¯t something that would get her slapped. Jeong Yu-shin brushed his chest as he watched the expressions of the guests who stopped by the inn gradually brighten. He called Anne aside and handed her a pouch filled with money. It was the money Karin had given him. He took out only what he needed. ¡°What is this?¡± Anne asked. ¡°Inn operating expenses. Use it sparingly. Let me know if you run out.¡± ¡°Do you trust me to this extent?¡± ¡°Think as you wish.¡± ¡°Thank you. I will definitely repay you.¡± ¡°Just work hard.¡± Anne and Tarman began to work hard as if they wanted to repay the favor Jung Yu-shin had shown them. Jung Yu-shin sat on the counter chair and folded his arms. The morning summer breeze blew into the inn, lingered for a moment, and then left. Outside the inn, the explorers who had formed a party were gathered in groups of three or four and heading to the labyrinth. There had been no news from Karin and Darmon yet. He had thought of letting go if the inn became a little more stable. It wasn¡¯t that he wasn¡¯t going to pay attention. Each person should do what they do best. Jung Yu-shin had planned to guard Darmon¡¯s inn as a swordsman. In that case, training and learning were essential. When would he be able to go to the swordsmanship association? Jung Yu-shin picked up the longsword placed under the counter and got up from his seat. Many thoughts were running through his head, so he thought of going to the yard and moving his body. * * * Squeak. Around noon, after morning, someone opened the door to the inn and came in. Tarman bowed his head and greeted him vigorously. ¡°Welcome!¡± Tarman raised his head and stiffened. ¡°Is Mr. Ska here?¡± ¡°Huh...Huh! Wait...Just a moment!¡± Tarman hurriedly ran through the kitchen and into the yard. Jung Yu-shin, with his upper body bare, was swinging his sword while sweating. The summer sunlight was so strong that he couldn¡¯t handle the sweat. ¡°S...Ska-nim!!¡± ¡°What¡¯s the fuss?¡± ¡°The Shin...shin-kwan is here. Like an angel.¡± Is it Mi-on? Jung Yu-shin grabbed a towel hanging from the clothesline in the yard and wiped his face and neck. ¡°Tell them I¡¯ll be there soon.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to.¡± Mi-on passed through the kitchen and appeared in the yard. Mi-on glanced at Jung Yu-shin¡¯s smooth upper body and quickly lowered her head. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Uh...you haven¡¯t come to learn the language lately. I was worried, so I came to see you.¡± Mi-on didn¡¯t ask how he found the inn where he was staying. It seemed like he knew someone from the last chef interview. He expected that if he just chatted with them, they would easily be able to figure out where he was. ¡°I see. I was thinking it was time to go. But...¡± Jung Yu-shin raised his hand and scratched his head. It was a bit long to explain the reason in this state. Whether or not she knew Jung Yu-shin¡¯s feelings, Mi-on¡¯s gaze was fixed on Jung Yu-shin¡¯s thick arms. The veins were pulsing and the muscular arms were radiating with heat. Gulp. Mi-on¡¯s throat moved greatly. Mion quickly covered her chest and cut off Jung Yu-shin¡¯s words. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I found a way to overcome the virgin female corruption imprint. I¡¯ll show you how later. Then, I¡¯ll go first.¡± Mion quickly turned around and left the yard after finishing what she had to say. ¡®I¡¯m wearing a ring.¡¯ She tried to talk about the imprint suppression ring, but Mion ran away like the wind. On top of that, she didn¡¯t seem to see the ring because it was covered by a towel. Tarman approached her. ¡°Uh...how could you have such a priest?¡± ¡°Just live a good life.¡± ¡°Uh.¡± Jung Yu-shin patted Tarman¡¯s shoulder as he let out a strange sigh, and then finished drying himself. After Mion left, the next guest came. Ashur Startree. The leader of the swordsmanship guild. ¡°Is anything wrong?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve completely destroyed the Crimson Hunters branch, so what do you mean there¡¯s nothing there?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what happened.¡± ¡°Come closer.¡± Ashur looked into Jung Yu-shin¡¯s eyes. ¡°Why are you like that?¡± ¡°How did you come back? You must have been half crazy.¡± ¡°I came back to my senses because I was holding on to my mind tightly.¡± Ashur lowered his head and looked at Jung Yu-shin¡¯s finger. ¡°I thought I told you to take off that ring?¡± Jung Yu-shin swept his hair back. ¡°I have to hold on. If a strict girl falls for me, wouldn¡¯t that be painful? To be honest, sometimes I¡¯m afraid of my charm.¡± Ashur looked at Jung Yu-shin and then at Tarman, who was standing next to him. ¡°This guy is really weird. Is he in his right mind?¡± ¡°If you look closely, this is also charm.¡± Ashur washed his face with both hands after hearing Tarman¡¯s answer. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Where did we end? Yes. Come to the Swordsmanship Association. This is not the time to be leisurely looking at the inn.¡± Ashur barely managed to pull himself together and get to the main point. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Jung Yu-shin asked with his arms crossed. ¡°Suppressing the madness of the labyrinth is harsh training. Stop making a fuss in the yard and come to the training ground.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay now, but I¡¯ll go later.¡± ¡°When later? When you go crazy?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go when I have time.¡± ¡°Oh my. Anyway, come quickly. You must be a bit out of your mind.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°Tsk.¡± Ashur clicked his tongue and left the inn. Tarman, who was standing next to him, said. ¡°There are many people who know.¡± Jung Yu-shin shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m a bit broad-minded.¡± ¡°You¡¯re also broad-minded.¡± ¡°That¡¯s obvious. Could you give me a raise?¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Tarman smiled faintly and rubbed his hands. Anne came out of the kitchen and watched him quietly before saying a word. ¡°Aren¡¯t you working?¡± Tarman¡¯s body froze. Jung Yu-shin chimed in. ¡°Work. Get better. You loser.¡± Tarman started to move busily, greeting guests who entered the inn with a sad face. Jung Yu-shin returned to the counter and sat down. After a busy day, night had already fallen and there were no more guests. While Jung Yu-shin was cleaning up the inn, Tarman approached him. ¡°Why?¡± Jung Yu-shin asked. ¡°This is a message from Aldain.¡± ¡°Tell me.¡± ¡°The Crimson Hunters are said to be away from the Labyrinth City for the time being. They say something must have happened near the Eastern Union border.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you tell me more?¡± ¡°Yes. He said he couldn¡¯t tell me more. Oh! And he told me to be careful because other groups are watching.¡± ¡°Other groups?¡± The hyenas and the strays who had come to the chef interview flashed through my mind. ¡°Yes. He said he would tell me that later.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Was the crisis over? I shouldn¡¯t let my guard down, but I could do what I had to do now. I went to the temple to learn. I trained at the swordsmanship guild. I was also thinking about preparing to enter the Labyrinth again. My goal was clear, and the road ahead was long. I couldn¡¯t enter the Labyrinth right away because of Ashur¡¯s warning, but it wasn¡¯t bad to prepare. * * * The next day, early summer dawn. Jung Yu-shin got up from bed. When he went down to the kitchen on the first floor, Anne was cooking. Jung Yu-shin watched Anne cook for a while and then went out into the yard. He took a deep breath and filled his lungs with the clear dawn air. ¡°Whew.¡± He moved slowly and stretched his body. He did 200 push-ups and squats each and walked slowly around the yard. [Sacred Weapon] He wished for it with his heart and it was instantly created in his hand. He held the golden longsword then he swung. [Sacred Weapon] This time, a dagger. He swung along, imagining Karin''s movements in his head. [Sacred Weapon] He summoned a jagged-edged spear sword. It was a unique sword he had seen in the last fight, so he remembered its shape. He was able to summon it a total of 8 times. It was thanks to leveling up in the third labyrinth. He stopped summoning the Sacred Weapon and swung the sword. It was hard to see it as a morning warm-up exercise. It was more like training to test the limits of his body by drawing out all his magic and stamina. However, Jeong Yu-shin did not frown, but persistently and tenaciously pushed himself. Whoosh!!! Whoosh!!! The sword he swung cut through the morning air. His strong muscles twitched from his bare body, and sweat and heat rose up in a wisp. Quite some time had passed. He stopped swinging his sword and looked up at the sky. The sun was slowly rising. As he passed the kitchen and came out into the inn hall, he saw Tarman. ¡°Are you up?¡± ¡°Why are you here so late?¡± ¡°That¡¯s... because I¡¯m so tired.¡± Tarman¡¯s bones looked like they were touching. On the other hand, Anne¡¯s face was shining brightly. ¡°Tsk.¡± Jeong Yu-shin clicked his tongue and sat down at the table. ¡°Give me some food.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Breakfast was wheat bread with raisins and pumpkin soup filled with cheese. Jeong Yu-shin looked at Tarman as he was about to eat his food. ¡°Let¡¯s eat together.¡± ¡°Yes. Should I call Anne too?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Anne brought out food from the kitchen. Tarman, Anne, and Jung Yu-shin sat together at a table. The three of them started eating quietly. ¡°How is it? Are you good at inn work?¡± Jung Yu-shin said while eating. ¡°Yes. It¡¯s my first time, so there are some difficult parts, but I¡¯m learning.¡± Anne answered instead. Jung Yu-shin looked at Tarman and Anne and turned her head. ¡°I¡¯ll leave the inn work to you. I have work to do.¡± ¡°Is it going into a labyrinth?¡± ¡°Similar.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take care of the store. If you need anything, come to the orphanage or the swordsmanship guild.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± After finishing the meal, they left the inn and walked. They went ? N§àv§ÖIight ? (Original source) to the Earth Mother Temple carrying the teddy bear bag Darmon had given them as a gift. They met the temple receptionist, checked attendance, and then went into the orphanage. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Are you here again, mister?¡± ¡°Whew. It¡¯s scary.¡± The orphanage children warmly welcomed Jung Yu-shin. ¡°It¡¯s been a while. Friends.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s your friend? Don¡¯t you have a conscience?¡± ¡°...¡± Jung Yu-shin fiddled with his ring, sighed, and sat down. The classroom door opened and Mi-on came in. ¡°Hello, everyone.¡± ¡°Yes! Teacher.¡± ¡°Wow! It¡¯s been a while, teacher.¡± Mi-on smiled and stood at the teacher¡¯s desk. ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯ve been busy lately, so I¡¯ve missed class.¡± ¡°I really like Teacher Mi-on.¡± A young child sitting a little away from Jung Yu-shin muttered with sparkling eyes. ¡°Okay, then shall we start class?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The children answered in unison with smiles. Mi-on¡¯s elegant voice echoed through the classroom, and the children focused on the class with sparkling eyes. Jung Yu-shin also opened his eyes wide and focused on class. He took up a lot of time for various things. The more he knew, the more he didn''t know. It was a labyrinthine city. It was a shame to be swept away without knowing anything. In this world, he realized once again that knowledge is power. If there was a word that Mion didn''t know among the words written on the blackboard, he wrote it all down in his notebook. He also wrote down the meaning and example sentences next to the words and memorized them. Even during break time, he didn''t move from his seat and continued to write and read books. Mion, who was preparing for the next class at the podium during break time, caught Jung Yu-shin''s eye. Mion''s body suddenly froze. Mion opened her mouth and let out a sigh of relief as she looked at Jung Yu-shin''s ring. It was because the ring was on Jung Yu-shin''s middle finger, not his ring finger. At the same time that he felt a little relieved that it wasn¡¯t the red-haired bitch¡¯s trick, his heart pounded with impatience. Break time ended and class began again. Jung Yu-shin occasionally felt Mi-on¡¯s gaze during class, but he focused only on the blackboard and his books. Class ended at lunchtime. ¡°You all worked hard. Everyone, please leave except for Ska.¡± ¡°Yes! You worked hard, too, teacher.¡± The children left the classroom in a huddle. Ska organized his writing instruments and put them in his teddy bear bag. Mion approached him. ¡°Ska, you¡¯re here.¡± ¡°Yes. Learning is important.¡± ¡°I¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Swish. Mi-on suddenly lifted up her baggy priest¡¯s uniform. Jung Yu-shin¡¯s eyes widened. Underneath the baggy priest¡¯s uniform was a black priest¡¯s uniform. Her pert belly button was prominently revealed over the tight black priest¡¯s uniform. Her panties were also tight, so her groin was bulging out from the panty line. If you looked closely, you could even see the clitoris hidden in her plump mound. The priest¡¯s uniform was clearly a one-piece dress, but judging by how tight it was, it could easily be considered leggings. ¡°Huh.¡± Jung Yu-shin¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Huh. Did you notice?¡± A golden pattern was shining just below Mi-on¡¯s belly button. It was a sacred and strangely shaped pattern, but upon closer inspection, it was similar to a woman¡¯s uterus. A sacred uterus tattoo, different from the vulva. ¡°It¡¯s a sacred tattoo. You will never fall from this.¡± ¡°I see. That¡¯s good. But...¡± He tried to mention the imprint suppression ring, but Mion cut him off. ¡°I...so that¡¯s what I¡¯m saying.¡± Mion hesitated for a moment before speaking. ¡°I need to make sure that the Sacred Tattoo is safely fixed.¡± Mion¡¯s face turned slightly red. ¡°I¡¯d like you, Ska, to help me.¡± ¡°Um...how can I help you?¡± I¡¯ve received a lot from Mion. I can help you in any way I can. ¡°Lick my...my...belly...no. Touch it.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I have no ulterior motives. It¡¯s just a procedure to check if Ska can protect his imprint well.¡± ¡®I won¡¯t give up!¡¯ Mion said a reason that was different from her true feelings. She planned to ask him where she got the ring later. The important thing was to have Ska¡¯s manly hand caress her belly. Jung Yu-shin blankly stared at Mi-on¡¯s sacred uterus tattoo. ¡®Could this be a reward?¡¯ Could this be a sweet reward from fate for overcoming her sorrow and grief? The absence of Darmon. The first time she¡¯s managed an inn since she was born. People who depend on her. Or people who look down on her. The stress that built up from crossing the line of life and death. The celibate life that was approaching its fifth month. The uterus tattoo that her crush shyly showed her. ¡®Ah.¡¯ All of those things combined hit the limit of 23-year-old Jung Yu-shin. ¡®I can¡¯t stand it.¡¯ A beastly growl burst out of Jung Yu-shin¡¯s mouth as his eyes rolled back. ¡°Krrrrr... Teacher Mi-on!!!¡± Chapter 48: Mr. Mi-on, please endure the pain with both your strength and your courage. Jung Yu-shin approached and roughly grabbed Mi-on¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Whew!¡± Mi-on¡¯s body flinched. Her head was boiling. She wanted to tear off this cumbersome outfit right away, grab her boobs that were shaking cheekily, and enjoy the sight of Mi-on struggling. Jung Yu-shin¡¯s eyes sparkled with lust. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Scar.¡± Mi-on¡¯s squinted eyes slowly opened, revealing golden pupils. Mi-on spread her arms wide. As if telling her to come and hug her. ¡°Are you having a hard time?¡± Mi-on¡¯s warm words knocked on her mind. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Huh.¡± ¡®What on earth have I done.¡¯ Cold water poured down on her burning passion. The trust she had built up on the streets until now. The favor she had received from people until now. The inn and people on his back. He couldn''t just throw away his heavy luggage. And that was because he was consumed by a moment of desire. It was something he couldn''t do even if he went crazy. And. Mi-on''s body was trembling slightly. Despite her fear, she bravely spread her arms to accept him. She felt ashamed of herself for trying to repay his goodwill with desire. Crack. Jeong Yu-shin gritted her teeth and stepped back, bowing her head deeply. "I''m sorry." "Huh?" "I almost crossed the line, drunk on desire." "That...that." Mi-on fidgeted as if she was taken aback by Jeong Yu-shin''s sudden apology. "I''m sorry." Jeong Yu-shin apologized once again. Mi-on soon regained her composure and placed her hand on Jeong Yu-shin''s head, which was not raising its head, and gently stroked it. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤It¡¯s okay. Student Ska, everyone has a burden that¡¯s hard to bear.¡± ¡®An angel?¡¯ ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Ahem! But we still need to check the engraved holy emblem.¡± Mion coughed and got back to the main topic. Jeong Yu-shin¡¯s head shot up. ¡°Are you talking about the Sacred Tattoo?¡± ¡°Yes. Checking the holy emblem is absolutely necessary!¡± Mion went into strict teacher mode. Is that so? ¡°Understood. But I have something to tell you first.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I¡¯m wearing the imprint suppression ring right now. I bought it last time, but I didn¡¯t have time to tell you. Sorry.¡± ¡°Huh?!¡± Mion staggered as if shocked. ¡°But I can¡¯t let Ms. Mion¡¯s efforts go to waste. I¡¯ll help you. Just ask me one favor.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I lost consciousness when I first put the ring on. It got better after wearing it for a while, but I¡¯m still worried. Could you put some kind of mental barrier spell on it when I put the ring back on after checking the gate?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Mi-on answered without hesitation. ¡°I understand.¡± The two men and women made eye contact in the quiet summer classroom. Gulp. Mi-on swallowed dryly and lifted her baggy priest¡¯s robe again. ¡°Okay... Please touch me comfortably.¡± Jeong Yu-shin knelt down on one knee and took the ring off his hand. He carefully placed his hand on Mi-on¡¯s stomach. Tsutsu. Beyond the silky texture of the priest¡¯s robe, he could feel Mi-on¡¯s soft belly through his fingertips. It was warm and soft. He slowly swept under his belly button. The place where the gate was shining. ¡°Hee-woot.¡± Mi-on stumbled, making a deflating sound. The two hands holding onto her clothes were shaking. ¡°Are you okay? Teacher Mi-on?¡± Jung Yu-shin raised his head and looked at Mi-on. ¡°Yes.¡± Jung Yu-shin and Mi-on¡¯s eyes met again. Mi-on¡¯s eyes were crossed, so her pupils were not visible. So it was difficult to know what Mi-on was thinking. Suddenly, she felt angry. With such a sexy body, she asked me to stick out my belly and caress her without any defense. There is a limit to what you ask for. Does Mi-on know Ja-ji¡¯s longing heart? Ja-ji¡¯s lonely heart, struggling in loneliness for the past five months. I don¡¯t know. I wanted to tell her. Directly on Mi-on¡¯s body. Pain is halved when shared. ¡®Mr. Mi-on, this is the Kkukkuk you chose.¡¯ Mi-on saw a strange light in Jeong Yu-shin¡¯s eyes. A wicked light gleamed in the eyes of the always upright and upright man. Kkukkuk. When she realized it, her stomach tightened. ¡°Huh.¡± Her legs lost their strength. Mi-on stumbled and was suddenly hugged by Jeong Yu-shin¡¯s arms. Her pudding-like breasts were pressed hard against Jeong Yu-shin¡¯s chest and crushed. ¡®It¡¯s firm.¡¯ Mi-on didn¡¯t even realize her nipples had become erect and she gently rubbed them against Jeong Yu-shin¡¯s firm chest. Mi-on raised her head. They were close enough that their breaths could touch each other. ¡°It¡¯s hard to touch your stomach like this.¡± Jeong Yu-shin said with a smile. ¡°That...that¡¯s right.¡± Jeong Yu-shin¡¯s two hands grabbed Mi-on¡¯s shoulders. He turned Mi-on around and hugged her from behind. ¡°Mr. Mi-on, let¡¯s start.¡± Jung Yu-shin¡¯s breath tickled Mi-on¡¯s ears. He sat down on the chair next to the desk. ¡°Yes... yes.¡± Jung Yu-shin¡¯s palm gently stroked her scrotum. ¡°Hoo... hoot.¡± Mi-on let out a weak breath and twisted her body. ¡®Hmm?¡¯ Among the places he could feel with his fingertips, there was a place that was particularly hard and convex. Mi-on¡¯s baby room. Since women have a characteristic of having fat gathered in their lower abdomen to protect their uterus, he could tell right away. He stroked it gently and pressed one spot. Right above the uterus. Mi-on¡¯s body trembled as the part that was throbbing was pressed. ¡°Hoo. Hoo.¡± Mi-on turned her head to the side and exhaled. ¡°Please... gently.¡± ¡°Like this?¡± He raised his finger and gently circled around her cute belly button. ¡°S...gently.¡± Jung Yoo-shin gently pinched Mi-on¡¯s belly. ¡°Eek!¡± Mi-on¡¯s body twitched as if she had been struck by lightning. Jung Yoo-shin¡¯s hand moved gently again. He pressed the area where her ovaries were. ¡°Whew!¡± Mi-on turned her head again and let out a rough breath. She resented Jung Yoo-shin for only picking on her weak spots and teasing her. Regardless, Jung Yoo-shin tickled her belly button with his finger again. His finger slowly circling around her belly button stimulated Mi-on¡¯s impatience. He gently inserted his finger inside her belly button. ¡°Hit!¡± Mi-on¡¯s body convulsed. Jung Yoo-shin¡¯s firm finger went right into Mi-on¡¯s belly button and fixed it firmly. ¡°Mi-on, I¡¯m 23. I¡¯m a man of my age, and you¡¯re asking me to touch your soft belly. Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s too much, Ms. Mi-on?¡± ¡°That... that. Heek.¡± Without listening to Mi-on¡¯s answer, he took his finger out of her belly button and went down. Slowly, lower. ¡®No... no!¡¯ Jung Yu-shin¡¯s finger tapped Mi-on¡¯s baby room again. At the persistent, polite knocking, Mi-on¡¯s pelvis loosened and her waist began to move on its own. Jung Yu-shin didn¡¯t stop and placed both palms on her lower abdomen, kneading it as if pulling it up. Also known as a uterus-lifting massage. The fact that the most secret part of her body was being moved here and there by one person¡¯s hand, pressed and squeezed, and then released like hot cheese. It drove Mi-on crazy. Her spinal cord began to tremble. Her body was throbbing as if it was expecting something. A precarious sense of crisis that she might fall into the abyss at any moment spread throughout Mi-on¡¯s body. She massaged her ovaries with her palms again, patted her entire stomach, and swept down. Kkuk. ¡®Dead...dead!¡¯ All Mi-on could do, with all her strength gone, was feel Jung Yu-shin¡¯s manly hands massaging her precious baby¡¯s room. Something deep inside her body tightened and released repeatedly. She felt like something big would happen if it was pressed down one more time. An unknown sensation. Her body trembled at a sensation she had never felt since she was born. ¡°T...stop it!¡± Shin-hee raised her voice. ¡°No.¡± Mi-on¡¯s lips trembled at Jung Yu-shin¡¯s # N§àv§Ölight # firm refusal. ¡°That... that! No... no!¡± Mi-on twisted her body pitifully to escape, but she only ended up buried deeper in Jung Yu-shin¡¯s arms. Jung Yu-shin¡¯s hand pressed firmly under Mi-on¡¯s belly button. Huh ? Mi-on¡¯s soft, loose baby room was crushed. An electric shock that started deep inside her body ran down her back. The sensation she was experiencing for the first time tingled her brain. ¡°Whew.¡± Mi-on raised her head and stuck her tongue out. A moan that was too ugly for a noble priest to make came out. ¡®Die!!!¡¯ Mion screamed inwardly, tightly pressed by Jung Yu-shin¡¯s firm hand, unable to move, and completely experienced the first desperate climax of her life. Mion, who had been gasping for breath with her tongue hanging out, sagged. ¡°Mr. Mion?¡± The gate was faintly shining. Jung Yu-shin¡¯s heart sank when he saw a tear running down Mion¡¯s cheek. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Let go now.¡± Mion escaped Jung Yu-shin¡¯s embrace as the strength in his hand disappeared. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Mr. Mion.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no problem with the gate. Then.¡± Mion stood on trembling legs and recited the spell. [Mind Protection] Mion¡¯s spirit wrapped around Jung Yu-shin¡¯s mind. ¡°You will be able to wear the ring without any side effects.¡± Mi-on stumbled out of the classroom without looking back at Jeong Yu-shin. ¡®What should I do! I showed you a bad side!¡¯ Mi-on walked down the hallway of the classroom, touching her burning cheeks. Her uterus was still throbbing and convulsing. She stopped walking and stroked her lower abdomen. A chill ran down her spine once again. ¡°Whew. Whoe.¡± What if Scar¡¯s ¡®thing¡¯ went in here? Mi-on¡¯s head shot up as she imagined it. She covered her mouth and grabbed the windowsill of the classroom hallway, shaking her body. Her plump buttocks swayed uncontrollably. ¡°Wa... It¡¯s dangerous.¡± Mi-on muttered, taking her hand off her mouth. Mi-on walked quickly, embarrassed that she might run into Scar who had left the classroom. In the empty classroom where Mi-on left, only Jung Yu-shin was left. Jung Yu-shin looked at his hands. ¡®Am I screwed?¡¯ He used his hands too much because he wanted to tease Mi-on. He immediately regretted it. How much pain must he have felt to shed tears? You idiot. Crack!!! Jung Yu-shin slapped his own cheek once. I should go and apologize. First, he put the ring on his finger. Woof. He felt dizzy. Jung Yu-shin¡¯s eyes closed naturally. He could definitely feel it. The fact that his sexual desire was rising strongly. ¡°Whew.¡± He could barely hold on. Jung Yu-shin sighed and fiddled with his ring. ¡°Mi-on.¡± I should apologize next time we meet. He was afraid that if he met Mi-on now, he would do the same thing to her as before. Jung Yu-shin made a mental resolution and got up from his seat and left the classroom. ¡°There! Barbaroi!¡± He was walking across the orphanage yard when he heard someone calling him. Jung Yu-shin turned his head to see the person and his eyes widened. ¡®Cain.¡¯ Mi-on¡¯s older brother. The knight commander of the Labyrinth City. He was a vicious younger sister lover. Cain, dressed in a comfortable shirt, approached him. ¡°Scar, you envious brat.¡± His heart sank. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤What was that?¡± Jung Yu-shin stammered. ¡°Mi-on had class today, right? It was nice, right? It couldn¡¯t have been bad since we were breathing in the same space and making eye contact.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Yes. It was nice, but what¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I just came to see my little sister after a long vacation.¡± Cain glanced at Jung Yu-shin¡¯s teddy bear bag and continued. ¡°You¡¯ve had a hard time too. You poor Barbaroi.¡± ¡°I can hold out somehow.¡± ¡°Yeah, cheer up. If you get a good seal, your life will be solved in no time.¡± ¡®Fuck.¡¯ The sudden realization stabbed his heart. Cold sweat ran down his back. This was the biggest crisis of his life. If it was known that he had obtained the virgin female corruption seal, he would immediately be brutally torn to pieces and killed. And that too by the hand of the virgin guardian of the labyrinth city¡¯s younger sister. Cain patted Jung Yu-shin on the shoulder, grumbling about what was so pleasant. ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous. Do I have to eat you? Today, I¡¯m not the knight captain, but Mion¡¯s older brother. As long as you don¡¯t commit a crime, there¡¯s nothing for us to blush about.¡± ¡°I... I see.¡± Jung Yu-shin barely managed to smile and answered. Cain smiled and took his hand off Jung Yu-shin¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Then I¡¯ll see you later.¡± Cain, who had been smiling brightly, suddenly stopped talking. His expression hardened terribly. A long strand of blond hair was in Cain¡¯s hand. Mi-on¡¯s hair. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤What is this?¡± Cain¡¯s voice, which had become extremely low, grabbed Jung Yu-shin¡¯s heart. Shit. ¡®This is fucked up.¡¯ Jung Yu-shin¡¯s body stiffened. Early summer noon. The crisis of his life had come. Chapter 49: You are talented ¡°What is this?¡± Cain¡¯s voice grew colder and colder. Jung Yu-shin¡¯s brain spun quickly. If you show it, you¡¯ll die. It was Jung Yu-shin¡¯s intuition that had been through the line of death. Cain still didn¡¯t know what had happened between him and Mi-on. He calmed his trembling heart. Jung Yu-shin¡¯s mouth opened. ¡°Isn¡¯t that Mi-on¡¯s hair?¡± ¡°So why is it on your shoulder?¡± ¡°I guess a few strands fell off while you were checking on the progress during class.¡± ¡°Mi-on was that close?¡± Cain asked in a distrustful voice. ¡°Can¡¯t you just check on it? You even teach other kids by sticking to them.¡± Jung Yu-shin sighed and continued. ¡°And, Captain, no matter how much I think about it, this seems a bit too much. I know you care about your younger sibling, but it¡¯s hard to understand why you¡¯re doing this over a hair. Would I be crazy enough to touch Teacher Mi-on? And during class?¡± The two men made eye contact. Jung Yu-shin glared at Cain with his eyes wide open. A brief silence passed through the orphanage yard. Cain sighed and scratched his head. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤I overreacted. I¡¯m sorry. I haven¡¯t seen my younger sibling in a long time, so I¡¯m a bit on edge.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. Okay.¡± Jung Yu-shin left Cain and left the orphanage yard. He walked calmly and glanced back. Cain was nowhere to be seen. Jung Yu-shin ran madly to the Swordsmanship Association. If he were to be found out that he had the Virgin Female Corruption Seal. What if it was revealed that he had rubbed Mi-on¡¯s soft mochi-tteok belly? It wouldn¡¯t end with just getting beaten up. Sweat formed on Jung Yu-shin¡¯s forehead as he ran down the street. The early summer sun and wind brushed past his cheeks. Several people backed away from Jung Yu-shin, shouting something. After running for a while, he arrived at the swordsmanship guild. Clang!!! He opened the door with all his might. ¡°Ashur!¡± Ashur, who had been lying on the counter chair, raised his head. ¡°Ska, the door to the guild is not your corner door. Be careful.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not important.¡± ¡°Then what¡¯s important?¡± ¡°Do you know Cain, the commander of the Labyrinth City Knights?¡± ¡°I know. He learned swordsmanship from me. Why?¡± ¡°How strong is he?¡± ¡°The new Barbaroi is strong enough to send you to the underworld with one stroke.¡± ¡°Fuck.¡± ¡°You even swear? Is this your home?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Why are you doing something so sorry? Anyway.¡± Ashur looked at Jung Yushin who was fidgeting, then leaned back against the back of his chair leisurely. ¡°Who was looking for you?¡± ¡°Who?¡± ¡°Barbaroi.¡± ¡°Huh?!¡± Jung Yushin let out a single word of shock. It was like adding insult to injury. Why on earth? ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Who is that guy? Why are you looking for me?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. He just came in and asked me. Is there a half-blood Barbaroi walking around here?¡± ¡°So?¡± Ashur shrugged his shoulders at Jung Yushin¡¯s urgent question. ¡°I told you that.¡± ¡°Why are you telling me that?! Is it okay to reveal the trainee¡¯s personal information like that?¡± ¡°I guess I knew something.¡± The Cain gun disappeared from Jung Yu-shin¡¯s mind. More incredible guys were hovering around him. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Where the hell are they?¡± ¡°Eastern District Brothel.¡± Crack!!! Jung Yu-shin hit his forehead. It was dark under the lamp. Why didn¡¯t I know? Earthworms live in dark and damp places. The devil lives in the pit of hell. How could I not realize until now that the lawless Barbarians were gathering in the Brothel? ¡®You were the master of the red-light district?¡¯ Jung Yu-shin grabbed his frozen mind. Wait. This is strange. ¡°The Eastern District? I didn¡¯t see it last time I went.¡± I had been to the Eastern District when I went to catch the slave hunters. ¡°Wasn¡¯t it that night? Why is Barbaroi wandering around the streets at night?¡± Ashur asked with a bewildered expression. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°At night, we should mate on the bed. How come you don¡¯t know more about Barbaroi than I do?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Do you feel the crisis of chastity approaching? I need to get stronger. Let¡¯s go.¡± Jung Yushin followed Ashur to the training ground. The training ground was crowded despite it being early summer. There were people training with swords, spears, and shields. Ashur brought a longsword made of iron from a corner of the training ground and threw it. Jung Yushin raised his hand and grabbed the longsword. It was a heavy sword, different from the wooden swords I had used until then. It was a training sword, so the blade was not sharp. ¡°Use this from now on.¡± ¡°You won¡¯t use the wooden sword anymore?¡± ¡°Yeah. You leveled up?¡± ¡°How did you know?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a feeling. The wooden sword won¡¯t be heavy, so use the iron sword from now on.¡± He had a sharp eye, perhaps because he was a sword master. I wanted to ask more about Barbaroi and Cain, but I held back. It was training time now. It was right to ask questions related to training. When I finally arrived at the training grounds and saw the people training, another thought came to mind. The weakness revealed during the battle with the slave hunter captain. It was the duration of the Sacred Weapon. The summoned weapon disappears after 3 seconds. It means that if you engage in a sword fight with an opponent using a Sacred Weapon and it lasts for 3 seconds, you will be completely defenseless. Jung Yu-shin racked his brain over this problem and came up with an answer. Jung Yu-shin scratched his head and spoke. ¡°I want to knock the sword away, how do I do it?¡± ¡°Are you talking about parrying?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Ashur shook his head repeatedly. ¡°Stop talking nonsense. You¡¯re not at that level yet.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it worth it?¡± Ashur pointed his finger at Jung Yu-shin. ¡°I was going to just let it go, but that won¡¯t work. I¡¯ll have to mention that you fought against slave hunters in the eastern region.¡± ¡°What should I mention? Didn¡¯t you already know? There were a lot of trash people, so I had to wield a sword.¡± At Jung Yu-shin¡¯s answer, Ashur crossed his arms. His face was filled with irritation. ¡°I¡¯m not saying anything about killing. The problem is the way you fight. You rely on your imprint and just fight back with your body. You swing your sword roughly with the swordsmanship you learned poorly. You take one hit and give another. Where did you go for drinks? And you bite people¡¯s necks? Are you an animal?!¡± Ashur¡¯s voice grew louder. Ashur was quite angry, so he shouted without saying anything. ¡°Hey!!! Someone bring me some water!¡± Several people moving around in the training ground ran into the union building. Jeong Yu-shin scratched his head. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°What happened! I¡¯m getting angry again when I think about it! No, you bit people¡¯s necks?!¡± Ashur grabbed his head. At that moment, a man with a mohawk came running out of breath. He was holding a bottle of water in his hand. The elf snatched the water bottle and gulped it down. ¡°Phew. This won¡¯t do. Bring ¡®that¡¯.¡± ¡°Are you...really?¡± ¡°Bring it before I pull out your hair.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Mohawk head ran back into the swordsmanship guild in a huff. Mohawk was holding a strangely shaped leather pouch. ¡°What is this?¡± Jung Yu-shin asked. ¡°It¡¯s a sandbag. The sand is strange, but you don¡¯t know. Just think of it as a magical tool that overloads the wearer¡¯s body.¡± Ashur continued, looking at Jung Yu-shin who was standing there blankly. ¡°Wear it on your waist, ankles, and wrists.¡± Jung Yu-shin accepted the pouch from the Mohawk man. It felt heavy, as if it had iron filings inside. ¡°It¡¯s not that heavy.¡± Ashur raised the corners of his mouth at Jeong Yu-shin''s words. "Don''t cry and whine and beg for your life later." "Why are you like that?" "Run. Take your sword." Jung Yu-shin started walking around the training grounds with sandbags on his body at Ashur¡¯s command. Those who saw Jung Yu-shin like that clicked their tongues. ¡°Here he comes. That hell training.¡± ¡°Tsk tsk. The newbie is having a hard time.¡± Jung Yu-shin listened with one ear and let it go. It wasn¡¯t that hard. Three hours later. ¡°Huh-huh. Keue-eeek.¡± Jung Yu-shin groaned and crawled on the training grounds floor. Ashur shouted. ¡°Get up!!! You beast of a bastard!¡± ¡®Crazy.¡¯ I thought it wouldn¡¯t be a big deal because it wasn¡¯t heavy, but I was wrong. As time passed, my stamina drained away and the burden on my muscles became more and more severe. Unable to take even a single step, I crawled on the floor, my body tottering. The hot sunlight from the sky beat down on Jung Yu-shin. Ashur approached and crouched down in front of Jung Yu-shin, who was crawling. ¡°Get up. You little punk.¡± Jung Yu-shin used all his strength to get up from his seat. His legs were shaking like a newborn baby deer. ¡°We have to do the last three laps. Where are you crawling?¡± Ashur continued as he got up from his seat. ¡°Parrying? Stop talking nonsense and just hurry back to the training grounds. Next is sparring.¡± Jung Yu-shin gritted his teeth and staggered as he walked. He went around the entire training grounds. Ashur threw his training iron sword. Thud! The sword hit Jung Yu-shin¡¯s body and fell. He barely picked up the sword with his trembling hands. ¡°Here we go.¡± Before Jung Yu-shin could even get into position, Ashur¡¯s sword swung. Pfft!!! His right arm throbbed. [Revenger] The imprint was activated. Jung Yu-shin''s eyes burned with blue hues. Ashur snickered. "Scar, you can''t get through the world with only madness and evil. I''ll engrave that fact clearly on your body." Jung Yu-shin ran toward him without answering. Kaaaaang!!! The elf''s cold, shining eyes met Jung Yu-shin''s blazing eyes. Close combat. They entered a close combat. Kagagagagag. The clashing swords began to make a strange sound. "Continuous training is the royal road. Swinging the sword every day. Pushing yourself to your limits every day. Whether it rains or snows, the constant cultivation in the spring breeze and summer sunshine is the strength to get through the world." ¡°...¡± Ashur kept mumbling while they were facing each other, but I listened to it with one ear and let it go. I felt dizzy as I kept listening. Jung Yu-shin forcefully kicked Ashur¡¯s sword away and stabbed him. Ashur lightly turned his body to dodge and stabbed Jung Yu-shin in the neck with his sword. Swish!!! ¡°Swish!¡± Jung Yu-shin grabbed his neck and staggered back. His throat was blocked and he couldn¡¯t breathe properly. Swish! Ashur¡¯s sword aimed for his left shoulder. He instinctively raised his sword to block it, but. Kaaaang!!! He ended up losing his sword due to the strong force of the blow. Crackle. The sword that had been flying through the sky fell to the floor of the training ground. ¡°Pick it up. It¡¯s still a long way to go.¡± Jung Yu-shin staggered toward where the sword had fallen. The weight of his pocket made it difficult for him to move. He barely picked up the sword and stood in front of Ashur. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Ashur said nonchalantly and charged again. Jung Yu-shin was beaten and had Ashur¡¯s sword engraved on his body. ¡°Don¡¯t push your body in first. If you fight like that and meet your master, your neck will fly off.¡± ¡°Pull your left foot back. Look at your posture. We¡¯ll have to start over from the beginning.¡± ¡°How many times do I have to tell you not to just look at the sword?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re going to defend, do it properly. Don¡¯t lift your sword half-heartedly, block firmly. There¡¯s no one who trusts the engraving and holds their sword loosely.¡± Ashur swung his sword while shouting. Time passed. One by one, the people in the training ground left, leaving only Jung Yu-shin and Ashur. It was night. ¡°It¡¯s still far away. You need to learn all the basic offensive and defensive stances first. Parrying is about successfully defending or deflecting the opponent¡¯s attack. The problem is that the races are diverse. What does that mean? Their attack methods are all different. Their strengths are different, and their stances are different. It¡¯s hard to read. Is that the end? No. Parrying is the cornerstone for preparing a counterattack (riposte). It requires a combination of various factors, including the speed of your reflexes against the attack, timing, and your ability to control your body. Parrying is for you who attacks recklessly.¡± Ashur said calmly. He explained in detail, different from his initial scolding at him to stop talking nonsense. ¡°Ugh.¡± Jung Yu-shin was kneeling and exhaling. His entire body was soaked in sweat. It was just like when he first started training. It was too hard. The water fight. The strength fight. The variety of techniques. None of it was easy. I felt like I was making progress, but it was an illusion. I realized my shortcomings. Sweat dripped from my forehead and fell to the training ground floor. Ashur scratched his cheek as he looked at Jung Yushin, who was staring at the floor. ¡°I don¡¯t usually say things like this. Listen carefully.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°You, you¡¯re talented.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Work hard. Remember the attitude of attack and defense. The tip of the sword being disheveled means your mind is wavering. You seem quite stable now, but who knows. Only constant training can protect your mind. I¡¯m telling you not to bite someone¡¯s neck.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Understood.¡± Ashur didn¡¯t show it, but he seemed quite shocked by the news that Jung Yushin had bitten someone¡¯s neck. Jung Yushin barely managed to answer. He straightened up his body covered in sweat and dust. ¡°And don¡¯t trust that Aldain too much.¡± Ashur frowned and said. ¡°Why shouldn¡¯t I trust you?¡± ¡°You can tell just by looking at it. His personality is not good. He¡¯s not a good guy. Listen to me.¡± Jung Yu-shin frowned at Ashur¡¯s answer. It seemed like there was another reason to criticize Aldain, but Ashur seemed to be holding back his words. While he was thinking about it, he had one more question he wanted to ask. ¡°What happened to the Magic Tower? Do you think it can cure my madness?¡± ¡°Tsk. They don¡¯t know either. They want to take a look, but I can¡¯t trust them at all.¡± ¡°Where is the Magic Tower?¡± ¡°If you leave the Labyrinth City and go north for about three days, there¡¯s a city where the headquarters is. There¡¯s also a branch in the Labyrinth City.¡± ¡°Did you go to the headquarters?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Then.¡± ¡°Stop asking questions. It¡¯s late at night, so go back.¡± ¡®Why are you so nervous?¡¯ ¡°Yes.¡± Jung Yu-shin took off the sandbags on his body and stared blankly at Ashur. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going?¡± ¡°Go first.¡± ¡°Yes. Thank you for your hard work.¡± Jung Yu-shin bowed and left the training ground. ¡°Come out tomorrow too.¡± Ashur spoke behind Jung Yu-shin as he walked away. ¡°Yes.¡± Jung Yu-shin disappeared from the training ground. Ashur looked up at the sky for a while and spoke. ¡°Come out.¡± A person walked out of the shadows of the building. Cain. He was Mion¡¯s older brother and the knight commander of the Labyrinth City. ¡°What does that Barbaroi guy do?¡± Cain asked, brushing back his blond hair. ¡°Have you met your brother?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t met you. I said I¡¯m not feeling ¡ã? N o v e l i g h t ?¡ã well.¡± Cain stared at Ashur. He didn¡¯t seem to have any intention of backing down before hearing his initial answer. Ashur hesitated for a moment and then opened his mouth. ¡°He¡¯s a good friend. He¡¯s not the kind of guy who would harm others for no reason. You don¡¯t have to worry about your brother.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤I believe you, Ashur. And there¡¯s a summons from the committee. Please stop by the inner palace sometime.¡± ¡°Understood. I¡¯ll go.¡± ¡°Take care.¡± Cain turned and disappeared into the darkness. Ashur clicked his tongue as he looked at the spot where Cain had been. ¡°I¡¯m not even a nanny. Tsk.¡± ¡°You really deserve your money.¡± Jeong Yu-shin walked back to the inn with a limp. He had no strength left in his body due to excessive training. No matter how hard it was, it wasn¡¯t like this. There will be days like today in the future. I was afraid that I would be vulgar. Squeak. I opened the door and went inside, looking around the dark inn hall. Anne and Tarman had finished their work and returned to their quarters, so it was quiet. All the guests were sleeping. There was something covered with a blanket on the counter. I went closer and removed the blanket. It was a black bread sandwich with ham, vegetables, and a fried egg. There was a note on top of the bread. ¡®Ska-nim, I¡¯m going to make dinner and go since you¡¯re not coming.¡¯ Jeong Yu-shin read the note once and put it in his bosom. Damn it. I can read it. His head was spinning as he wondered how he would handle the training ahead. Cain and the real Barbarians were also getting on his nerves. It was mentally and physically exhausting. The fact that he could read comforted him. Of course, he couldn¡¯t read it perfectly. But if you keep practicing like learning to write, wouldn¡¯t there definitely be good results? ¡®Whew.¡¯ Jung Yu-shin sat on the counter chair and chewed on the sandwich. It didn¡¯t seem that long ago, the vegetables were crunchy and the bread and meat were warm. His throat was sore, he took out a bottle of alcohol from the cupboard behind the counter and poured a glass and drank it. Jung Yu-shin sat on the counter chair and tilted his glass, staring blankly into the dark inn hall. How is Darmon doing? What happened to Karin? He thought about this and that, but no answer came to him right away. He got up and went up to the second floor. He went back to his room, wiped himself with a wet towel, changed his clothes, and lay down on the bed. Darkness came. Chapter 50: There’s something under the bed. The next morning. Jung Yu-shin opened his eyes. His body was # N§àv§Ölight # stiff from the intense training and he had difficulty moving. ¡°Whew.¡± He wriggled like an earthworm on the bed and barely got up. He opened the window, took a deep breath of the summer dawn air, and looked down at the street. The street was still deserted with no people walking around. He got dressed and went down to the first floor. Tarman was moving busily in the inn hall. ¡°Are you awake?¡± Tarman bowed his head to greet Jung Yu-shin. Tarman¡¯s face looked dark. ¡°Yeah. Tarman, did you sleep poorly last night?¡± Tarman scratched the back of his head as if embarrassed. ¡°I slept well.¡± ¡°Tell me if it¡¯s hard.¡± ¡°Haha.¡± Tarman smiled blandly and swept the floor diligently. When I entered the kitchen, Anne was moving busily. ¡°Help me?¡± ¡°Oh! Are you awake? It¡¯s okay. I can do this much by myself.¡± Anne¡¯s face also looked a little dark. What¡¯s wrong? Jung Yu-shin tilted his head and went out of the kitchen and into the yard. He stood in the yard and stretched. He took off his upper body. It was because it was summer and he easily got sweaty. Besides, he didn¡¯t have many spare clothes. ¡®I have to do laundry.¡¯ He went out in the morning and came back at night while practicing and studying, so he didn¡¯t have much time left. Anne did all the housework in the kitchen, so it was difficult to leave her to do the laundry. It was especially embarrassing to leave things like underwear. ¡®I should make time to do the laundry sometime.¡¯ Jung Yu-shin looked around the yard. Darmon¡¯s house was on the left, and a warehouse was on the right. There was a small well in the corner, and a clothes drying rack on one side. When he saw the house, he thought of Darmon. How are you? ¡®Yoo-shin, you¡¯re seriously ill.¡¯ I repeated to myself and hit my cheek a few times to regain my senses and ran through the yard. ¡°Hoo-hoo. Hoo-hoo.¡± I ran slowly, breathing in and out. As my body gradually became hotter, my distracting thoughts disappeared. I focused on my breathing and walked briskly. As my body became more and more soaked with sweat, I stopped running and swung my sword. Hoo-hoo. Hoo-hoo. Jung Yu-shin¡¯s sword cut through the dawn air. I swung my sword here and there in the air, recalling the experiences I gained from sparring with Ashur all day yesterday. Sweat poured down from my entire body. As my muscles became increasingly sore, I stopped swinging my sword and took a deep breath. When will I be able to learn advanced techniques like parrying? Impatience filled my heart. Jung Yu-shin shook his head to clear his mind. He continued to summon Sacred Weapons until his magic power was depleted. ¡°Whew. Whoosh.¡± Jung Yu-shin knelt on the floor and gasped for breath. His magic power was depleted because he had summoned them continuously to the limit, and his body had no strength left. ¡°I...¡± He turned his head and saw Anne standing there. ¡°Is breakfast ready?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go.¡± He wiped himself with a towel hanging from the clothes drying rack, got dressed, and went through the kitchen to the hall. Anne and Tarman Jung Yu-shin sat down at the table. ¡°I... have something to tell you.¡± Anne hesitated and said. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I think the inn is not making any profit.¡± ¡°How much is it?¡± Anne began to explain. Jung Yu-shin listened calmly, crossing his arms. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤This is how we barely manage to avoid a deficit.¡± ¡°So sales are steady, but food prices are rising. That¡¯s why the profit from selling food is decreasing. The decreased profit is currently being made up for with the money we make from selling alcohol. Is that what you¡¯re saying?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Jeong Yu-shin rested his chin on his hand and thought for a moment. ¡°I won¡¯t compromise on the quality of the food. I don¡¯t know anything about cooking or running an inn, but there¡¯s something I want to keep.¡± ¡®Because it¡¯s Darmon¡¯s inn.¡¯ ¡°It doesn¡¯t have to be much. If we run a deficit, I¡¯ll try to make up for it somehow. It¡¯ll be hard because it¡¯s the first time, but please endure a little longer.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Anne and Tarman answered at the same time. Now that we¡¯re on the subject, I decided to ask one more question. It was a difficult question to ask. It was also a wound to Tarman and Anne. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤This question may be a bit sudden, but how is Marie doing?¡± A priestess serving the Mother Earth. A girl who was raped by a hobgoblin and became pregnant. She was mentally damaged by the shock and was recovering in the temple. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Mary is doing well. Thanks to the efforts of Priest Mion, we were able to ¡®deal with¡¯ the hobgoblin cub safely. I heard that she was slowly coming back to her senses when I visited last time, but she¡¯s been busy recently¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± Anne tried to evade. Is that so? ¡°Don¡¯t reduce the amount of compensation you take.¡± Jeong Yu-shin said something and scratched his head. He turned his head and looked at Tarman and continued. ¡°Tarman, was I being a bit of a pushover?¡± ¡°Yes. If you give it away like this, what¡¯s left?¡± ¡®You¡¯re left with nothing.¡¯ He swallowed his words as he tried to speak. Tarman¡¯s round eyes were red. Anne¡¯s eyes were the same. Silence settled over the table. There was something tickling my heart in the silence. ¡°I¡¯ll say it again, I¡¯m not saying I¡¯m going to give up on running the inn. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll think about it myself.¡± Jung Yu-shin said, holding a fork in his hand. ¡°Yes.¡± The faces of Tarman and Anne brightened as they answered. They ate while talking about this and that, and got up from their seats. ¡°I¡¯ll go.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Yes. Have a nice day.¡± I left the inn with the two people seeing me off. I went against the people heading to the labyrinth and arrived at the temple. I checked the attendance by showing my face to the person in charge of the temple reception and went into the orphanage. ¡°Hello, sir.¡± The little boy ran over and greeted me. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You know, sir.¡± Jung Yu-shin sat down, opened his teddy bear bag, and took out his writing utensil. ¡°Can you not make me talk?¡± ¡°Hmph.¡± The little girl cried. ¡®Oh really.¡¯ ¡°Okay. Don¡¯t cry. What is it?¡± ¡°I saw someone just like you yesterday.¡± Jung Yu-shin¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°What?!¡± ¡°Wow. You¡¯re scared, you, you.¡± ¡°Sorry. You¡¯re just surprised. Did you do something bad to me?¡± ¡°No. You just took a quick look around the orphanage and disappeared.¡± ¡®Those crazy guys. Isn¡¯t this really dangerous?¡¯ The fact that the lawbreakers of the labyrinth city were slowly approaching sent a chill down my spine. Are they letting me know that I¡¯m after you? If so, they¡¯re pretty vicious. Jung Yu-shin patted his forehead once. ¡°Whew. Be careful. They¡¯re dangerous people.¡± ¡°Why?¡± He couldn¡¯t bring himself to say the words rape or semen pickling in front of the little girl. ¡°Be careful. Don¡¯t follow me just because I¡¯m buying you something delicious. Do you understand?¡± The child tilted his head. ¡°If you buy me something delicious, aren¡¯t you a good person?¡± ¡°No. Those people are the ones who seduce you and eat your liver.¡± ¡°Wow...Wow.¡± Tears welled up in the child¡¯s eyes. ¡®Oh, I don¡¯t know. You have to grow up crying. What can I do?¡¯ Jeong Yu-shin scratched his head and looked down at the child who was on the verge of crying. ¡°Mister! Why are you making her cry?!¡± The blue-haired, bold girl interjected. ¡°I just told you to be careful.¡± ¡°I told you to be careful. Why are you saying things like ¡®eat your liver¡¯ or something?¡± ¡°Whew, I¡¯m sorry.¡± The blue-haired girl held the little child in her arms and patted her head. ¡°Sharon, don¡¯t cry.¡± The blue-haired girl murmured. The tearful child sniffled and hugged the blue-haired girl. ¡°Woooooo. Sister Lily.¡± ¡°Right. Right. Good kids don¡¯t cry.¡± Knock knock. The door opened and a strict-looking male priest came in. Diego Perez. A mid-level priest who served the Earth Mother. The children grumbled at the sight of Diego. Most of them were about why Mr. Mi-on wasn¡¯t coming. ¡°Everyone be quiet.¡± When Diego knocked on the podium, the children became quiet. ¡°Teacher Mi-on is not feeling well today, so she can¡¯t come.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°What should we do...¡± The classroom was filled with the children¡¯s worried voices. ¡°Quiet.¡± Diego looked around the classroom and said. ¡°She said it¡¯s nothing serious. She said she¡¯ll be fine soon, so don¡¯t worry.¡± Diego looked at Jung Yu-shin for a moment as he finished speaking. Is that so? Jung Yu-shin sighed and opened his book. Still, his heart was heavy. He promised himself that he would visit her later and apologize. ¡®We¡¯re not even dating, so why are you giving me a belly massage? The standard is to kiss first.¡¯ No matter what Jung Yu-shin thought, Diego¡¯s class was conducted kindly and meticulously. The children immediately focused on Diego¡¯s class. Contrary to his strict appearance, he was a sincere young priest. ¡°Excellent. Mr. Ska, you fixed all the parts I pointed out.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°We can move on to the next book.¡± ¡°Really?¡± The story of the wind spirit and the woodcutter was a bit boring. It was also cruel. Diego smiled and nodded. ¡°What kind of book is it?¡± Jung Yu-shin asked. ¡°Let¡¯s postpone that for the next fun.¡± ¡®This priest has a talent for making people impatient.¡¯ Still, he was able to wait with a happy heart. Learning something more was always fun. It was also necessary. When lunch came, class ended and the children left the classroom. Jung Yu-shin packed his writing utensils and put them in his teddy bear bag. ¡°Thank you for your hard work, Teacher Diego.¡± ¡°Thank you for your hard work, Ska-nim.¡± ¡°By the way, there¡¯s a rumor that Barbaroi came into the orphanage yard. Is that true?¡± Diego¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Really?!¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t know?¡± ¡°Yes. A friend from the orphanage said he saw it.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll check first. Do you know the child¡¯s name?¡± ¡°Sharon.¡± ¡°I understand. ¡¤¡¤¡¤Is the evil that was driven in coming back out?¡± Diego turned around and muttered something, but Jung Yu-shin didn¡¯t hear it. Jung Yu-shin left the classroom, leaving Diego behind. He went to the Shinjeon restaurant, waited in line, and sat down to get his food. The menu consisted of vegetable soup with herbs, rye bread, and watered-down wine. Jung Yu-shin took a bite of the soup and then bit into the bread. He felt something mushy inside the bread, and a fishy taste rose up. ¡®What is this?¡¯ He hurriedly looked inside the bread. There was a fish head poking out, half-chewed. Ugh. Jung Yu-shin covered his mouth. Suddenly putting fish inside the bread? It felt like he had stepped on a landmine after everything was going well. Is this an assassination? He looked around and saw that the other priests were eating deliciously. ¡°Wow, bread with fish in it? It¡¯s the grace of Mother Earth.¡± ¡°What day is it today? Why is such a precious special dish being served?¡± Jung Yu-shin¡¯s expression crumpled. He couldn¡¯t bring himself to spit it out, so he covered his nose and chewed, then swallowed the contents with wine. ¡°By the way, did Priest Mi-on miss the dawn mass today?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. You¡¯ve been up all night in the library for the past few days, searching for divine magic, and it looks like you¡¯ve finally caught a cold. The commander of the Cain Knights came to visit yesterday, but it looks like you haven¡¯t been able to meet him.¡± ¡°Oh, this is a big deal. I should at least pray.¡± Jeong Yu-shin got up from his seat. I don¡¯t know if it was because of the fish bread or the guilt about the lukewarm, but the food didn¡¯t go down. He left the restaurant and arrived at the temple courtyard. At that moment, a group of explorers came out of the temple. Two humans. One dwarf. One gnome. A total of four people. They looked exhausted, but they were smiling. ¡°Kwaaah! I finally got the strength enhancement seal!¡± The human male with the longsword on his back raised his arm and shouted. ¡°Hehe. That¡¯s great. I¡¯m glad I got the spirit-acceleration seal too.¡± The human woman, who seemed to be a wizard, smiled and said. ¡°Haa. A wall-climbing engraving? This is a total dud.¡± The dwarf priest sighed and scratched his head as he said. The party members chattered happily, but one of them stood silently. The human inspector opened his mouth to the silent gnome. ¡°The heavy foot engraving you got this time, right?¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤It¡¯s hard to run and the sound of your feet hitting the ground is louder, so it¡¯s hard for you as a guide.¡± The gnome nodded weakly and answered. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤It¡¯s okay! Just erase it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, it¡¯s not that great of a negative engraving. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± The party members consoled the gnome, who was feeling depressed. The gnome¡¯s face brightened slightly. ¡°Yeah. I guess I took it too seriously. Just erase it.¡± The human inspector patted the gnome on the shoulder. ¡°We¡¯re going slowly, one step at a time. Don¡¯t worry too much. Let¡¯s go eat and rest for now. I¡¯m so tired.¡± ¡°I need to wash up. I haven¡¯t washed up in a week, I stink.¡± The dwarf priest grumbled. The party members left the temple chattering away. Jung Yu-shin watched them from afar. A strength enhancement seal? I was so envious that my stomach started to hurt. And what about the speed increase seal? ¡®I know how to eat good seals too.¡¯ Jung Yu-shin licked his lips. He also envied his good-natured colleagues. I wish I had good colleagues too. How great would it be if I had strong allies to break through the dark labyrinth together? ¡®Enough.¡¯ He stopped thinking. Thinking more would only make his stomach hurt. He had a lot to do. Jung Yu-shin quickly walked to the swordsmanship guild. ¡°Your face is filled with desire.¡± Ashur blurted out with an irritated expression. Jung Yu-shin¡¯s heart pounded as he ran diligently through the training ground. Is this the Jangseongjok Sword Master? He was not ordinary. ¡°What?¡± He asked nonchalantly, controlling his expression. ¡°Don¡¯t control your expression. I can see everything. Don¡¯t think about anything else and focus on training.¡± ¡°Are you Gung-ye?¡± Jung Yu-shin¡¯s expression crumpled. ¡°Here, put on another sandbag.¡± Jung Yu-shin approached him, limping, and put the bag Ashur had given him on his ankle. ¡°Run.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± He ran for a long time in the blazing sun. His whole body was covered in sweat and dust, and his breathing was so fast that his mind was spinning. ¡°Keuheuheu. Huuuuup.¡± Jung Yu-shin did the last lap and collapsed on the floor, gasping for breath. He was about to develop a madness that he had never felt before. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s the face. The face that took a step back.¡± Ashur said with a smile. ¡®Aren¡¯t you crazy?¡¯ Jung Yu-shin glared at Ashur. Ashur threw his iron sword. Thud. The iron sword fell to the training ground floor. Jung Yu-shin barely managed to grab the sword with his trembling hands and stood up. ¡°Come.¡± Ashur¡¯s eyes lit up. The two men¡¯s sparring continued deep into the night. Kaaaang!!! Kaaaang!!! Ashur, who had been clashing swords, stepped back. ¡°That¡¯s it, that¡¯s it for today.¡± ¡°Hoooooooo. Huh.¡± Jung Yu-shin immediately fell to the floor. Ashur looked down at Jung Yu-shin and pointed out each of his mistakes. Jung Yu-shin listened to Ashur¡¯s words while gasping for breath. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤But.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°A Barbaroi has come all the way to the Earth Mother Orphanage. I feel threatened, so what should I do?¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing you can do.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°It¡¯s late at night, so you¡¯d better hurry up and go back.¡± Ashur said with a smirk. Jung Yu-shin staggered up from his seat and left the training ground. Ashur watched Jung Yu-shin¡¯s back as he gradually moved away and muttered softly. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Are they slowly coming back to the streets? You¡¯ve held out for a long time.¡± Jung Yu-shin walked quickly back to the inn. He opened the wooden door and looked around the inn hall. Did Anne and Tarman get off work? There was no one. I stuffed the snacks on the counter into my stomach and went up to the second floor to my room. I took off my clothes, dried myself with a towel, and lay down on the bed. I put my arms around my head and closed my eyes. It was really Barbaro, but I was so tired anyway. Because of the increasingly difficult training, my head would always feel dizzy and I would fall asleep easily at night. Since I arrived safely, I decided not to worry about them anymore. ¡°Hwaaam.¡± Rustling. There was a sound from under the bed. Jung Yu-shin¡¯s yawning suddenly stopped. There was something. Under the bed. Chapter 51: Night guard request Jarik immediately grabbed the scabbard of his longsword, which was placed beside his bed, and unsheathed the blade. He jumped off the bed and stood on the floor. "Who''s there?" There was no response from under the bed. "Come out before I split the bed in two. This is your last warning." Rustling. Once again, a sound came from beneath the bed. Jarik tightened his grip on the sword. Something peeked out from under the bed. Jarik''s eyes widened when he confirmed its identity. "A rat?" The words slipped out of his mouth in a stunned voice. "Chirp chirp." A plump, white rat carefully crawled out. "Well, what do I know... I got all tense for no reason." Jarik lowered his sword and chuckled before his expression hardened. "You''re a human, aren''t you?" "Chirp?" The rat tilted its head. "Can you understand me? Are you listening?" Jarik quickly lunged and grabbed the rat. "Chirp chirp!!" The rat struggled in Jarik''s grip. "Stay still!" Jarik held the rat with one hand while rummaging through his things with the other. He pulled out some rope and bound the rat tightly. "Who sent you? Was it the dark alley thugs?" Jarik lowered his voice as he spoke. "Chirp!" The rat flailed its arms, wriggling in Jarik''s hand. "Who sent you!?" Thud!!! "Owner! Let me get some sleep!" The tenant in the next room banged on the wall and shouted. "Sorry about that." Jarik apologized and glared back at the rat. "I''ll interrogate you tomorrow. If you chirp once more, you''re dead." Jarik hung the rat by the rope from the ceiling and stared at it for a while before closing his eyes. The next morning. Jarik called Taruman and Anne to sit at the table. "So... are you saying this rat is a human?" "Yes. Look closely. Doesn''t its behavior seem suspicious?" Taruman scratched his head. "I don''t really know." "It is kind of cute, though." Anne rested her chin in her hands, looking at the rat. Jarik folded his arms and glared at the rat, which was sprawled out on the table, tied up with rope. To find out if it was a human with a rat''s mark or just a real rat, they would have to go to the temple for confirmation. But it would cost one silver coin. Given the store''s difficult financial situation, Jarik didn''t want to waste money on this. "Put it in a jar or a pot and keep a close eye on it." "There¡¯s a small cage in the storage, right?" Anne''s words made Jarik nod. It was a small cage for keeping little animals. Not bad. "Then lock it in there. Watch it closely. If it does anything human-like, let me know immediately." "Understood." Jarik stood up from his seat. No matter what the situation, there was a mountain of things to do. Two weeks passed. The early summer heat grew more intense. Jarik''s routine had not changed. After his morning exercises, he would go to the orphanage to study. Around lunchtime, he would practice swordsmanship at the guild until he was completely exhausted, then collapse into sleep at night. It was a repeating cycle. He thought today would go the same way. While eating breakfast, Jarik turned his head. Someone was standing by the inn¡¯s door. "Silva!" Jarik jumped to his feet. Silva looked quite disheveled. Jarik walked toward Silva. "How''s your health?" Silva smiled faintly. "I had a rough time with the medicine, but I''m much better now. Lord Aldain helped me get rid of the addiction." "I''m glad to hear that." "Skah." Silva called out Jarik''s name with a serious look in his eyes. "Yes?" Jarik responded. "I¡¯m going to visit Karin." "Right now? Why don¡¯t you rest a bit first?" Silva glanced at Anne and Taruman before turning back to look at Jarik. "You''ve been running the inn just fine without any major issues. I don''t think you need me. Besides, one of my tasks is to contact Karin if anything happens to you." "Can''t you just contact her by letter?" "I''m the messenger." The white wolf beastman smiled. "I see." "Understood. Then I won¡¯t stop you. Just be careful." "Thank you. I¡¯ll see you later." Silva bowed his head and left the inn. Jarik watched Silva¡¯s figure as he walked away. Karin was about two months away from here, so it would take about four months for a round trip. He decided to wait calmly. Aside from the village on the pilgrimage road and the labyrinth city, he didn¡¯t know any other areas. There was nothing he could do even if he went out. Returning to the inn, he sat at the table. On the table was a small cage. Inside it, the white rat was sprawled out. Anne, cutting some vegetables into small pieces, placed them one by one into the cage. The white rat accepted them with its two hands and chewed them meticulously. "So, has it been acting more human-like?" "...It seems smart, but it doesn''t look human." Anne replied. Jarik continued to glare at the rat in the cage. The rat was so focused on eating that it didn¡¯t even bother to turn its head. "It looks human to me." "If you really think so, I guess it''s not a bad idea to visit the temple and get it checked." Taruman said, looking at Jarik with concern. Seeing Jarik constantly doubting whether it was human or not made him worry that Jarik might be slipping into madness again. "I guess I¡¯ll have to. I¡¯m going crazy thinking about this." After talking to the rat every morning for nearly two weeks, it felt like he might be losing his mind. He had been holding back because of the money, but it wasn''t worth risking his mental health over. Jarik finished his meal, grabbed the cage with the rat, and left the inn to head to the Earth Goddess Temple. He showed the cage to the receptionist at the temple. "I want to confirm if this rat is human." "I see." The receptionist looked at Jarik with a sympathetic expression. "The identification fee is one silver coin." "Here you go." After paying the fee, Jarik immediately went with a male priest into a small room. The male priest recited a spell in front of the cage, but it didn''t reach Jarik¡¯s ears at all. "Is it a human or a rat? A rat or a human?" Jarik continued to glare at the rat. A small light glowed from the priest''s hand and enveloped the rat. After a moment. The priest tilted his head. "...No markings detected. It seems to be just a rat." Jarik staggered at the sound of the thunderstruck words. "Are you sure?" "Yes. It seems you were mistaken." Jarik staggered out of the room, gripping his dizzying mind. He went outside the temple and squatted down. Looking into the rat''s eyes, he thought about various things. Maybe his reactions had been too sensitive due to all the things piling up. The inn was struggling, and with the barbarians starting to show themselves, maybe his nerves had been frayed. Jarik closed his eyes for a moment, meditating, then slapped his cheek. Squeak. He opened the cage. "Go." The rat slowly crawled out of the cage. It had gained weight over the past two weeks, and its little butt was now plump. The rat looked up and down at Jarik¡¯s face before scurrying into the underbrush. "What am I doing..." Jarik ran his hand through his hair and looked up at the sky before heading back to the orphanage. Today''s lesson was taught by Diego. It had been two weeks since he last saw Mion. Coming this far, he felt a pang of guilt. Had he pushed Mion too hard? "Sigh." After finishing the class at the orphanage, Jarik had a meal at the temple restaurant and approached the receptionist. "Skah, is there anything else I can assist you with? If you need counseling, I can call someone for you." The receptionist¡¯s words seemed different now, probably because of the events earlier in the morning. "I wrote a letter to Priest Mion. Could you please deliver it?" It was a clumsy letter with a few poorly chosen words. He only hoped it conveyed his apology. "Understood. We¡¯ve been quite worried about Mion¡¯s health lately. Thank you." The receptionist smiled. "Yes. Thank you." Jarik left the temple and ran toward the swordsmanship guild. "Your face looks like you just got dumped ?N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t? by your girlfriend." Ashur grinned and said. "It¡¯s not like that." "Then keep running with the sandbag on." "Yes." The increasingly tough training was starting to feel like second nature. Since the third trip to the labyrinth, his body had grown even stronger, absorbing every training session like dry land soaking up water. Clang!!! Ashur and Jarik''s swords clashed. Clang clang clang!!! The intense sparring filled with strength and technique. Sparks flew from the practice swords. Ashur looked into Jarik¡¯s eyes. Whoooosh!!! Ashur swung his sword down. Jarik''s sword lowered. Thud! Jarik¡¯s upper body was completely emptied. Ashur¡¯s shoulder crashed into Jarik¡¯s chest. "Ugh." Jarik staggered back. "Good." Ashur said as he looked down at Jarik, who had collapsed on the ground. "Can we enter the labyrinth now?" Jarik wiped the sweat from his forehead and asked. "Just a bit more. But do we really need to enter the labyrinth? Did you smear honey on it or something?" "Now that we¡¯re in the labyrinth city, we should go in. Besides, I need some money." Jarik said nonchalantly, brushing off Ashur''s question. "Really? Then you should go to the Explorer¡¯s Guild and find some work. There are plenty of things to do other than entering the labyrinth." "I want to enter the labyrinth." "You have to do it eventually." "What do you mean?" "Sigh, do I have to explain everything?" Ashur rubbed his head and continued. "Listen carefully. To rank up from a beginner explorer, you need to complete city missions. I don¡¯t remember how many exactly, it¡¯s been a while." "Are there any missions other than labyrinth exploration?" "Yes, plenty. Didn¡¯t they tell you at the Explorer¡¯s Guild?" "No?" "I don¡¯t know what the Explorer¡¯s Guild¡¯s situation is. Go ask them. But you understand the point, right?" "Yes. I¡¯ll go check it out." The next morning, Jarik went to the Explorer¡¯s Guild branch. It felt a bit awkward being surrounded by people after such a long time away. He stopped for a moment in front of the guild and looked up at the sign. Not much had changed. When he entered, he was greeted by a crowd of people. Those holding weapons. Parties of adventurers packing up their bags. Some of them were clearly new to the labyrinth city. Jarik stood in line at the reception desk. After a short wait, his turn came. "How may I assist you?" The dog beastman smiled. Jarik fiddled with his ring for a moment before speaking. "I heard there are missions other than labyrinth exploration." "Oh! I see." "I''m a beginner explorer, so I¡¯m not familiar with the details. Why didn¡¯t you tell me?" At that moment, another receptionist interrupted. "Beginners don''t like it, so we couldn''t mention it. Most of them prefer labyrinth exploration missions. There was some friction with beginners on this issue in the past few months." Had it been during the time when a lot of beginner explorers flocked to the guild? The dog beastman looked flustered, nervously fiddling with his fingers. "I understand. Then please recommend a mission I can do in the city." "Of course, please wait a moment." The dog beastman dug through the stack of papers at the reception desk for a while. "Found it!" He pulled out several sheets of paper and shouted. ¡®Really cute.¡¯ Jarik rubbed his lips, trying to suppress his smile. "Ahem. Right now, there¡¯s a mission for guarding the labyrinth entrance." "What''s that? Isn¡¯t that usually handled by the guards?" "You know the magic circle in front of the labyrinth, right? That¡¯s where the guards stand. During the day, the guards handle it fully, but from evening to dawn, we select a few outsiders to help with the night shift." "Why¡¯s that?" "...Maybe because they¡¯re tired?" The dog beastman tilted his head and answered. They selected outsiders for the night shift? Jarik thought for a moment before coming to a decision. "I¡¯ll take that mission." "Alright. Understood." The dog beastman took Jarik¡¯s explorer card, confirmed his name, and filled out the mission papers. "Just go to the guard post at the labyrinth entrance tomorrow night. Do you know where it is?" "Yes. I know." It couldn¡¯t be that hard to find. He had visited the guard post for the Ditto incident once before. He had even been threatened by Luke there. Hadn''t Luke warned him not to mention the disciple''s name? It was hard to understand why Luke reacted so sensitively. If they met again, he wanted to ask. "As a beginner explorer, you¡¯ll be paid 20 copper coins a day." That''s a bit cheap. If he worked for 30 days, he would earn 6 silver coins. Wouldn¡¯t it be better to work at the monster dismantling facility instead? Jarik hesitated for a moment before shaking his head. He had to do this anyway. It was a requirement for leveling up. Oh! There was one more thing he needed to ask. "Are there any conditions for a beginner explorer to rank up?" "To rank up from a beginner explorer, you need to fulfill two conditions. Complete 10 guild missions. Reach the 5th floor." "Is it okay as long as you reach it?" "You must reach it with party members of the same rank. This is to prevent people from easily reaching the 5th floor by joining higher-level parties." "I understand." "Your work starts tomorrow." "Yes, thank you." Jarik nodded and left the Explorer¡¯s Guild, heading west. Since he had taken the guard post mission, he planned to visit Boron¡¯s blacksmith to buy some equipment. He also intended to check on how Ainhofer was doing. Just the thought of spending the money he had saved made him feel uneasy. After all the effort to save it. Slap!!! "Get a grip. Equipment is life." Jarik muttered as he slapped his cheek. He had felt stagnant after not entering the labyrinth for a while. It felt like he was stuck in place. But today, knowing that he could move forward, even if just a little. Jarik¡¯s steps felt lighter. Chapter 52: Not an easy city He went to Boron¡¯s forge. ¡°I¡¯m here.¡± Boron was staring blankly into space. Jung Yu-shin waved his hand in front of Boron¡¯s face. ¡°Why are you doing this?¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Ah. You¡¯re here?¡± ¡°Why are you staring blankly?¡± Land!! Taaang!! Land!! The sound of a hammer could be heard beyond the wooden door in the corner of the forge. Jung Yu-shin smiled happily. ¡°You work so hard. You¡¯ve really got a great assistant.¡± ¡°Hehe.¡± Boron suddenly laughed. ¡®Is it that good?¡¯ Jung Yu-shin laughed along. ¡°Keuk!¡± Boron sobbed. Big tears welled up in his eyes. ??? ¡°Why are you doing this?¡± Boron got up from his seat without answering and went into the room where the sound of a hammer was coming from. Jung Yu-shin followed. He could feel the hot heat. Ainhofer was tapping his red-hot sword. He seemed to have lost some weight, but it wasn¡¯t enough to worry him. Ground!! Taaang!! Ting!!! The sword was bent. ¡°Oops. My hand slipped.¡± Boron quickly lowered his head. Wham! The hammer flew and hit the pile of weapons and armor piled in the corner, making all sorts of noises. ¡°Stop it now!¡± ¡°Master, if we just do a little more, we¡¯ll be able to reach it.¡± Ainhofer answered. ¡°We¡¯re bankrupt! Look at those pieces of junk! When will we make money?¡± Boron said with a grunt. ¡°Just ? N§àv§ÖIight ? (Original source) a little more.¡± ¡°Ugh!¡± Boron grabbed the back of his neck at Ainhofer¡¯s answer. ¡°Ainhofer.¡± Jung Yu-shin greeted him. ¡°You¡¯re here.¡± Einhofer smiled and greeted Jung Yu-shin. His face and body were covered in sweat, but his eyes sparkled like stars. It was the beautiful sight of someone who worked hard. ¡°I¡¯ll cheer you on.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± He dragged Boron, who was sitting on the floor, out of the room. Boron had aged a lot in the meantime. Jung Yu-shin took out money from his pocket and handed it to him. It was the price of the longsword he had brought in on credit last time. ¡°I¡¯d like to buy a set of hard leather armor.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Aren¡¯t you planning on fixing the light armor?¡± ¡°I brought it anyway.¡± ¡°Show me.¡± He took out the tattered light armor from his backpack and showed it to him. Boron clicked his tongue. ¡°This is completely useless. Make me a new one.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have any money.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t I have any?¡± ¡°I used it mostly to run the inn.¡± ¡°What are you talking about all of a sudden?¡± Jung Yu-shin briefly explained the previous incident. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Still, that¡¯s true. Leaving the inn to Barbaroi.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s stop. The cat talking about the fish shop and all that stuff really drives me nuts.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything. I just thought you made a cage fish farm. When you¡¯re bored, you just take out a fish and eat it.¡± Boron scratched his head and answered. ¡®That¡¯s it. That bastard.¡¯ Jung Yu-shin¡¯s expression crumpled like Einhofer¡¯s failed works. ¡°You don¡¯t want to do business?¡± ¡°I see. What are you trying to tell me not to say? Tsk.¡± Boron clicked his tongue and took out a set of leather armor from the corner. It was a simple leather armor that only covered the shoulders and torso. ¡°Whew, 30 silver coins.¡± ¡°Huh.¡± The money slid out. ¡°Okay, I should take the helmet too.¡± Boron naturally brought the iron helmet. Jung Yu-shin looked at the helmet here and there and asked. ¡°What is this small pot?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a helmet.¡± It was a helmet similar to a kettle helm. ¡°It¡¯s just like a steel hat.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a useful item. It has a wide field of vision. There¡¯s a leather strap inside the helmet so you can tie it around your chin. It doesn¡¯t shake and is comfortable. Just give me 10 silver coins.¡± Isn¡¯t this a waste of time? Jung Yu-shin sighed and took out silver coins from his pocket and handed them over. ¡°Bring me some alcohol next time you come.¡± ¡°Did you leave the alcohol for me?¡± ¡°...¡± Boron glared at Jung Yu-shin. ¡°Just kidding. I¡¯ll buy you a good bottle later.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Jung Yu-shin left the blacksmith shop equipped with leather armor and a kettle helm. Unlike Barbuta, it was shaped like a pot lid, so the view was wide open. It was also easy to breathe. The next evening. Jung Yu-shin checked his weapons and came down to the first floor inn hall. Tarman approached him. ¡°Are you leaving?¡± ¡°Yes. Don¡¯t leave any dinner behind. You have to work in front of the labyrinth until dawn.¡± ¡°Okay. Please wait a moment.¡± Tarman ran into the kitchen in a hurry and brought a bundle. ¡°I prepared it in case you¡¯re hungry in the evening.¡± A lunch box. ¡°Thank you. If something comes up, contact me right away.¡± ¡°Okay. Have a nice day.¡± Jung Yu-shin left the inn after receiving Tarman¡¯s greeting. A summer evening when the sun was starting to set. He walked down the street in the cooling breeze. He headed toward the entrance of the labyrinth, going against the crowd of people returning to the city after finishing their adventures. ¡°Scar, half-blood Barbaroi. Confirmed.¡± The guard captain said as he handed Jung Yu-shin his card. When he arrived at the guard post at the entrance of the labyrinth, the guard captain was sitting at the desk. ¡°Nothing much. Just open your eyes and stand there, checking if there are any abnormalities among the people entering and exiting the labyrinth.¡± The guard captain was a human male in his 40s with a sparse beard. The guard captain scratched his matted head. ¡°Have we met somewhere before?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°I see? He looks strangely familiar. He¡¯s well-dressed. Leather armor and kettle helm. He seems to know a thing or two. It¡¯s comfortable to wear in the summer.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Did you bring anything else?¡± ¡°I brought a lunch box.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take a look. Some of the applicants have been caught drinking.¡± ¡°Yes. Feel free to take a look.¡± Jung Yu-shin put the bundle down on the table. The guard captain coughed and opened the bundle. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤You were a friend loved by your wife.¡± The guard captain looked at the contents of the wooden lunch box and said one thing. The wooden lunch box contained a steak sandwich cut into easy-to-eat pieces. Jung Yu-shin scratched the back of his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it a good time?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never been married.¡± The guard captain¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Then? You¡¯re not a married woman? You crazy guy Barbaro.¡± Why is a married woman suddenly popping out? ¡°It¡¯s a misunderstanding. My friend who works at the inn packed it for me.¡± ¡°Your friend is very sincere. Is he your childhood friend?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°I see. Speaking of childhood friends, I was once in the countryside too¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± The captain of the guard began to ramble on about his memories, looking into the empty air with hazy eyes. Jeong Yu-shin rested his chin on his hand and listened to the captain¡¯s story with one ear and out the other. When he added a little bit of chime and cheer, the captain got excited and talked even more. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤That¡¯s why I told that childhood friend.¡± Clang!!! ¡°Captain.¡± Mole Su-in opened the gate of the guard post and came in. ¡°What? It¡¯s a very important time.¡± ¡°One of the on-duty personnel was missing today.¡± ¡°He¡¯s here.¡± The captain of the guard pointed at Jeong Yu-shin. ¡°A half-blood Barbarian? Follow me.¡± ¡°Put him in a tight spot. He¡¯s a dirty bastard who sleeps comfortably with his childhood friend¡¯s married woman.¡± Jung Yu-shin turned his head and stared blankly at the guard captain. ¡°Why are you doing this?¡± ¡°I¡¯m joking. Take this lunch box quickly.¡± ¡®This guy¡¯s crazy.¡¯ Jung Yu-shin clicked his tongue internally and followed the mole man with the bundle on his shoulder. ¡°You know that there¡¯s an entrance and exit to the labyrinth¡¯s transfer, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Just watch the exit. I¡¯ll tell you where to stand.¡± Jung Yu-shin followed the mole man and looked up at the labyrinth. A black stone monument. It was so tall and huge that it would make any building look like steamed rice cakes. It looked even more magnificent in the moonlight. The entrance was in the moonlight. The exit was in the shadow of a stone monument with no light. Dozens of torches were placed a little way from the exit magic circle. As if that wasn¡¯t enough, there were also crystal balls that emitted bright light. Guards wearing plate armor and people with autonomous weapons stood around the torches. There were about 40 of them. Mole Suin led Jeong Yushin to the front of the exit magic circle. ¡°A group of four.¡± Mole Suin continued. ¡°You can sit on the floor, but you can¡¯t lie down. Of course, you can¡¯t sleep either. You can eat, but you can¡¯t cook. And of course, you can¡¯t mate.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Mole Suin left and returned to the guard post. Jeong Yushin briefly glanced at the people gathered around the torches. A frog-man wearing a robe. A man in an iron mask with a greatsword on the floor. And. ¡°Ogre?¡± I saw it once at the monster dismantling center. I remember having a hard time peeling it off because its hide was so tough. It was smaller than the ogre I saw at the dismantling center. ¡°Half. Barbaroi.¡± The ogre wearing a piece of cloth embroidered with the guard emblem said. That¡¯s why it was small. Still. ¡°Your mother must have had a hard time.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a rude guy. Your father was human.¡± ¡°Your father had unique tastes. I admit it.¡± ¡°Just kidding. In fact, both of my parents are human. I got this ogre imprint and became like this. Call me Stone Fist.¡± ¡°Scar.¡± ¡°Are you that butcher Scar? The one who came into the Eastern District and killed all those slave hunters?¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤A butcher?¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤You¡¯re shaking your head after killing them so cruelly? The guys below sweated profusely cleaning up the torn and torn corpses. That¡¯s why you got that nickname.¡± Jung Yu-shin frowned at the ominous nickname that had been given to him. ¡°They were worth killing. And judging by the way you speak, are you also a member of the underworld?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. There¡¯s no one in the Eastern District who hasn¡¯t been involved in the underworld.¡± ¡°That¡¯s wrong.¡± A frog man suddenly intervened. I thought he would croak, but his voice was surprisingly deep. ¡°Croak. A mid-level priest who serves the water spirit. Back to the story, there are people who live in the Eastern District without belonging to a clan. For example, people like me.¡± ¡°Is there a temple that serves the water spirit in the Eastern District?¡± ¡°Yes. To be exact, it¡¯s underground in the Eastern District.¡± This was another fact I didn¡¯t know. There¡¯s an underground in the Eastern District. ¡°Why is there an underground in the Eastern District?¡± ¡°Some of the people who received the monster imprint were vulnerable to winter and sunlight. That¡¯s why it was created.¡± Is that so? I nodded my head naturally as the information of the labyrinth was gradually revealed. At that moment, I heard someone taunting me from afar. ¡°The monsters are playing well together.¡± I turned my head and saw a bull mermaid standing there. There were various people around him, including a dog mermaid, a rabbit mermaid, and a rat mermaid. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Just ignore it.¡± The half-ogre stone fist said. ¡°Why should I be angry? You¡¯re the one who got the demon imprint?¡± ¡°...¡± At that moment, Hwangso Suin opened his mouth again. ¡°Barbaroi, you too. You crazy, selfish demon.¡± ¡°Why are you suddenly picking a fight? You should just eat your food. Um, um. Get out. Knock, knock!¡± Hwangso Suin stared blankly at Jeong Yu-shin at the sudden outburst of abuse. Tendons popped out on Hwangso Suin¡¯s forehead. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Are you crazy, you little half-blood? Get up. Let¡¯s talk with your horns.¡± Hwangso Suin jumped up from his seat and said. ¡°Um. I don¡¯t like it. Um.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤You crazy bastard!¡± ¡°Stop!¡± One of the guards intervened and shouted. ¡°Just do it properly. I didn¡¯t put you here to fight.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Khung!¡± The bull Suin snorted and turned around. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤You were a friend with a sharp tongue.¡± When Jeong Yushin sat back down, the half-ogre Doljumeok said. ¡°You¡¯re a man who speaks coolly. You¡¯re different from when we first met.¡± The iron mask man said with a smiling voice. ¡°If we met twice by chance, it¡¯s fate. Call me Iron Mask. Can I call you Skara?¡± ¡°Yes. Call me whatever you want.¡± He was a man I already knew. He didn¡¯t look much different from when I first saw him. Four men of different races sat together with a torch in the middle. The lukewarm summer night breeze swung the torch past. ¡°Let¡¯s go back to the bar massacre incident.¡± Wasn¡¯t it over? This half-ogre. He really was a tenacious friend. ¡°That bastard kidnapped and killed children. That¡¯s the price.¡± ¡°It was worth it.¡± Iron Mask nodded. ¡°Really? Tsk. They were such idiots.¡± Half-ogre Stone Fist crossed his arms and nodded. His mouth twitched and he blurted out. ¡°I am the man who stands upright in the labyrinth city, the conscience that acts. That¡¯s what I¡¯m saying.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± An awkward silence hung for a moment. Frog Suin rolled his eyes. Half-ogre suddenly looked at the magic circle and Iron Mask stroked his greatsword. As the atmosphere became strange, Jeong Yu-shin looked around. Some people were chewing on jerky while others were discussing which blacksmith¡¯s weapon was useful. Most people had brought a folding chair and were sitting comfortably. Jung Yu-shin looked around and opened his mouth. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤But you know. There seem to be a lot of people for a guard.¡± ¡°The reason is simple. It¡¯s because there are often people who receive strange imprints. We stand guard like this to prevent accidents from happening in advance.¡± Frog Suin answered Jung Yu-shin¡¯s question. ¡°What are strange imprints?¡± ¡°For example, there¡¯s the monster imprint. There are many more.¡± ¡°A monster imprint? I don¡¯t think the guards will suddenly rush in and kill you even if you turn into a monster.¡± ¡°It depends. There¡¯s one problem if you turn into a monster.¡± Frog Suin glanced at Half Ogre and said. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤When you turn into a monster, you gain demonic power. Some people can endure it, while others are eaten by the demonic power.¡± Half Ogre answered instead. ¡°If you erase the imprint, can you come back?¡± At Jung Yu-shin¡¯s question, the half-ogre held his chin and thought for a moment before opening his mouth. ¡°Some come back, and some don¡¯t. If we were to set a standard, the more you experience magical adaptation and the lower the level of the monster you mutate into, the higher the probability of returning to your right mind.¡± Masonic adaptation? Are you talking about leveling up? To summarize. ¡°If you level up a lot and mutate into a monster that¡¯s not worth much, you can maintain your right mind?¡± ¡°Yes. But it¡¯s not certain. Once you¡¯ve been consumed by the devil, it¡¯s hard to return to your right mind even if you erase the imprint.¡± The frog-man Croc nodded and answered. Jung Yu-shin looked at the half-ogre Stone Fist. ¡°Barbaroi, my mind is fine, so don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t worried.¡± ¡°...¡± An awkward silence enveloped the torch once again. Jung Yu-shin also had nothing more to say, so he was lost in thought. Goosebumps. A cold chill suddenly ran down his spine. Pfft! Jung Yu-shin got up from his seat and looked around. He had a sword in his hand. Only then did a few people recognize Jung Yu-shin and start muttering. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Barbaroi?¡± ¡°Still young?¡± ¡°Mixed-blood.¡± ¡°Barbaroi, what is it? Are you in heat?¡± The bull Su-in grumbled again. ¡°...¡± Jung Yu-shin ignored the bull Su-in¡¯s words. The warm-hearted people gathered around the bull Su-in continued to laugh and chatter, but he let it go in one ear and out the other. The murderous gaze disappeared like the wind. ¡®What kind of bastard is that.¡¯ Jung Yu-shin widened his field of vision and looked a little further. He could see the relief center and the union currency exchange office. A small light leaked out from the relief center, but that was it. Several of the guards were staring at him. Jeong Yu-shin had no choice but to sit down and cast the magic circle again. He looked. The half-ogre stone fist looked down at Jung Yu-shin with a trembling expression. ¡°Barbaroi, I should worry about your mind first.¡± ¡°Actually, you¡¯re a bit erratic.¡± The three men slightly stepped back at Jung Yu-shin¡¯s answer. ¡°Still, I felt something similar to murder. This is true.¡± ¡°I-Is that so.¡± The frog-man Croc fumbled and answered. Jung Yu-shin¡¯s gaze was on the magic circle at the exit of the labyrinth, but his thoughts were complicatedly tangled. What kind of guy is he? Cain? No. If he was the leader of the knights, he would have come and cut off his own throat. Are they the guys from the Eastern District¡¯s underworld? Are they the guys who would boldly spread murder in a place like this? Jung Yu-shin reserved his judgment. After exchanging a few words with the half-ogre stone fist, he didn¡¯t seem like such a bad guy. It could be my imagination, but he seemed like a man who had some boundaries to keep. Jung Yu-shin stroked his chin and thought of several possibilities, then erased them. ¡®This is really not an easy city.¡¯ Jung Yu-shin¡¯s eyes darkened. The darkness of the night also grew deeper. Chapter 53: A really difficult city As I was on edge, dawn broke. What was that murderous spirit? The sun was rising beyond the walls of the labyrinth city. Jung Yu-shin looked around. Most of them were tidying up their places with blank expressions. The guards were approaching from afar. Mole Suin, who had just come out of the guard post, spoke to the shift workers. ¡°There were no problems tonight. Good work.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Come, come to the guard post and get your pay and go back.¡± Jung Yu-shin thought for a moment and then approached Mole Suin. ¡°I have something to tell you.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Mole Suin was wearing glasses that looked like sunglasses, as if he didn¡¯t want to see the rising sun. Jung Yu-shin spoke about the murderous spirit he felt at dawn. Mole Suin listened to Jung Yushin''s words and asked back. "I heard there was a fight during the night. If that''s the reason, then." "No. Feeling alive has nothing to do with the fight." "Just in case, do you have any imprints that affect your mind?" "No." "Doesn''t your heart start pounding at night or a part of your body start to swell?" "Oh! No." What''s this sexual harassment all of a sudden? "I understand. If something like this happens again, come back and report." Mole Suin yawned and left. He didn''t seem to listen. "What good would I get from it? Ugh." The night guards rushed to the guard post to receive their pay. Jung Yushin followed them and received his pay. Boom. Chapter 20 of the fairy tale. It was a reward for performing night watch. Jung Yu-shin put the Donghwa that fell into his hand into his pocket and left. As he left the guard post, the half-ogre Doljukpum and the frog-man Cork waved once from afar. Jung Yu-shin waved back. ¡°See you again.¡± The man in the iron mask approached Jung Yu-shin and said. ¡°Let¡¯s do that.¡± Jung Yu-shin parted ways with the night watch party and returned to the inn. When he entered the inn, Tarman and Anne were there. ¡°Thank you for your hard work.¡± Tarman smiled and said. ¡°Yes. Thank you. I should get some sleep. The lunchbox was delicious.¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m glad you liked it.¡± Jung Yu-shin returned to his room on the second floor, took off his equipment, and lay down on the bed. The birds were chirping and the people on the street were just starting to move, but he was the only one whose eyes were closed. It was a feeling of staying up all night for the first time in a long time. Before the transfer, I used to stay up all night playing games. Looking back on my old life, I felt strange. My thoughts kept going in a chain. My fantasies and expectations continued until I reached a certain place. That murderous spirit that was targeting me at night. What on earth was it? Caaaaaaah!!! Jung Yu-shin slapped his own cheek. ¡°Go to sleep.¡± He closed his eyes and opened them quickly. He moved only his upper body and looked under the bed. There was nothing. Jung Yu-shin went back to the bed and closed his eyes. * * * He headed to the labyrinth the next evening. He stopped by the guard post, stamped his eyes on the guard captain, and received the order of the mole man to stand at the exit magic circle. The same party members as last time were around the torch. Frog man Cork. Great Sword Iron Mask. Half Ogre Stone Fist. They greeted each other with a wink and sat down on a makeshift wooden chair. It was a chair that Tarman had brought for them. ¡®It¡¯s really comfortable.¡¯ Even though they had only worked for two days, the smell was still there. The sweet smell of honey. It was a really sweet mission where all they had to do was sit on a chair and watch the magic circle, except for the murderous intent that made their hearts shiver. Jung Yu-shin crossed his legs and stared blankly at the magic circle. The lukewarm night breeze brushed Jung Yu-shin¡¯s cheek. The exit magic circle was unusually quiet. They could hear people talking around them. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Is it true that Ingrid is coming this month?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I heard. No. She might have already come.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a feast for the eyes.¡± ¡°You¡¯re crazy, you¡¯re not the type to talk nonsense.¡± ¡°You can talk. Your cold face with no change in expression is creepy every time I see it.¡± The bull Suin said with a chuckle. Jung Yushin was lost in thought. What did Karin¡¯s mother look like? The representative of the Suin Union and one of the members of the Labyrinth City Committee. The leader of the Red Wolf Tribe and a widow. At that moment, a light flashed in front of him. The magic circle opened and a blue portal was created. The people hurriedly stood up. They prepared their weapons and took stances. Jung Yushin also grabbed his sword and stood up. Five people emerged from the blue portal. Two humans, two Suin, and one dwarf. The man who seemed to be the leader collapsed on the floor as soon as he emerged from the portal. The bushy beard and sharp eyes that seemed to have been in the labyrinth for quite some time were impressive. Several guards approached, holding spears. The priest standing behind the guards followed. The guards and party members could be heard talking from afar. The guards nodded and returned to their seats. ¡°Nothing much. Make yourself at home.¡± Only then did the people sit back down or resume their conversation that had stopped. A few hours passed and several party members came out of the exit magic circle again. It was a repetition of the same thing as before. Several guards and the priest approached, talked, and returned. Jeong Yu-shin opened his mouth. ¡°It seems that not many people get the imprint?¡± ¡°It¡¯s an ordinary thing. Putting aside whether the imprint is good or bad, getting it itself isn¡¯t that easy.¡± Croc, the frog man, opened his mouth. ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡®I think I ate it every time I went in.¡¯ Jeong Yu-shin tilted his head. Was I just lucky? Since there was nothing else to do, he opened his lunch box. The night snack menu was chicken baked with butter and various spices. The guard captain¡¯s face hardened when he saw this earlier, so I felt a pang inside. The three men¡¯s eyes were focused on him. ¡°Let¡¯s eat together.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll even go to the liver.¡± The party members sat together and picked at the chicken. ¡°Oh! It¡¯s really delicious. Gaegol.¡± Frog Su-in exclaimed. ¡°It¡¯s a shame that there¡¯s not enough.¡± ¡°You can have the iron mask too.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± The iron mask man shook his head. He said no, so I couldn¡¯t recommend it any more. At that moment, a rustling sound was heard from the bushes behind him, and something jumped out. A plump rat with white fur. Jung Yu-shin''s eyes widened. The guy under the bed? The rat slipped through the crowd and dashed toward the chicken dish. It was such a bold charge. It seemed like he couldn''t see anything but the roasted chicken. Knock! Jung Yu-shin caught the rat''s scruff with perfect timing. "Click! Click!" The white rat floating in the air flailed its plump butt and struggled. "What is it? A snack?" Half-ogre Stone Fist asked. "It''s a guy with a connection. I thought he was someone who had the rat imprint, but he wasn''t." Jung Yu-shin poked the rat''s belly with his finger! "Click!" The rat twitched. ¡°It seems to be a servant horse?¡± The frog man Cork said. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Is there a way to find out who the owner is?¡± ¡°There is, but my memory is hazy. Just wait a moment.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± While waiting, Jeong Yu-shin played with the rat. He stroked its back and gently massaged its body. ¡°Chuuu. Chuuu! Chuuu!¡± The rat seemed to like Jeong Yu-shin¡¯s massage and laid down, exposing its belly. ¡°Does this place feel good? Yah yat.¡± ¡°Chuuu. Chuuu.¡± He gently stroked its belly and poked it. ¡°Chuuuu!!!¡± The rat shuddered once and then fell down. Half-ogre Stone Fist shook his head at the sight. ¡°Barbaroi, why did you bothering me that much? The owner hasn¡¯t been revealed yet.¡± ¡°The guy who came under my bed. This is enough to make me lose.¡± ¡°Come to think of it, that¡¯s true.¡± Jeong Yu-shin glared at the half-ogre for a moment. ¡°I found it. I guess I¡¯m old and can¡¯t remember it well.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s try.¡± Frog-man Cork began to chant. [Find Owner] A blue light flashed briefly from Frog-man¡¯s staff. A blue light rose and enveloped the white mouse. ¡°Huh!¡± Suddenly Frog-man dropped his staff and covered his head. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤I¡¯m okay. The servant¡¯s magic pushed away my magic.¡± ¡°Then?¡± ¡°Based on the amount of magic power, he must be higher than me. The servant¡¯s eyes are clear, so the master must not be a bad person either. Just let him go.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Jung Yu-shin gently stroked the white rat once and released it. The rat got up, glanced at Jung Yu-shin, bit a chicken leg, and ran away. ¡°Why are you releasing your servant horse like that?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. How much of the events that happen in the labyrinth city can you understand?¡± That''s right. Jung Yu-shin cut off his nerves from the white rat. He judged it safe because the priest who served the water spirit had guaranteed it. If the master of the servant horse had business with him, he would have met him soon. He decided to wait. He rested his chin on his hand and watched the people coming out of the labyrinth. Some had dark eyes. Some smiled wryly. Some had heavy, frozen expressions. Jung Yu-shin spent time looking at the expressions of those people. At that moment. He felt alive again. Jung Yu-shin stood up from his seat, holding his longsword, and looked around. ¡°Barbaroi is really horny. Even if he''s a mixed-blood, can''t blood hide? My mother must have had a hard time.¡± Hwangso Suin sneered. Jung Yushin''s body froze. He tried to ignore it, but the insult crossed the line. Jung Yushin walked briskly toward Hwangso Suin. Hwangso Suin sat on a sturdy iron chair and smirked at Jung Yushin. He was on edge because of the strong murderous intent. Jung Yushin opened his mouth. "I can endure it once, but I can''t endure it twice." "What the hell...!" Bwaaaaaah!!! Jung Yushin''s walker slammed into Hwangso Suin''s chest. Wow!!! The large Hwangso Suin fell over with a thud on the chair. He collapsed on the floor, groaning as if he was out of breath. "Hey, you crazy bastard!!!" "Are you crazy?!" The mole was up! I tried to tear the agar if I talked more. Jung Yu-shin walked slowly to the back of the relief center building. A small yard. Someone was standing there looking at the moon. Red hair. A long tail that swayed slowly and wolf ears. A huge sword was stuck next to it. A tall red wolf-man turned his head to look at Jung Yu-shin. A cold beauty with no expression on her face. Similar to Karin, but different. Should I say she was Karin''s older sister? A cold and quiet impression, different from Karin''s fierce impression. An atmosphere that only an overwhelmingly strong person can have. I knew it intuitively. Ingrid Redtail. The representative of the Suin Union and the leader of the Red Wolf Clan. One of the members of the Labyrinth City Committee. Her face looked like she had spent the winter alone. Maybe that''s why she looked like a MILF wearing a long coat with red fur on the back of her neck. I''d only heard about it in stories. It was amazing when I saw it in person. H-cup tits Despite her wide hips and tight leather pants, her buttocks stick out. It was clear who Karin¡¯s body came from. ¡°Half-blood Barbaroi Ska, are you that guy?¡± A calm and icy voice woke up Jung Yu-shin. ¡°I¡¯m Ska. Are you Ingrid?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯ll ask you again. Are you the guy who seduced Karin?¡± ¡°Seduction? What are you talking about all of a sudden?¡± Ingrid came closer. Her red hair sparkled in the moonlight. Jung Yu-shin and Ingrid¡¯s eyes met. Ingrid¡¯s emotionless, dry eyes observed Jung Yu-shin. Sniff sniff. Ingrid¡¯s nose twitched. You suddenly smelled something? Jung Yu-shin took a step back. ¡°Why are you doing this?¡± ¡°I was curious, so I took a look. Don¡¯t approach Karin from now on. If you don¡¯t want to die.¡± Ingrid turned her head away as if she had lost interest and looked at the moon. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Get out of here.¡± ¡®Fuck.¡¯ Jung Yu-shin turned around and left the shelter yard. ¡°I sent you to Salgi. Go back and be quiet.¡± Ingrid spoke from behind Jung Yu-shin. ¡°Why on earth did you send me?¡± Jung Yu-shin asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know that either.¡± Jung Yu-shin sighed deeply and turned around to leave the yard. Her personality was strangely similar to Karin¡¯s. Even though she was a high-ranking official in the Labyrinth City, I could understand looking down on her. ¡®Seduction?¡¯ When had I ever seduced Karin? Thump! Jung Yu-shin, who had been thinking deeply, hit his forehead. Ah. Virgin female corruption imprint. Jung Yu-shin swept his chest. It was a miracle that he had just come back alive. His heart calmed down when he realized that he had just stepped foot on the threshold of the afterlife. As he walked back to his seat quietly, he saw the guard captain and the mole man. The guard captain and the mole man, who had been rolling around inside the guard post until yesterday, were now standing guard in a restrained manner. The bull man also sat quietly after seeing that sight. Still, he glared at Jung Yu-shin with his eyes wide open. did. He returned to his seat and sat down on the chair, and the half-ogre Doljuk opened his mouth. ¡°You were a troublemaker.¡± ¡°Life is a bit strange.¡± ¡°Hehe.¡± Croc, the frog, laughed blandly at Jung Yu-shin¡¯s remark. The Iron Mask Man stroked his greatsword without saying a word. Jung Yu-shin and the Iron Mask Man¡¯s eyes met for a moment. ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡± The Iron Mask Man asked. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± ¡°It¡¯s bland.¡± Jung Yu-shin crossed his arms and stared at the magic circle. One question came to mind. Luke and Ingrid. They were all people he had met in front of the labyrinth. Why on earth was there a committee at the entrance to the labyrinth? Once would have been a coincidence, but this was already the second time. Surely they didn¡¯t come to see a half-blood Barbaroi. He had no choice but to assume there was something there. ¡®What could it be?¡¯ At that moment, Jung Yu-shin¡¯s vision brightened. He couldn¡¯t continue his questioning. Flash! A blue portal appeared in the magic circle. Paaaaat! Stone Fist, Frog, and Iron Mask all turned their gazes to look at the portal. Only one person crawled out of the portal. Jung Yu-shin jumped up from his seat. Hans? It was Hans, the high-ranking explorer. The blue-haired human who was the leader of the investigation on the third labyrinth trip. He had clearly passed through the black portal. I heard. He hasn''t been found anywhere in the labyrinth since then. I heard he was reported missing after not returning for quite some time. Did he come back? The guards stood up one by one. Hans was in a terrible state. His clothes were torn to shreds and rags, and he was covered in blood from head to toe, ? N§àv§Öl¦Éght ? (Read the full story) with his arms and legs blown off one by one. He was still alive. The portal disappeared and Hans barely managed to raise his upper body above the magic circle. ¡°Hans is back!!!¡± The mole man ran with several guards. A young priest followed him. ¡°Kuh-hee-ahk.¡± Hans vomited blood. ¡°Priest! Use healing magic!¡± The mole man shouted urgently. ¡°Yes, four!¡± When the priest approached, something strange happened. A red light began to flash and leak out from Hans¡¯ body. The captain of the guard shouted. ¡°It¡¯s an imprint!¡± ¡°Get back!¡± The guards retreated in a hurry. The boy priest also staggered back. The light emanating from Hans'' body gradually faded. The boy priest approached cautiously. "Are you... are you okay?" Hans did not answer the priest''s question. The atmosphere became chilly even though it was a summer night. There were about 40 people, but not even a sound of breathing could be heard. The eerie silence gradually became heavier. At that moment, Hans raised his head. "Huh." Hans'' entire pupils were dyed black. "He... Heeeek!!!" The boy priest fell on his butt in shock. At the same time. Hans'' skin repeatedly warped and bulged. It was as if something trapped inside a balloon was about to come out, glowing. People were blankly watching the bizarre and horrifying transformation as if they had lost their souls. Jung Yu-shin covered his mouth with a trembling hand to suppress the nausea that was rising. ¡®What is this?¡¯ The evil that was sleeping in the labyrinth was wearing a human body. Slowly. Leisurely. Chapter 54: Malicious troll "Ha ha ha ha!!!" Hans'' head exploded. The young priest was covered in Hans'' bones and flesh. "Ugh... Ugh!" The blood-soaked ? N§àv§Öl¦Éght ? (Read the full story) priest panicked, unable to speak properly, flailing around. Dark red tumors erupted from all over Hans'' body, covering him entirely. Without rest, the mass of tumors grew, coalescing into a massive egg. An elephant-sized egg began to pulsate like a heart. Thump. Thump. Thud-thud-thud. The tumor split open, and a long, giraffe-like neck emerged first. At the end of the neck, a mucus-covered head protruded, with a pair of snail-like antennae growing. Brrrrrrrr!!! Several sharp tentacles burst out from the side of the egg. The body, a mix of yellowish tumors and red flesh, swelled up, but there were no legs. The smell of rotting flesh wafted through the air. A chilling silence filled the stomach. It lasted for a moment. A massive panic hit the guards. Some of them collapsed to the floor. Others knelt, retching. Some wet themselves and fainted. There were also those calling out to the gods. Jeong Yushin stiffened, staring at the giant monster. Could it be? Was that the cursed beast? Jeong Yushin bit his tongue. The taste of rotting blood filled his mouth. It was to wake up his stiffening body. "Is that... the so-called... Unholy Flash? Hans, just how far have you gone?" The frog beastman, Cork, muttered blankly. Thick saliva dripped from the frog''s mouth. KWA-BOOOM!!!! Someone flew toward the monster and landed. Dust spread from the impact before slowly settling down. One of the committee members of the Labyrinth City. Ingrid Redtail. She planted a huge stone into the ground and stood proudly. "Snap out of it!!!" Ingrid shouted loudly. Her voice echoed through the hall. The guards, now coming to their senses, screamed loudly. "Gather the guards!!! Call everyone!!!" "Raise your spears!!! Prepare for battle!!!" The guards, who had been panicking, grabbed their weapons and stepped forward. At that moment. A thunderous realization hit Jeong Yushin. Now he understood why the high-ranking committee members were often seen at the labyrinth¡¯s entrance. Now he understood why the city¡¯s guards were so busy they couldn¡¯t look anywhere else. The reason was clear. It was to protect the city. From whom? From the high-ranking explorers cursed with the mark of corruption. The reason there had been no detailed examples of the cursed mark in the beginner explorer classes was now clear. "Amphu-ma Shipu-hota." What had once been Hans whispered, lowering his head and looking at Ingrid. "Hans, you''ve been completely consumed by the demonic power of Unholy Flash. I''ll send you off quietly." Ingrid grabbed the great sword. "KEEEEEEEEEEEEK!!!!!" It howled. People covered their ears and staggered back. In an instant. Ingrid¡¯s great sword disappeared from sight. Fwooooooooosh. From top to bottom. Hans'' giant body was torn in half and split open. Fuh-ha-ha-ha-ha!!! Screeeeeeeeeeeech!!!! A single downward slash from Ingrid split Hans open, creating a massive crater in the ground. It felt as though an explosion had occurred, with a powerful shockwave sweeping through the area. "Krrk!!!" Jeong Yushin gritted his teeth, bending down. Stones and pieces of flesh mixed with dust and hit his helmet as they passed. With a single slash, the ground was dug up, and the shockwave exploded outward. It was the power of a superhuman. It should be called a supernatural ability. Jeong Yushin barely managed to lift his head and looked at the source of the shockwave. An unbelievable sight. Jeong Yushin''s eyes widened. Hans'' torn body was writhing. Had he not died from that strike? Such tenacious vitality. "It''s over." Ingrid lifted her great sword again. Suddenly, light erupted from Hans'' body. His split body rapidly regenerated, and a red membrane formed, covering him. "Tch! ¡®That mark¡¯ again? You''ve really got a lot going on, Hans." Ingrid clicked her tongue and swung the great sword. SWAAAAAAAH!!!! The great sword scraped across the red membrane. A shallow crack appeared. Something unexpected happened. Hundreds of pieces of flesh shot out from Hans'' body. The pieces of flesh wriggled and began to form human shapes. Fingers like sharp spikes. A mouth ripped open. Sharp teeth. A worm-like tongue. And pitch-black pupils. It was a human shape, but it was much closer to a grotesque monster. Hundreds of them passed through the red membrane and scattered around. Ingrid drew her great sword to her waist. Fwooooooooooooosh!!! A horizontal slash. Hahahahah!!! In a single blow, dozens of them were swept away and flew through the air. Thud-thud-thud!!! Blood and flesh rained down like a storm around the magic circle. Ingrid silently thought to herself. Hans, who was already in an unmatched position in the labyrinth city with his defensive abilities, had now mutated with multiple marks. That defensive ability couldn''t be dismissed. But it wasn''t invincible. It would just take a little time to break through that shield. It had been such an unlucky day for this incident to occur since the first shift. Focusing on breaking the shield would shorten the time, but Hans¡¯ summoned minions would overwhelm the guards. The guards would likely have to make sacrifices. Swallowing her bitter taste, Ingrid swung the great sword. KWA-BOOOM!!! KWA-BOOOM!!! Hans'' red shield shook and small cracks began to appear. Hans wasn''t sitting idly by either. Tens of tentacles, seemingly made from rebar, lashed out at Ingrid. SWEEEEEK!!! SWEEEEEK!!! Ingrid, unfazed, sliced through the tentacles that emerged from the red shield. While Ingrid and Hans fought, hundreds of ¡®monsters¡¯ created by Hans¡¯ body had broken free from the red membrane and were now charging toward the guards. "Cork!!! What are those ''monsters''?!" Jeong Yushin grabbed Cork, the frog beastman, by the collar and shook him. "...F-flash Crawlers. They¡¯re summons of Unholy Flash." It was a name Jeong Yushin had never heard before. But that wasn¡¯t the important part. Where they came from didn¡¯t matter. What he needed to know was their weakness. However, the frog beastman couldn¡¯t seem to regain his senses. Jeong Yushin paused, realizing he had become too excited. Letting go of Cork, he grabbed his longsword. He¡¯d find out for himself. Swooosh. Jeong Yushin unsheathed his sword, watching the approaching monsters. The armored man and Stone Fist stood beside him. "Cork is a priest. It''s right to guard the rear and protect the healers," Stone Fist, the half-ogre, said as he loosened his muscles. "What should we do?" "Ingrid will take care of the high-ranking explorer. We just need to hold out until then. No need for us to take action." Stone Fist smoothly answered Jeong Yushin¡¯s question. The armored man, resting his great sword on his shoulder, asked, "Half-ogre, tell us. What should we do?" "...That¡¯s..." At that moment, a mole beastman shouted at Jeong Yushin¡¯s party. "Barbaroi!!! Bring your friends over here! Join forces with the guards!" Stone Fist grabbed the panicked frog beastman and lifted him up. Jeong Yushin, the armored man, and Stone Fist stepped back, joining the guards. Stone Fist, due to his size, positioned himself on the defensive flank. The armored man, Jeong Yushin wasn¡¯t sure where he had gone. The frog beastman stood among the priests in the rear. Jeong Yushin stood in the center of the formation. "Don¡¯t break the formation! Hold the line! We must endure!" The guards shouted beside Jeong Yushin. "Shit! We really have the worst luck!" "How many years has it been?!" "The committee hasn¡¯t stepped in for almost a year. Get your head together. It¡¯s not going to be easy." The guards raised their spears and took their positions. They had been sitting idly, playing games and wasting time just moments before. Now, in an instant, the battlefield was about to turn into a bloody slaughter. Hundreds of monsters surged toward the guards. ¡®Here they come.¡¯ Jeong Yushin placed his longsword at his waist and took his stance. It was a stance he had learned from Ashur after being thoroughly scolded. "Kyeeeek!!!" "Kreeek!!!" Thud! Thud! Thud! Like a wave, the Flash Crawlers were impaled on the guards¡¯ spears. Their lives were so tenacious that they thrashed about even while skewered on the spears. Jeong Yushin raised his sword and plunged it in. He aimed for the neck. These things resembled humans. He anticipated their weakness would be similar. Fwuuuuuunk!!! "Kreeek!!!" The monster¡¯s neck was pierced, but it kept struggling. It wasn¡¯t the weak spot. Jeong Yushin quickly withdrew his sword and shifted to an overhead strike. Downward slash. Zwoooosh!!! The monster''s skull was split open and it collapsed. This was the weak point. "The head is the weak spot!!!" Jeong Yushin shouted loudly. The mole beastman, hearing him, looked at the monster¡¯s body and shouted. "The head is the weak spot!!! Guards, aim for the head!!!" Jeong Yushin fought alongside the guards, swinging his sword diligently. The guards in the rear blocked the monsters'' paths with their spears, while those at the front swung their swords to sever the monsters'' heads. Blood and screams filled the air like a battlefield. Jeong Yushin gritted his teeth, swinging his sword. It was the only thing he could do right now. Whoosh!!! Thanks to endless training, he split the monster''s skull without a single wobble. Whoosh!!! Thwack!!! The smell of rotting blood and brain matter splashed onto Jeong Yushin''s body. Kaga-kaga-kack!!! After dozens of strikes, the dulled blade sank into a crawler¡¯s skull. "Dammit!" Jeong Yushin shook the blade violently. Dang!!! The sword snapped. "Shit!! Boron!!" "Here, use this!" A guard from the back threw Jeong Yushin a sword. Without a word of thanks, Jeong Yushin caught the sword and swung it again. Despite the guards'' hard efforts, the formation was slowly pushed back. There were only 40 guards to begin with. Of those, 20 were explorers. Most of the explorers, frightened, had retreated or abandoned the battlefield. More than 100 crawlers rushed in from all sides, making it a miracle that they had lasted as long as they had. Some of them had their necks ripped out by the crawlers. "Kreeek!!!" "Dula!! Damn it!" A cry of despair echoed across the battlefield. Jeong Yushin didn¡¯t stop swinging his sword. The fruits of his daily dawn training with the sword shone brightly in his strikes. Pain and suffering. Despair and limits turned into fertilizer, holding Jeong Yushin steady. Like an icebreaker cutting through the sea, only where Jeong Yushin stood was a break in the waves. Dang!!! The sword broke again. [Sacred Weapon] A greatsword identical to Gilseon¡¯s Zweihander materialized. Horizontal slash. Fwoooooosh!!! Fuh-hah-hah-ha!!! The bodies of the monsters were torn in half. Someone threw Jeong Yushin another sword. He snatched it and swung it. Screeek!!! Fuh-ha-hah!!! The glowing sword cleaved through the monsters'' necks. Flesh and blood flew through the dark sky. Heads. Heads. Heads. Heads. In a trance, he crushed skulls and split open heads. The guards gritted their teeth, but they were gradually being pushed back. Jeong Yushin was becoming more isolated. ¡®Should I fall back?¡¯ As soon as the thought crossed his mind. Boom!!! Someone landed beside him. Stone Fist, the half-ogre. "I''m joining in." "Got it." The half-ogre swung his massive fist down. Kuwaaaang!!! The ground caved in, and the monster¡¯s fleshy remains flew in all directions. "Barbaroi!" The armored man joined in. Jeong Yushin nodded once at the man. That was enough. The armored man swung his great sword. From top to bottom. Kuaaak!!! The crawler was split in half, from head to groin. The three men backed each other up, holding off the wave of monsters. As expected. Fighting together was far better than fighting alone. They barely knew each other''s names. They didn¡¯t even know what marks they bore or what lives they had lived. What mattered was surviving together. "Me, me too! Ribbit!" The frog beastman hurriedly ran with a staff. Jeong Yushin grabbed Cork by the collar and threw him back. "Ribbit!" Jeong Yushin, the armored man, and Stone Fist formed a triangle with Cork in the center. "Use any magic!" Jeong Yushin yelled. "Ah, okay!" Cork, the frog beastman, started chanting. The three men fought valiantly with their backs to each other. Stone Fist swung his hands and feet, crushing and tearing through crawlers. The armored man meticulously swung his great sword, cleaving the crawlers in half. Dang!!! The sword broke again. "Hey!!!" Jeong Yushin gritted his teeth. No matter how good the sword was, after dozens of strikes splitting the solid skulls of the monsters, it couldn¡¯t hold up. In a desperate move, he struck Cork¡¯s chin with the pommel. [Sacred Weapon] A golden trident appeared in his empty hand. It looked like the deformed sword he''d seen at the tavern in the East District. Screeeek!!! The jagged blades shredded the crawlers'' bodies, tearing through flesh and bone. The golden trident, now covered in tendons and organs, dissipated into particles, scattering through the air. One of the monsters jumped out and bit Jeong Yushin¡¯s shoulder. The sharp teeth pierced through his leather armor, sinking deep into his shoulder. [Revenger] The mark activated. Jeong Yushin''s eyes blazed with blue fire. He swung his fist and struck the crawler¡¯s mouth. Bwaaaam!!! His left hook broke the crawler''s jaw, shattering its teeth. Seemingly dazed from the blow, the monster collapsed, and Jeong Yushin pinned its forehead down with the pommel. Bam! Bam! Bam! Once. Twice. Three times. The forehead caved in and crushed, and the monster''s eyes popped out. "It''s been a while, Kaal." The young leader from the beginner party. He resembled the friend whose head was crushed by the hobgoblin¡¯s club. Jeong Yushin greeted him warmly and kicked him aside. The crawler with the crushed forehead collided with another crawler charging from the front, sending it rolling across the floor. Throwing his broken sword aside, Jeong Yushin activated the mark. [Sacred Weapon] A golden one-edged axe. He grabbed it with both hands and twisted his waist to the limit. ¡®Ainhofer.¡¯ Horizontal slash. Zwoooooooosh!!! In an instant, eight monsters were torn apart and ripped to pieces. The golden axe scattered into particles, vanishing into the air. A little space had opened up. He turned his head and looked at Ingrid. Bang!! Bang!! Bang!! Bang!! Bang!! Ingrid was battering the tentacle attacks coming from all directions while pounding on the red barrier. Cracks were forming in Hans'' red shield. Still far from breaking. What kind of shield was it that even Ingrid, who was close to a superhuman, couldn¡¯t destroy in one go? Currently, Jeong Yushin''s party was in a precarious state. Could they last longer? I don¡¯t know. Once Cork finished casting his magic, he would slowly fall back, thinking of regrouping with the guards. "Okay, okay!" Cork, the frog beastman, raised his staff high. [Aqua F] Unfortunately, Cork¡¯s magic failed to manifest. "Save... Save me!!!" A bull beastman, covered in blood, screamed as he rushed toward Jeong Yushin¡¯s formation. "Hey, hey! Look out!" The armored man shouted, startled. The bull beastman shoved past him and quickly burrowed into their formation. Cork, mid-casting, was knocked down under the bull beastman. "Protect... Ribbit!!" The frog beastman, crushed by the bull, screamed. The spell failed. The magic scattered. "Dammit, you crazy bastard!!!" Jeong Yushin shouted, furious. Their party, hastily formed without prior discussion, had managed to hold their ground. But now, this damn bull beastman barged in, disrupting the formation in an instant. The balance of the defense wavered, and the armored man staggered. A few crawlers passed the armored man and lunged at the bull and frog beastmen. A new danger had arrived for the party. Chapter 55: Vicious imprint Critical situation. I can''t let the rearguard suffer. [Sacred Weapon] A golden dagger. It looked similar ¡ï Novelight ¡ï to Karin''s dagger. I immediately turned around and cut off the heads of several crawlers that had entered the formation. The best Jung Yu-shin could do without a weapon. It was still not enough. I saw it in the scattering golden particles. The last remaining crawler was about to bite the frog man''s neck. Jung Yu-shin unconsciously stretched out his arm. Crack!!! The crawler''s sharp teeth mercilessly bit Jung Yu-shin''s arm instead of the frog''s neck. The muscles were torn and the flesh fell off. "Keuuuuugh!!!" The bite was so deep that you could see the bone beyond the yellow fat. He gritted his teeth and tried to endure it, but his body shook once in excruciating pain. A beastly groan leaked out. [Revenger] Blue fireworks blazed in his eyes. [Sacred Weapon] All he wanted was a knuckle. A golden knuckle duster wrapped around his fist. He twisted his body and struck straight. Paaaaaaaaaah!!! The knuckle duster broke Crawler''s nose, forehead, and temple, and went deep into his skull. His eyeball popped out and dangled. He grabbed it, ripped it out, and blew it open. Crush. Pale eyeball dregs flowed down his hand. The bull Suin blankly looked up at Jeong Yu-shin. "¡¤¡¤¡¤This crazy little cow." Jeong Yu-shin''s eyes sparkled. "Barbaroi! I''m fine! Calm down!" Iron Mask raised his voice. Judging from the squeaking sound, it seemed like he was quite flustered. Jung Yu-shin glared at the bull and quickly turned his head. Crawlers were endlessly swarming in from all sides. There was no time to even try to kill them, let alone grind them down. Jung Yu-shin found a mace that someone had dropped and picked it up. Bang!! Paaaak!! Bang! He swung it wildly, relying on his brute force. The heads of the crawlers exploded like firecrackers. The teeth and claws that were glaring at him from every angle had already ripped his leather armor off like rags. Even his linen shirt was torn to pieces by his claws, leaving his upper body completely naked. Jung Yu-shin''s eyes burned brighter than ever. However, the wounds were appearing faster than his body was recovering. Jung Yu-shin''s mace struck the monster''s arm. Paaaaaaaak!!! The crawler''s arm was twisted abnormally. "Keeeeeek!!!" He slammed his mace down and crushed his skull. "We have to get back!" Jung Yu-shin shouted. But the party was just holding on. The situation was getting darker and darker. Stone Fist and Iron Mask were getting tired from the overwhelming number of monsters and were getting sluggish. The guards, who were about 15 strong, were also getting further and further away from the camp. Again, more than 100 crawlers surged forward like waves. He gritted his teeth. No matter how much of a warrior Jung Yu-shin was, he couldn''t resist the waves of monsters that were coming. It was different from just blocking the entrance and holding on like in the labyrinth. This was a wide open plain. ¡°Keeeeeeeeeek!!!¡± ¡°Keeeeeeeeeek!!!¡± ¡°Hold on!!!¡± He screamed as he saw the crawlers rushing in like a red wave in front of him. Despite Jung Yu-shin¡¯s shouts. Half-ogre Stone Fist, Iron Mask, and Frog Man were all swept away by the waves of crawlers. The party collapsed due to the overwhelming violence. Jung Yu-shin was also hit here and there by the waves of crawlers, rolling on the ground before being crushed. The long claws and teeth of the crawlers tore and tore at Jung Yu-shin¡¯s chest. What the hell. You¡¯re going to die here? No. How did you survive? Jung Yu-shin swung his fists and kicked between the crawlers, swearing. It was a struggle that was too embarrassing to even call a battle. The naturalization burned even more blue, but the light of life gradually faded away. Flesh was torn and muscles were torn, making it difficult to find a healthy part of his body. ¡°Ska-nim!!!¡± Someone called Jung Yu-shin¡¯s name from afar, buried in a group of crawlers. Clang. A red single-edged sword flew and landed between the crawlers. It was Aldane¡¯s single-edged sword. Jung Yu-shin crawled like an earthworm, tearing through the crawlers, and opened his mouth to bite the handle. Slurp. He gritted his teeth and pulled out the sword. He shook his head violently and cut off the head of the crawler that was chewing on his arm. ¡°Krrrrrrr!!!¡± Jung Yu-shin¡¯s eyes sparkled. He shook it wildly, not caring whether his teeth would break or not. Thick blood and saliva mixed together and soaked the handle of the single-edged sword. The effects of the Revenger imprint slowly began to heal his body. ¡°Whew!¡± He spat out the handle of the sword he was holding in his mouth and grabbed it with his relatively good right hand. Tsaaaaaaaaaah!!! He swung the sword like crazy while lying on the ground. He cut off Crawler¡¯s ankle and crawled to the fallen man, biting his neck and biting off a handful of flesh. ¡°Kueeeeek!!!¡± Crawler swung his arms around. Then he tore the leather chin strap of Cattle Helm. Cattle Helm flew away. His black hair soaked in sweat came loose. He raised the sword and slammed it between the man¡¯s eyebrows. The man¡¯s struggling movements stopped. Jung Yu-shin slowly got up from his seat, chewing the crawler''s flesh. He swept his head once. Blood from an unknown source flowed down Jung Yu-shin''s black hair. "Kkeueeeeeeek!!!" One of them spotted Jung Yu-shin and rushed at him. The red sword flashed once in the moonlight. Tsaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!! The crawler''s neck flew up into the sky. That was the signal. "Kieeeeeeek!!!" Crawlers screamed from all directions and rushed at Jung Yu-shin. Tsaaaaaaaaaaaa!!! Chuaaaaaaaaaaaa!!! He cut and tore at the ones who were swarming around him. A crazy man''s dance without any formality or dignity. Boom!!! He stomped on their heads with his feet and bit their necks. He came to his senses after killing everyone he came across. There were no more guys left around him. ¡°Ska-nim!!!¡± Ska? His name. No. It¡¯s an alias. Jung Yu-shin turned his head toward the sound. In the distance, a wild boar man was swinging a halberd and fighting the crawlers. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Dulchangko?¡± ¡°Yes! It¡¯s that Dulchangko!!! Please help me!¡± Jung Yu-shin ran over and swung his single-edged sword. In an instant, three crawlers¡¯ heads flew off. Jung Yu-shin looked at Dulchangko, who was gasping for breath. ¡°What are you here for?¡± ¡°Aldain-nim sent me!¡± ¡°Tell them I¡¯m okay.¡± Jung Yu-shin turned around. Looking at Hans¡¯s body squirming, it seemed like he was going to send another horde of zombies, either trolls or crawlers. Even if he couldn¡¯t save the others, saving the party members who helped him was his top priority. ¡°Hans¡¯s defensive seal has a big weakness!¡± ¡°What? Why are you telling me that in the first place?¡± Dwarf Nose repeatedly grabbed the hilt of his halberd as if he was getting impatient. ¡°There¡¯s no time. The guards are gathering at the rear right now, but they haven¡¯t formed a perfect line. If the crawlers come in again, there could be civilian casualties in the western sector.¡± ¡°Okay, I understand. Wait.¡± Jung Yu-shin ran to save his comrades, leaving Dwarf Nose with his jaw wide open. From a distance, the half-ogre Stone Fist and Iron Mask were fighting fiercely. He could tell at a glance. It was because the ogre was so big. Wheeeeeeeeeek!!! As the single-edged sword flashed, the crawler''s head flew into the sky. He cut the crawlers to pieces while being hit by the fountain of blood spurting from the neck section. "I came to save you." "Keukk... thank you." The half-ogre, whose entire body was torn and bruised, expressed his gratitude. On the other hand, the iron mask man didn''t seem to be injured anywhere. "Don''t mention it. Do you see that boar man standing there like a fool? Go over there." "I''ll go with you." "Just go. You don''t look like you''re in good shape." He looked around. Bonnie saw crawlers eating the corpse from afar. A long staff caught his eye. It belonged to the frog man Cork. ¡°Fuck.¡± Jung Yu-shin ran over and cut off the crawlers¡¯ necks in an instant. Jung Yu-shin¡¯s eyes sank coldly. The eaten corpse was that of a bull man. Not only the skin on his face, but his body and even his internal organs had been eaten away. Was this how it ended up? He didn¡¯t feel even a shred of sympathy. ¡°Crawl.¡± Something made a sound from underneath the body of the bull man. ¡°Cork?¡± ¡°Barbaroi?!¡± The voice of the frog man Cork brightened. Jung Yu-shin turned the bull man¡¯s corpse over. The frog man crawled out, writhing. ¡°T-thank you.¡± ¡°How are you feeling?¡± ¡°My back hurts a little, but it¡¯s not enough to kill me.¡± Jung Yu-shin took Cork and ran to where Dulchango was. Stone Fist, Iron Mask, Frog, and Barbaroi gathered in one place. Jung Yu-shin looked at the party members and then looked at Dulchango. ¡°Now tell me. How do I kill that snail-like guy?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to kill him.¡± ¡°Then?¡± Dulchango quickly explained. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤That¡¯s why I think only Ska-nim can remove that red shield.¡± Jung Yu-shin glared at Dulchango. ¡°Dulchango, you have an interview later.¡± ¡°Yes, yes. Yes?¡± Jung Yu-shin ignored Dulchango, who had his mouth wide open, and looked at Ingrid. Kwaaaaaaaang!!! Kwaaaaaaaang!!! Ingrid was swinging her sword tirelessly, striking the tentacles and beating the bloody shield. She clutched her head. How could she get involved in the fight between the superhuman and the monster all at once? It was easier said than done, but when she actually tried to do it, it was similar to the mission of the suicide squad. ¡®Aldane, what on earth is this guy thinking?¡¯ Jeong Yu-shin clutched his throbbing head and was lost in thought. There was no time. Hans¡¯s body was convulsing more and more. How many crawlers would he summon this time? He couldn¡¯t even guess. There were Einhofer and Boron in the western region, so it would be unreasonable to just take it easy. I heard they were forming a siege in the rear, but I don¡¯t know how tight it would be. I don¡¯t even want to allow the possibility of tragedy. ¡®Absolutely not.¡¯ It must be done. I can¡¯t sacrifice others for my own comfort. Jung Yu-shin raised his head. ¡°Stone Fist, can you throw me over there?¡± Jung Yu-shin pointed to where Ingrid and Hans were. ¡°What?!¡± At Jung Yu-shin¡¯s question, the half-ogre¡¯s eyes widened to the size of lanterns. ¡°Can you throw it?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t. I¡¯m too tired. And my strength isn¡¯t that strong.¡± ¡°I guess I can help you with that.¡± Frog-man Cork chimed in. ¡°If I cast the physical strengthening blessing and the weight reduction blessing on you and the ogre respectively, it should be doable.¡± ¡°Here are gauntlets with strength strengthening and durability strengthening magic.¡± Iron Mask took off the gauntlets and handed them to him. ¡°Thank you, everyone.¡± Jung Yu-shin tilted his head in confusion. ¡°No. Why should I be thankful for this? I¡¯m almost going to die?¡± ¡°...¡± People were speechless at Jung Yu-shin¡¯s one word. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m a little out of my mind. Let¡¯s try it.¡± He put on the gauntlets of the Iron Mask that smelled like copper and slung his single-edged sword over his shoulder. [Raise Strength] [Reduce Weight] The magic of the frog man enveloped Doljumeok and Jung Yu-shin. Half-ogre Doljumeok carefully lifted Jung Yu-shin. ¡°Scar, you¡¯re a good Barbaro.¡± ¡°You have a keen eye. Come under me.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s think about it slowly.¡± Half-ogre snickered and stretched his arms back. As if he was throwing a shot put. Jung Yu-shin opened his mouth as he looked up at the moon in the dark night sky. ¡°Wait a minute. Let¡¯s think about it again.¡± ¡°Barbaroi, you¡¯re leaving here? That¡¯s ugly.¡± Doljumuk took Jung Yushin¡¯s words indifferently. Jung Yushin opened his mouth while glaring at Dulchangko. ¡°Dulchangko, isn¡¯t this assassination? Are you sure it¡¯s really only me? Is there anything I couldn¡¯t do?¡± Dulchangko ignored Jung Yushin and looked at the half-ogre. ¡°Ska-nim is a bit dizzy right now. He¡¯s a warm-hearted person, so don¡¯t worry and just throw him. With all your might.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Understood.¡± The half-ogre¡¯s arm muscles bulged and twitched. ¡°Go. Barbaroi.¡± Doljumuk threw Jung Yushin into the sky with all his might. Paaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!! Jung Yushin¡¯s body soared toward the moon. His black hair swept like a lion¡¯s mane, and the air in his ears made a strange noise. Jung Yu-shin¡¯s body, which had been rising like a shot, suddenly stopped. He felt it intuitively. He was going to fall soon. He paused in the air for a moment, counting the slowly fading stars. Could his home be somewhere far away? I don¡¯t know. Jung Yu-shin raised the single-edged sword on his shoulder high. In a downward slashing stance. Jung Yu-shin¡¯s body began to fall. Ingrid and Hans were fighting below. Bang!!! Bang!!! Ingrid was just banging on the red shield, seemingly oblivious to Jung Yu-shin. ¡®Fuck!¡¯ At least I should have consulted Ingrid. A belated regret hit his chest. I need to get attention. If I don¡¯t want to get torn in half by that sword. Jung Yu-shin took a deep breath and shouted at the top of his lungs. ¡°Jaaangmooooniim!!!¡± Ingrid¡¯s body froze. When she looked up, the black-haired Barbaroi was falling with the moonlight. ¡°Cho-oh-ok-su, get out of here!!!¡± ¡°That, that crazy guy!¡± The panic was short-lived. Ingrid swung her long sword and cut off all the tentacles flying towards Jung Yu-shin. ¡®Good!¡¯ Jung Yu-shin tightened his grip on the single-edged sword. ¡°Hmm?¡± Her eyebrows furrowed slightly. It seemed like she was shaking slightly. Was it a mistake? The thing she had to cut was quickly approaching her. The target was Hans¡¯ shield. ¡°Huh-huh-huh-ah-ap!!!¡± From above to below. The downward slash that she had swung thousands of times hit Hans¡¯ red shield. Kkwajijik!!! A huge crack was carved into the red shield. Puddudduk!!! The wrist bone was shattered and broken. Sparks flew into his head. ¡°Keuu ... He didn¡¯t stop there, but he chopped it into pieces with dozens of cross cuts. The screams were no longer heard. Hans, who had been torn to pieces, did not return as before. Jung Yu-shin blankly looked down at the ground. He was getting closer and closer. If he fell like this, he wouldn¡¯t even be able to find his bones. Hug. He was held in an embrace that smelled gentle. When he looked with blurry eyes, it was Ingrid. ¡°Who is your mother-in-law? That crazy half-blood Barbaro.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤I just called out.¡± Thump! Ingrid, who had Jung Yu-shin in her arms, landed lightly on the ground. Even in the terrible pain of her bones being shattered and shattered, a sense of relief welled up in her. She protected. She protected the party. She protected the bonds of the labyrinth city from any possible threats. ¡°Please let me down.¡± Jung Yu-shin, who had escaped Ingrid''s embrace, fell to the ground and collapsed. The pain from his shattered wrist bones was getting worse. He looked up and saw hundreds of security guards running towards him from afar. Where did they come from? Flying through the sky, I haven¡¯t seen anyone else but Hans. Did he watch his own exploits? He swallowed dryly. ¡®No way. Oh. Please.¡¯ ¡°So many people watched your exploits. How could you break ¡®that imprint¡¯?¡± Ingrid patted Jung Yu-shin on the shoulder and continued. ¡°I admit it. You really were a ¡®pure¡¯ Barbaroi?¡± The dawn rising from the east of the city illuminated Jung Yu-shin¡¯s face. A tear ran down Jung Yu-shin¡¯s cheek. He clearly protected it. Why is he so sad? Chapter 56: Ingrid’s Passion Dawn was breaking. A priest in white came running between the guards. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Mion?¡± ¡°Ska-nim!¡± Mion ran in one stride and sat down in front of Jeong Yu-shin. The floor was covered in blood, but Mion didn¡¯t care. Jeong Yu-shin and Mion looked at each other for a moment while kneeling. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤I read Ska-nim¡¯s letter.¡± The apology letter sent through the temple receptionist reached Mion. I felt embarrassed, but at the same time, I felt relieved. It was even more so because it was written with honest feelings. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°No. First, let¡¯s get treatment first.¡± [High heels] A warm golden light enveloped Jeong Yu-shin¡¯s entire body. The broken wrist bones and scratches began to heal quickly. ¡°Thank you, Professor Mion.¡± Jeong Yu-shin bowed his head to express his gratitude. Mion smiled faintly. ¡°No. If I had come a little earlier, Ska-ssi might not have had to go through this much trouble... I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Just thinking about Mion fighting monsters like Hans made her heart ache with worry. ¡°Big!¡± Ingrid coughed in vain. ¡°There are many eyes watching. Just do your best.¡± Mion¡¯s cheeks flushed bright red. Ingrid was right. It was not good to be noticed by the crazy sister-loving knight captain. Finally, she decided to only mention the things that were on her mind. ¡°Mion-sensei, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to attend class for a while.¡± ¡°I understand. It¡¯s because of the night guard request, right? Don¡¯t worry about the tuition. I¡¯ll tell the temple receptionist. I¡¯ll count the days you attend and collect the tuition.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Jung Yu-shin bowed his head deeply. In the meantime. The guards who had come before he knew it were making a noise. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤I thought it was really Barbaroi. And a half-blood?¡± ¡°Does this make sense? Am I dreaming?¡± Ingrid opened her mouth. ¡°This Barbaroi broke Hans¡¯ imprint.¡± Jung Yu-shin stared blankly at Ingrid. Suddenly? Suddenly stabbing him like this? Just a moment ago, he had been enjoying the feeling of walking through heaven with Mion, but in an instant, he was grabbed by the collar and dragged down to hell. The guards were making a noise. Ingrid pointed at Jung Yu-shin and made the final judgment. ¡°Mixed-blood Barbaroi Scar is ¡®Pity.¡¯¡± He heard Mion, who was next to him, inhale, but he couldn¡¯t pay attention. ¡°Ugh! So that¡¯s why Hans¡¯s imprint of non-sympathy?!¡± ¡°Crazy. Crazy. How in the world could something like this happen? Barbaro is sympathetic?!¡± ¡°Hey! Hit me on the cheek. I can¡¯t tell if this is a dream or reality!¡± The guards chattered loudly. Jung Yu-shin¡¯s face distorted. The guards¡¯ murmurs became whispers and moved into the realm of speculation. ¡°He looks like a young man, so how could he...¡± ¡°That¡¯s possible. Couldn¡¯t ¡®that¡¯ not be there?¡± ¡°Ugh, what kind of tragedy is that at such a young age? Poor thing.¡± The sympathetic gaze stabbed Jung Yu-shin¡¯s heart. His anger boiled over and then cooled down. It was crazy to throw a punch at the guards. I was angry at Ingrid because the status difference was so huge and my life was saved. Above all, I was mentally exhausted. I didn¡¯t want to stay in this place anymore. Jung Yu-shin staggered to his feet. ¡°I, I¡¯m going to leave work now.¡± ¡°Get some rest. It¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t come in for a few days.¡± ¡°Ska, you go in first.¡± Ingrid said. Mi-on waved her hand slightly at Jung Yu-shin. ¡°Wait.¡± Ingrid stopped Jung Yu-shin. ¡°It¡¯s embarrassing for a ¡®pure¡¯ person to show off their upper body, so put on my clothes.¡± Jung Yu-shin glared at Ingrid. Could it be that she was holding a grudge because I called her mother-in-law? She stared at her intently, but there was nothing she could read from Ingrid¡¯s expressionless face. Jung Yu-shin let out a deep sigh. ¡°Wow, thank you.¡± Ingrid took off her coat herself and put it on Jung Yu-shin¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Barbaroi!¡± The captain of the guard threw something. Thump! What he held in his hand was a cattle helm covered in teeth and nail marks. Jung Yu-shin nodded once and looked around. In the rising sunlight, numerous guards and explorers who had gathered to enter the labyrinth were looking at Jung Yu-shin. Jung Yu-shin¡¯s unique secrets were revealed one by one with the dawn. ¡®This is perfect.¡¯ He must have done something good. He felt sick and dizzy. ¡®There are so many different imprints in the world. A non-sympathy barrier imprint. I¡¯m the only one who can¡¯t have sex. This fucking other world.¡¯ The morning wind passed by, wrapping around Jung Yu-shin¡¯s black hair. He started walking with his upper body naked, wearing only Ingrid¡¯s coat and a single-edged sword on his shoulder. The people who had gathered made way for Jung Yu-shin. Jung Yu-shin¡¯s party approached from one side. A half-ogre, an iron mask, and a frog stood next to Jung Yu-shin. ¡°What...what is that? Cheer up.¡± ¡°You can mate at any time. As you live, another opportunity will come.¡± ¡°Ska, are you aspiring to become a monk?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go quietly. I¡¯m tired.¡± Jung Yu-shin dismissed them and walked through the crowd. Mion shouted from behind. ¡°I, I don¡¯t mind if you feel sorry for Ska!¡± ¡®Why are you yelling?¡¯ ¡°Thank you.¡± He turned around to greet her and looked straight ahead. Something dark rose up in his heart. This definitely shouldn''t have happened. I saved him. I resented everything. Ingrid turned her head as she watched the back of Jung Yu-shin moving away. Ingrid''s subordinates approached from afar. "I''m sorry I''m late." One of Ingrid''s subordinates, the black cow Suin, knelt on one knee and bowed his head. "It''s okay. It''s my fault for coming to the labyrinth city too early. I''ll rest for a bit, so please take care of the labyrinth." "Understood." * * * Jung Yu-shin entered the central area and looked around at the party members. "Then I''ll see you later." "Scar, get some rest." "You worked hard today. Gaegul." "Oh. I forgot." Jung Yu-shin took off his gauntlets and handed them to Iron Mask. "Thank you. Thanks to you, I was able to commit social suicide." "I''m glad you used them well." The Iron Mask chuckled and patted Jung Yu-shin on the shoulder. ¡°How can you be blamed for keeping your chastity for someone precious? You should be proud of your innocence. There¡¯s no need to be embarrassed.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s stop.¡± Jung Yu-shin¡¯s voice became even lower. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll see you later.¡± Jung Yu-shin parted ways with the party members and went to the southern area. He arrived at the inn, following the explorers who were gathering in groups and heading to the labyrinth. ¡°Hey! Ska-nim!¡± Tarman came running. ¡°I¡¯m here. Do you have warm soup?¡± ¡°Yes. Please wait a moment.¡± Tarman ran to the kitchen. Wait a moment. Tarman came out with a tray full of food. ¡°Here it is.¡± The menu consisted of tomato soup, black multigrain bread, grilled sausage, and pickled cabbage. Jung Yu-shin ate the soup and tore off the bread. The food went into his hungry stomach and he felt alive. He focused only on eating the food. His stomach skin stuck to his back because he had been fighting all night. He emptied the bowl and placed the cutlery on the plate. ¡°Whew, I ate well. Thank you always.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad you enjoyed it.¡± Tarman said with a bright smile. Jung Yu-shin looked at Tarman¡¯s smile for a moment and then got up and turned around. ¡°I¡¯ll sleep. I¡¯ll rest for a few days, so you don¡¯t have to prepare a separate midnight snack.¡± ¡°Yes. Okay. Please rest comfortably.¡± He went up the stairs and went into his room. He wiped his body with a wet towel, changed his clothes, and lay down on the bed. When he saw Tarman¡¯s smile, he thought that he had done well to come out. He was embarrassed that he had been caught sympathizing. Boron and Einhofer. The relationships I met at Cheso. Each of them was a short relationship, but they were by no means shallow relationships. I have no regrets because I protected them from possible danger. Regrets. I closed my eyes with my arms as a pillow. ¡°Ha. Isn¡¯t the rumor going to spread? Tsk. What did I say? Yushin, this is excessive self-consciousness. Come to your senses.¡± An uneasy worry rose and fell in my mind. The fatigue from the all-night battle was heavy. Darkness came. Late at night when everyone was asleep. A room deep inside the inner castle in the central area. Antique furniture and gorgeous art pieces decorated the room. Someone was looking at a teacup on a high-quality table made of ivory. A reddish tail and hair. An expression that was almost expressionless. Ingrid Redtail. The difference in amount was so great that even the richest people in the Labyrinth City would gape at it, but it was currently slowly cooling down, steaming. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤It¡¯s getting late.¡± Ingrid muttered to herself. Knock! Knock! Something knocked on the window. Ingrid turned her head. There was a white rat outside the window. Ingrid approached and opened the window. The white rat jumped into the room. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Why are you so late?¡± ¡°Squeak! Squeak!¡± The rat stood up on two feet and squeaked, waving its hands. ¡°I see.¡± Ingrid knelt down on one knee and stroked the white rat. Her cold expression had gradually loosened up. She always felt suffocated when she arrived at the Labyrinth City after spending time in the vast fields of the West. It was even more so when she spent time in front of the Labyrinth, changed shifts with her subordinates, and went to bed. So I brought in a servant horse. I didn''t have the time or the heart to pursue other hobbies. Just peeking into the servant horse''s memories and sharing the sensations for a moment and feeling pleasure was Ingrid''s only hobby, exhausted. Ingrid sat on the bed with the rat. "Shall we take a look?" "Tick!" Ingrid closed her eyes and placed her hand on the rat''s head. [Memory Share] The rat''s memories unfolded vividly before her eyes. Ingrid''s closed eyebrows furrowed. "¡¤¡¤¡¤Is this the half-blood Barbaro today?" The white rat wandered around the city and entered an inn. It hid under the bed in the room it was staying in and was caught. By that half-blood Barbaro. I thought something bad would happen, but surprisingly, nothing happened. Although it was locked in an iron cage for two weeks, it ate its fill of food and went to the temple to get its seal checked. Ingrid used sensory assimilation to enjoy the taste of food. It was more than enough for a mere rat. Of course, if she had known who the rat¡¯s owner was, her attitude would have been different. Ingrid nodded. The half-blood Barbaroi released the white rat. As time passed, the trifles of the labyrinth city passed by her eyes. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Hmm? This is it?¡± It was the place she had stayed from last night until this morning. In front of the labyrinth. The rat, who had starved while wandering around the city, ran to where the half-blood Barbaroi was. ¡°It¡¯s roasted chicken.¡± Thanks to sensory assimilation magic, the delicious smell of chicken reached the tip of her nose. She ran in a hurry and was caught by Barbaroi¡¯s hand. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Ugh!¡± Ingrid twisted her body. A warm and soft sensation pressed against Ingrid¡¯s nape. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Wait.¡± ¡°Tsk?¡± Ingrid closed her eyes and waved her hand. However, she couldn¡¯t stop the memory sharing magic and sensory assimilation magic that came right away. ¡°Huh!¡± The feeling of her stomach being gently swept made her nape go cold. ¡°What, what is this?¡± Her shoulders were immediately kneaded and her back was pressed hard. A cool sensation as if her muscles were being released covered Ingrid. ¡°Haa.¡± A sweet sigh escaped Ingrid¡¯s mouth for a moment. ¡°Huh?!¡± Her uterus was suddenly pressed hard. She let her guard down for a moment as the sensation of her waist, back, and shoulders being released immediately targeted the most important part of a woman. Her body lost strength and she collapsed on the bed. ¡°Wait, wait! Where?!¡± The mixed-blood Barbaroi''s hands started from the soles of her feet and moved up her calves. "Hiot!" Her inner thighs were pressed. "Punishment, don''t spread them!" Ingrid tried desperately to close her thighs, but she ended up spreading them a little because of the persistent pressing. Her body was one that even her dead husband would not touch. And on top of that, it was a frog''s belly showing. Her insides were boiling with humiliation. Ingrid''s expressionless face also turned red like a tomato. The feeling of her thighs being forcibly pressed disappeared. Ingrid quickly turned over. Suddenly, she felt her butt being pressed, and her pelvis was pressed tightly. She was startled, her red tail standing up straight and her butt lifting toward the sky. "Hoohoo. Hooohoo." She took a deep breath and tried to calm down, but her body wouldn''t listen. Her waist shook up and down on its own. It was a vulgar action, as if she was being held by a man and being teased. Before she knew it, drool was flowing down her mouth. Her hands holding the bedsheets gained strength. ¡°Hoooosh. Hiooosh!¡± Her uterus was pressed hard again. Ingrid¡¯s eyes rolled up slightly. ¡°No...no!¡± ¡°Ingrid? Are you okay?¡± Someone called her ?N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t? name from outside the door. ¡°I, I¡¯m okay, so don¡¯t come in! Get out!¡± Ingrid shouted urgently. ¡°Ah...I understand.¡± Ingrid covered her mouth with one hand and held back her moans with all her might. ¡°Hoooosh. Hoooosh!!!¡± The precious place that once held Karin was thumping. After losing her husband in her youth and giving birth to Karin, her labia majora, which had been clenched for a long time due to maintaining chastity, gradually opened inside her panties. ¡°Ughhhhhhh!!! No...no!¡± Ingrid¡¯s waist arched like a bow. ¡°Hey, in a place like this! It can¡¯t be this simple!¡± Ingrid¡¯s words were different from her actions. Her already erect nipples were rubbing against the bed, not to mention being rubbed inside her bra. Her waist, out of control, was shaking desperately up and down as if she was definitely going to get pregnant. Her private parts of her pants, which were tight like leggings, were slightly wet, almost visible. ¡°This is...all for this! This Barbaroi!¡± Her uterus was pressed once again. Ingrid¡¯s eyes rolled back. Her head rose to the sky. An electric shock shot from her head. ¡°Whooooooooong!!!¡± The noble leader of the red wolf tribe. The committee of the labyrinth city and the representative of the beastman union. Just because of Barbaroi¡¯s touch. She stuck out her tongue in a humiliating posture and let out a vulgar moan. For a female Doksu Gongbang who had only had sex once with her husband in the distant past, it was too shocking and cruel to be forced orgasm. ¡°Whew. Whoosh. What the hell is this?¡± Ingrid, who had buried her head in the bedsheet, muttered with her tongue loose. Her hips twitched involuntarily due to the faint lingering orgasm, and her plump thighs repeatedly closed and opened. Was there something wrong with the sensory assimilation magic? Her head didn¡¯t work properly because her brain felt like it was in a mess. ¡°Wait, dangerous, woman.¡± Ingrid muttered with a blank face. Drool flowed down her red lips. It was such a dangerous Barbaroi. To her daughter. And to herself. Was there some other imprint? She needed to find out more. Ingrid made a resolution in her heart. Absolutely no selfishness. Only for the safety of her daughter and the labyrinth. Ingrid unconsciously stuck out her tongue and licked her lips seductively. ¡°Tick?¡± The white rat tilted its head next to Ingrid. Chapter 57: Inn guest Knock, knock. Someone knocked on the door. Jeong Yushin opened his eyes. He got up from the bed and grabbed the staff that he had placed by his bedside. "Who is it?" "It''s Annie. There''s a guest downstairs." "How long have I been asleep?" "You''ve been sleeping from yesterday morning until tonight." Had he really slept for a day and a half? He must have been terribly exhausted. "I''ll be down soon." He changed his clothes and strapped his sword to his waist. A guest at this late hour? Could it be Aldein? Perhaps he''s come to return the sword he borrowed. Jeong Yushin checked his attire and went downstairs to the first floor of the inn. Ingrid was sitting at the table. On the table was a cage, and inside it, a white rat. "Ingrid?" "Skah." Jeong Yushin sat across from Ingrid and asked, "What brings you here?" "I''ve come to ask a favor." "A favor?" Curiosity appeared on Jeong Yushin''s face as he asked. "I''ll bring you some food." Anticipating a lengthy conversation, Annie entered the kitchen. Once Annie disappeared, a brief silence lingered between the two. Jeong Yushin crossed his arms and stared at the white rat. The rat was sitting with its back turned, so its face was not visible. Still, the plump little rear end looked familiar. He had seen it somewhere before. Jeong Yushin turned his head and looked at Ingrid. "I don''t know what the favor is, but it will be difficult to fulfill." Ingrid raised her eyebrows. "...Why?" Why? Because you publicly executed me as a sympathy target. Still, he couldn¡¯t be so blunt and complain like this to someone of her stature. He decided to give a more practical reason. "I don''t have the luxury. I''m struggling to manage this inn, barely scraping by. Plus, I''ve lost all my equipment in the recent fight, and all I''ve managed to salvage is a dented helmet." Clink! Ingrid placed a small pouch on the table. The sound of coins. The happiest sound in the world. A sound that resonates deep within the soul. Jeong Yushin¡¯s eyes widened. "Ten gold coins. This is the reward for Hans''s subjugation, plus my sincerity. This amount is excessive for a beginner explorer. And on top of that, I''ll exempt you from the night watch duties. Of course, consider the watch duty completed." "Ten gold coins?" Jeong Yushin asked again, his voice trembling faintly. "The exemption from the watch duty is an added bonus. But." Ingrid tapped the table with her finger as she continued. "You''ll fulfill my favor as a condition." Jeong Yushin swallowed dryly. "Wh-what is the favor?" Could it be some unreasonable request? Even so, with ten gold coins in his hands, he would enter the fire if he had to. Ten gold coins would cover the inn''s deficit and pay for the equipment. Ingrid pointed at the white rat in the cage. "This white rat. It''s my familiar." The rat pricked up its ears, then turned its body. "I see." Looking at the white rat¡¯s face, he immediately recognized it. It was the same rat that had come under the bed. No wonder it looked strangely familiar. Jeong Yushin nodded, then widened his eyes. Wait a minute. A chill ran down his spine. "Did you, by any chance, send it to spy on me?" Ingrid looked at him with a look that said he was a fool. "You''re overthinking it. Barbaroi. Do you not know your place?" The sudden fact attack left his mind in a haze. Right. He wasn¡¯t important enough to be under surveillance. Heat spread across his face. Jeong Yushin stammered. "Y-yes, I see. So, what¡¯s the reason you¡¯re showing me this familiar?" Ingrid opened the cage. Creeeek. The white rat came out of the cage and looked up at Jeong Yushin. "This rat¡¯s name is Rin. Take care of it." It had a name. Now that he thought about it. "What do you mean by ''take care of it''? This needs to be clarified." "I''m not saying to lock it in a cage. When Rin roams around the city and gets tired, provide it with food and shelter now and then. And..." Ingrid hesitated for a moment, struggling to continue. "Feel free to speak plainly." "Sometimes, give it a massage." "Excuse me?" Jeong Yushin''s eyes widened. That''s too easy! Ingrid looked away as she spoke. "You know, like the time during the night watch duty..." "Oh." He recalled the time he had casually grabbed the white rat and massaged it while eating roasted chicken. "Ahem. Rin said it liked it, and that''s why I''m asking again." "Chirp?" The white rat tilted its head. "This thing... can it speak?" "It¡¯s not language, it¡¯s ¡®feeling¡¯ and ¡®emotion,¡¯ to be precise." "You seem to care a lot about Rin, asking for massages too." "..." Ingrid¡¯s face slightly flushed. Jeong Yushin thought for a moment. Regardless of the familiar¡¯s fortunate fate, this was a decent deal for ten gold coins and the exemption from the watch duty. He nodded and continued. "Understood. But isn''t it dangerous? A small rat like this wandering the city isn¡¯t safe. The security in the labyrinth city isn¡¯t great." "Rin is smart. If there¡¯s danger, it¡¯ll handle it well. And I''ve cast a magic as insurance." "It¡¯s already been caught by me once." "That¡¯s because it was careless. It won¡¯t happen again." "Ah, yes." Jeong Yushin stepped closer and poked the rat¡¯s belly with his finger. "Chirp!" The white rat, Rin, squirmed and covered its belly with both hands. Clank! Suddenly, Ingrid leapt up from her chair. "W-What!!" Ingrid¡¯s usually expressionless face was slightly flushed. "What¡¯s wrong?" "It¡¯s nothing. Don¡¯t mind it." Ingrid slowly sat back down. She seemed quite flustered, her ears turning red. "...Don¡¯t touch it randomly. Only touch it ¡®gently¡¯ and ¡®softly¡¯ during ¡®designated¡¯ times." ''Quite a lot to ask for.'' "Yes, understood." Jeong Yushin scratched his head and nodded. Ingrid¡¯s strange behavior wasn¡¯t surprising. It was just another odd hobby that high-ranking individuals often had. Anyway. With ten gold coins on the line, he was ready to give the rat massages or whatever it took. "I¡¯ll accept those terms. But the reward seems a bit more than I expected." "It¡¯s because it¡¯s deserved. Unholy Flash is a pretty strong monster." Unholy Flash. The name of the monster that Hans turned into. "Is it really that strong of a monster?" "To be more precise, it was more difficult because of Hans¡¯s brand. If the summoned creature had spread to the western street, there could have been civilian casualties. Your help was crucial." "I don¡¯t think I was much help. I believe you could have broken the defense barrier yourself, Ingrid." "That may be true, but it would have taken longer." A brief silence passed between the two. Ingrid had said no, but upon reflection, the reward for the ? N§àv§Ölight ? (Exclusive on N§àv§Ölight) subjugation did seem a bit excessive. Looking back calmly at the previous battle, there had been some close calls. Without the half-ogre¡¯s strength, the frog beastman¡¯s holy magic, they wouldn¡¯t have reached Hans. Moreover, without Aldein¡¯s sword and the Iron Mask¡¯s gauntlets, they wouldn¡¯t have been able to strike the anti-sympathy barrier. And if Ingrid hadn¡¯t delivered enough blows to the anti-sympathy barrier, Jeong Yushin¡¯s sword strike would never have been the finishing blow. To sum it up. This was a success due to the party¡¯s help, good equipment, and external assistance. He suddenly had a question. "I don¡¯t know much about it, but isn¡¯t the brand supposed to be all-powerful?" Ingrid looked at Jeong Yushin and spoke. It was a vague question, but Ingrid caught the essence of it. "When I swung my staff, you saw that cracks appeared on Hans¡¯s anti-sympathy barrier. That¡¯s right. The brand is not all-powerful. It¡¯s easier to think of it as something that grows with its owner." "So you¡¯re saying that even with the same brand, its power can vary depending on the person?" "Exactly." Ingrid¡¯s explanation made sense. He had experienced it himself with his Sacred Weapon, where the speed of its deployment increased as he leveled up, and it became sharper. "I have one more question." "Ask." "Why do people enter the labyrinth? It doesn¡¯t seem worth it to endure the risk of a bad brand. It doesn''t seem attractive enough." Ingrid smiled bitterly. Jeong Yushin raised his eyebrows. The person who had maintained a neutral expression since the beginning suddenly gave a wry smile, causing his heart to skip a beat. "Why people enter the labyrinth... I¡¯m curious too. Everyone has different reasons. Some seek sudden wealth. Some want to change their fate. Some desire strength. Some want to test their luck. Some want to resurrect dead lovers. There are many reasons. It¡¯s beyond reason. Skah, why do you go in?" Ingrid¡¯s question made Jeong Yushin stiffen. To understand a person, one had to know their desires. It wasn¡¯t a lesson from a sage. It wasn¡¯t something he learned from books. It was a realization from his life before the transmigration. In fact, it wasn¡¯t much of a realization. It was just a thin thread he had pulled from his not-so-long life. Ingrid¡¯s question was meant to understand Jeong Yushin. The problem was how Ingrid would react to his answer. He didn¡¯t know. Moreover. Despite her calm tone, there was a faint glint of suspicion in Ingrid¡¯s eyes. His instincts sensed danger. It could be paranoia. But he decided to trust his instincts. "...It¡¯s hard to say." "Why is it hard to say? Feel free to speak. Are you perhaps looking for a brand that can control the world?" Ingrid¡¯s eyes, as she carelessly probed, glinted coldly like ice. A brand to control the world? Could such a ridiculous brand even exist? He calmed his fluttering heart. That kind of brand had nothing to do with him. "It¡¯s not that. I¡¯ll tell you when the time comes." "Is that so. Do as you please." Ingrid crossed her arms and turned her head. Her eyes were more tired than ever. Annie came from the kitchen with snacks. It was a dish made by wrapping chicken and vegetables in thin pancakes and adding sauce before grilling it. "Bring a bottle of Dwarf wine." "Yes." Annie brought the bottle and glasses from the counter. The food and wine were placed on the table. "Would you like a drink?" "Dwarf wine, huh. A barbarian who knows his drinks." "Yes. It¡¯s decent enough." ''It¡¯s just like soju, but I¡¯ll drink it.'' Jeong Yushin poured wine into Ingrid¡¯s glass. Slosh. He filled her glass. Slosh. Then, he filled his own. Jeong Yushin asked. "Shall we toast?" "No." "Okay." Jeong Yushin and Ingrid emptied their glasses at the same time. Jeong Yushin grabbed a pancake and chewed it with his mouth full. Ingrid, elegantly holding her fork, carefully bit into the pancake. It was quite a contrast to the sight of her wildly swinging a large sword. She had the grace and poise of a noblewoman. "By the way, how is Karin doing?" At Jeong Yushin''s question, Ingrid covered her mouth and swallowed her food. "That guy¡¯s under house arrest for now." "Really?" "I heard that in the labyrinth city, he caused trouble by flaunting his status. He deserves to be punished. Honestly, I¡¯m so ashamed I can¡¯t even look him in the eye." "Karin always had that side to him. He liked to use his position, didn¡¯t he? Yes, yes." Jeong Yushin admitted it. Ingrid glared at Jeong Yushin. Jeong Yushin didn¡¯t back down and met her gaze. "I¡¯ll send him back to the labyrinth city once he comes to his senses. This time, I¡¯ll send him back empty-handed. Rules must be followed." Rules? Was it the rule that children of wealthy families don¡¯t receive support from their clans? He couldn¡¯t remember clearly, but it seemed right. "It¡¯s late, so let¡¯s wrap up the conversation here." Ingrid stood up and said. "Okay, let¡¯s do that." He saw Ingrid out of the inn and returned to his seat. Jeong Yushin let out a deep sigh as he looked at the white rat, who was munching on a pancake. "Ugh, it¡¯s like a son-in-law interview. Terrifying." Chapter 58: Scar attention The morning after Ingrid left. Jung Yu-shin grabbed his head and got out of bed. ¡°Oh my head.¡± His head felt like it was going to burst from the hangover. After Ingrid left, he was the only one who had been drinking the dwarf shipper. When he lifted the bedsheet, a white rat was sleeping soundly with its belly out. He had said that it was going to wander around the labyrinth city, but it was just sleeping with its body pressed against the bed. ¡°Rin, wake up.¡± When he poked its belly, the white rat flinched and slowly opened its eyes. ¡°Are you a real person?¡± ¡°Tick?¡± The half-asleep white rat tilted its head. ¡°No.¡± Jung Yu-shin put the sword on his belt and came down to the first floor. ¡°Are you awake?¡± Tarman, who was moving busily in the inn hall, found Jeong Yu-shin and greeted him. ¡°Oh, right. I made some money here.¡± Jeong Yu-shin handed him a leather pouch. Seven gold coins. Of the ten gold coins he received from Ingrid yesterday, he only took three and planned to use the rest for the inn¡¯s operating expenses. He didn¡¯t regret it. He ate most of his meals at this inn, and he also drank alcohol and slept. ¡°Seven gold coins. Let¡¯s keep holding on until he gets used to running the inn.¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± Tarman¡¯s eyes turned red. He turned his head away because he felt sick after seeing the man¡¯s tears since the morning breeze. ¡°Take this to Anne. Please make breakfast too.¡± ¡°Oops!¡± Tarman ran to the kitchen. Jeong Yu-shin sat at the table, crossed his arms, and looked outside the inn. His eyes were turned outside, but his thoughts were elsewhere. With Ingrid¡¯s help, he was exempted from the night guard mission. I heard that exempted missions are considered completed. He had achieved part of the promotion conditions presented by the Explorers¡¯ Guild. Of course, he would have to solve more missions to achieve the promotion conditions, but it wasn¡¯t a bad start. He recalled his memories from last night. If the World Domination Seal that Ingrid mentioned at the drinking party really existed, then there was a possibility that the World Transfer Seal also existed. He felt a burning thirst as he recognized the faint possibility that could be seen through the gap in the vastness. As expected. In the current situation, wouldn¡¯t the best option be to enter the labyrinth? Since he could simultaneously complete the magic stone collection and monster subjugation missions, he could make some money. It wouldn¡¯t be much money, but at least it would be more than the security mission. But I felt uneasy about leaving Anne and Tarman alone. In addition, there were crazy Barbarians who wielded their power in the city and were active in secret. I was also worried about whether I could organize a proper party. ¡®Should I try?¡¯ There were a few problems, but if I solved them one by one, I would definitely find a way. If it didn¡¯t work out, I could just wait until Darmon came. I couldn¡¯t just give up and get scared when I saw the possibility of failure. While I was lost in my thoughts, Tarman brought breakfast on a tray. ¡°Ska, I brought you breakfast. Enjoy it.¡± ¡°Thank you. Wait a minute.¡± Jeong Yu-shin stopped Tarman as he was about to return to the kitchen. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Do you talk to Aldaine sometimes?¡± ¡°Yes. Do you have anything else to tell me?¡± ¡°No.¡± Jung Yu-shin quickly stuffed his stomach with food and got up from his seat. He decided that it would be faster to go there himself rather than ordering Tarman to do it. ¡°I¡¯ll go to the Demon Dismantling Center for a bit.¡± ¡°Yes, I understand.¡± Squeak. At that moment, someone came into the inn. It was a boy with freckles and messy hair. ¡°Good morning, Ska-nim.¡± The messy-haired boy approached and greeted him. ¡°Who are you?¡± It was a familiar face, but he didn¡¯t know who it was. Jung Yu-shin tapped his single-edged sword and asked. ¡°I¡¯m from the Swordsmanship Guild.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± He thought he had seen the face somewhere before, but it was one of the people he saw on his way to the Swordsmanship Guild. He didn¡¯t know the name. Jung Yu-shin opened his mouth. He decided to speak comfortably since he knew the face. ¡°How is Ashur?¡± ¡°The leader of the swordsmanship guild is not doing well. And that is why I came here. Ska-nim, the leader has called. You should go to the swordsmanship guild together.¡± The boy¡¯s answer was unusual. Jung Yu-shin scratched his cheek. ¡°Is Ashur feeling a little uncomfortable? Tell him to sit up straight.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤I heard from the leader that Ska-nim fought in front of the labyrinth.¡± The boy pretended not to hear Jung Yu-shin¡¯s answer and changed the subject. ¡°Rumors spread quickly. That¡¯s right. Did the leader get jealous because I fought so well?¡± The boy with the messy hair closed his mouth and stared at Jung Yu-shin. ¡°I¡¯m joking.¡± ¡°He heard that you fought with a sword in your mouth and slapped his knee and sighed.¡± Hmm. That¡¯s right? ¡°More details.¡± ¡°He said that since the world doubted his teachings because he fought with a sword in his mouth without any basis, what good would it do to live on?¡± Jung Yu-shin¡¯s neck snapped. Isn¡¯t that a fundamental swordsmanship? Jo X also fought like that. Isn¡¯t it? Jung Yu-shin asked cautiously. ¡°Are you really angry?¡± ¡°He told me to come out right now.¡± ¡°Tell him that I¡¯m short on money, so I¡¯ll go later.¡± ¡°He told me to come out quickly because he knows that Ingrid gave him 10 gold coins.¡± As expected, the stalker master was like a ghost. ¡°Tell him that you can¡¯t come today because your back hurts.¡± ¡°He said he¡¯ll break your back.¡± ¡°Tell him that you can¡¯t come because you¡¯re embarrassed to see your master.¡± Jung Yu-shin and the boy had a brief stare contest. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Just come, Sk-nim.¡± ¡°Whew, I understand. But I¡¯ll stop by the Demon Dismantling Center first.¡± ¡°You really have to come. If this continues, we¡¯ll all die.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m going.¡± After chasing away the boy with the tangled hair who was persistently clinging to him. I left the inn, leaving Tarman behind who politely greeted me. I walked to the Demon Dismantling Center while basking in the summer sun. It was to return the single-edged sword that Aldain had lent me. As Aldain had said, the single-edged sword¡¯s performance was incredible. However. I was suspicious of Aldain¡¯s intentions in lending me such a powerful sword. I could sense that he was trying to somehow pay off the debt. In any case, he was not an elf who could let his guard down. After walking for a while, Jeong Yu-shin entered the western region and found the Demon Dismantling Center. The familiar smell of blood. A building built with red bricks. Jung Yu-shin passed through the yard and entered the monster dismantling facility. He grabbed a worker who was passing by and asked. ¡°Where is the director?¡± ¡°Ska, are you here? Aldain is in the office.¡± The worker greeted him politely and answered. ¡°Do you know me?¡± ¡°I know because that snobby guy often talks about me.¡± ¡°I only heard stories about you, so how did you recognize me right away?¡± ¡°Well... you have black hair, right?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s meet often.¡± I asked a stupid question. Jung Yu-shin¡¯s face turned red when he realized this. He walked a little faster and went to the corner. He passed by the monsters that were drained of blood and had their skins neatly peeled off and hung on iron rings, and an office came into view. He knocked on the door. Knock. ¡°Come in.¡± When he opened the door and went in, Aldain was sitting at the desk. Aldain was writing something down with his pen on a pile of papers. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I came to return the single-edged sword.¡± ¡°Just take it.¡± Aldain blurted out casually and played with his pen again. ¡°No.¡± ¡°No matter what you feed him, he doesn¡¯t like it. Don¡¯t you like the shape? Is the performance not good? What¡¯s the problem?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t accept something like this without anything in return.¡± It only takes a moment for his nose to get pierced after he¡¯s been eating it so well. ¡°Oh my. You¡¯re really picky. I understand, I understand. Come here.¡± When Jung Yu-shin handed him the sword, Aldain took it with both hands and stroked it. He thought he would go back since his work was done, but Jung Yu-shin didn¡¯t move. Aldain asked. ¡°Do you have anything to say??¡± ¡°I¡¯m going into the labyrinth, but I¡¯m worried about the inn. Please protect me.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want this, but I want that. Just do one.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give you money. Please protect me.¡± Aldain sighed deeply as he scratched his blindfold. ¡°Whew, I¡¯ll send you a stray nose, so understand. Instead, you take care of the food, lodging, and labor expenses.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Get out.¡± Jeong Yu-shin bowed and left the office. Thump! As the door closed, Aldain sank deep into his chair. ¡°I¡¯m crazy. I was targeting a talented person, but my nose got pierced.¡± The red sword trembled slightly. Aldain opened his eyes wide. ¡°You got your nose pierced too? Why?¡± Burr. ¡°He bit you with his mouth? Huh. You¡¯re all married, little sister.¡± Aldain gently stroked the blade with a hand gesture. ¡°Both siblings got their noses pierced at the same time. I have no idea what to do about this.¡± Contrary to his worried tone, Aldain had a faint smile on his face. After leaving the Demon Dismantling Center, he went to the Blacksmith Street. He stopped by a store on the way and bought a bottle of liquor. When he entered the blacksmith shop where only flies were flying, Boron was sitting. Boron¡¯s face looked pale, as if he hadn¡¯t eaten for a while. ¡°Are you here?¡± Boron looked up at Jeong Yu-shin with wide eyes. ¡°I bought you liquor.¡± Boron approached him, snatching the liquor away. Before he could say anything, he uncorked the cork and drank the entire bottle. Boron¡¯s face brightened as he took the bottle from his mouth. ¡°Kuh-uh. ¡°Are you here to buy equipment?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯d like to ask you to make armor as well.¡± ¡°What armor?¡± ¡°I want to make it similar to the light armor from last time.¡± ¡°Similarly? Tell me clearly.¡± Jung Yu-shin thought carefully and said. ¡°Could you attach the iron plates on the leather armor in more segments and detail? ¡°You want to make it easier to move? That¡¯s dangerous. No matter how tightly you attach them, there can¡¯t be any gaps. It¡¯s also hard to maintain. It would be cheaper to add a small plate to the chest. It wouldn¡¯t be too difficult to move.¡± ¡°Understood. Let¡¯s do that.¡± ¡°Can we make the rest of the armor parts the same as last time? One gold coin and 25 silver coins.¡± ¡°Why do you suddenly have 25 more silver coins?¡± ¡°It¡¯s labor costs. Do you want to see Einhofer starve?¡± ¡°Oh, really.¡± Jung Yu-shin scratched his head in disbelief. The labor cost suddenly increased after only a few days. But he couldn¡¯t let Einhofer starve. He decided to give in just this once. He searched his pockets, took out one gold coin and twenty-five silver coins, and handed them to Boron. Boron counted the coins and asked. ¡°Is the helmet any good?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a bit strange. It¡¯s cool, but the back of my head feels too cold. If it hits me hard, I¡¯ll just die.¡± ¡°Actually, it¡¯s a bit strange.¡± ¡°Did you know about it?¡± Jung Yu-shin glared at Boron. Boron looked up at Jung Yu-shin as if he found it ridiculous. ¡°You said you didn¡¯t have money back then?¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Just wait. I¡¯ll bring you something good.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Boron went to a corner and brought a helmet. The helmet was a Barbuta with a visor. ¡°Isn¡¯t it similar to the one I bought last time?¡± ¡°Look closely.¡± Jung Yu-shin narrowed his eyes and observed. It was similar to the style worn by medieval knights. However, there was a strange pattern drawn on the lower left surface of the visor. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°Tsk. I wonder if anyone would call it Barbaroi. It¡¯s a pattern symbolizing the spirit of light. It¡¯s ? N§àv§ÖIight ? (Read more on our source) a symbol of good luck.¡± He could barely remember. He took a little more time to look at it closely. It was similar to the pattern engraved on one side of the plate armor worn by Gilseon, a canine knight who served the spirit of light. Jung Yu-shin took his eyes off the helmet and said. ¡°You might not know. Can I give you this much? Let¡¯s do it for 20 silver coins.¡± Boron¡¯s face turned pale. ¡°Hey, you crazy bastard. What do you want me to eat to live? 30 silver coins.¡± ¡°It¡¯s too expensive. 25 silver coins. I think these strange patterns are lowering my dignity, so I think it¡¯s right to lower the price of the helmet as well.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤But you don¡¯t have to go as far as blasphemy? Okay. Let¡¯s do it for 26 silver coins.¡± ¡°25 coins!¡± ¡°Oh my. I¡¯m going to die. Barbaroi is killing people!!!¡± ¡°I bought you some alcohol. Let¡¯s do it for 25 coins. I¡¯ll buy you some more next time.¡± Boron glared at Jeong Yu-shin. He wanted to kick that sly bastard¡¯s butt, but he held back for the sake of his disciple. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Okay. What about the weapon?¡± ¡°Give me one dagger. I¡¯ll buy the rest later.¡± ¡°Why? No. What else would I do? It¡¯ll just piss me off. The dagger costs one silver coin. I¡¯ll come pick up the armor in a week. Will you take the helmet?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take the helmet then.¡± ¡°Okay. Hooo.¡± Boron sighed and went to a corner to get a dagger. He handed over the silver coin and put the dagger in his bosom. ¡°I¡¯ll see you later.¡± ¡°Sigh. My fate.¡± Boron sighed. Jung Yu-shin took a look at the sound of the hammer, turned his back, and left the blacksmith shop. The next place to go was the Swordsmanship Guild. Jung Yu-shin sighed without realizing it. Ashur seemed really angry, so he had no idea how to appease him. How on earth would he please the male elf stalker sword master? I don¡¯t think even the pre-game game was this difficult. I walked down the street again with these thoughts in mind. When I arrived at the swordsmanship guild, the building was empty. Only the bald vice-chairman Killa was sitting at the reception desk. ¡°To the training grounds.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Killa raised his hand and pointed to the exit on the other side of the building. Jeong Yu-shin quietly went to the training grounds. There, Ashur was quietly looking up at the sky with his arms crossed. ¡°Ska, attention.¡± Ashur¡¯s icy voice echoed through the training grounds. I swallowed dryly. ¡®Whew. It¡¯s come.¡¯ Chapter 59: Is this correct? The members of the fencing guild gathered in the training ground and stood in a line. There was also the boy I saw this morning. A quiet training ground. Dozens of people were all silent and looking at Jung Yu-shin. ¡°Stand up straight.¡± Ashur, who had turned his back, glared at Jung Yu-shin. ¡°Yes.¡± Jung Yu-shin straightened his posture. Ashur turned his back and looked around at the members of the fencing guild. ¡°You all heard how Scar fought in front of the labyrinth, right? What do you think?¡± Among the members who had been standing quietly, the goat-bearded man stepped forward and spoke. ¡°He fought well, didn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°Get down.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Goat-bearded lay down on the training ground with his hands on the ground. ¡°I¡¯ll ask you again. What do you think?¡± At Ashur¡¯s question, a mohawk appeared. ¡°I heard that you formed a formation with the Iron Mask Inspector and Half Ogre to fight the monsters. I think you¡¯re a pretty cool newbie...¡± ¡°You, too, lie down.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Mohawk lay down. Ashur glared at the members of the Swordsmanship Guild, sighed deeply, and looked back at Jeong Yu-shin. ¡°Scar, I admit it. A novice explorer fought a group of monsters without retreating an inch? That¡¯s amazing. Yes. But.¡± Ashur waved his hands here and there in the air. It looked like he was holding a sword and cutting something. ¡°Isn¡¯t this a little bit wrong? Huh? Can¡¯t you cut a little more artistically like this? Can¡¯t you swing a sword or a sword in a more humane way? Why do you keep biting monsters¡¯ necks and shaking your head with the sword in your mouth?¡± Ashur¡¯s voice was full of regret. It was like a veteran looking at a newbie and saying, ¡®Oh, that¡¯s not how you do it.¡¯ ¡®Then I¡¯ll be the Sword Master.¡¯ Jeong Yu-shin swallowed the sigh that was about to burst out and lowered his head. ¡°I was so distracted while fighting. I¡¯m sorry.¡± The swordsmanship guild members nodded. Among the guild members, a muscular elf stepped forward and spoke. ¡°I heard that Barbaroi friend broke Hans¡¯ defense barrier. It¡¯s true that he received help from many people, but his courage hasn¡¯t faded. Please be lenient, Chairman.¡± The muscular elf continued with a smile. ¡°Also, unlike other Barbarois, he doesn¡¯t target the guild members¡¯ loopholes, which is commendable. To be honest, I find it a little hard to believe.¡± The guild members nodded and agreed with the muscular elf¡¯s opinion. ¡°Come to think of it, that¡¯s right. It¡¯s amazing that no one has been hurt until now.¡± ¡°Are you really sympathizing? I thought the guards were talking nonsense...¡± ¡°By the way, union leader, to be honest, I think you¡¯re a bit unusual. That guy hasn¡¯t even learned much yet?¡± ¡°Wow, stop messing with the vice-chairman.¡± Ashur, whose face turned red, shouted. ¡°My honor is yours, you punks!!!¡± The surroundings became quiet for a moment. Immediately, the union members began to murmur. A few tilted their heads and spoke. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Suddenly, honor?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t work and just lie down to sleep all day. Shouldn¡¯t you be thinking about the vice-chairman¡¯s hair that¡¯s causing you headaches?¡± ¡°Hey! Get out! Do your work.¡± Ashur, who was pushed back, waved his hand and shouted. The members grumbled and dispersed. Everyone returned to their seats, leaving only Ashur and Jung Yu-shin around them. There was a moment of silence. Ashur coughed once and opened his mouth. ¡°I admit it. It was a courageous act.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Still, be careful. It was an extension of the act of blindly pushing in with your body, believing in the imprint. That¡¯s how it looked to me.¡± ¡°Understood. I¡¯ll be careful.¡± ¡°Come here.¡± Jung Yu-shin approached Ashur as he gestured. Ashur grabbed his shoulder and looked into Jung Yu-shin¡¯s eyes. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤It seems a little shaky?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°Is that so? No, thinking about it again, I¡¯m really pissed. How could you use your mouth to cut a sword? When I was a kid.¡± Jung Yu-shin¡¯s hand on his shoulder tightened. ¡°By the way, what about the Barbaroi these days?¡± Jeong Yu-shin asked, stepping back slightly. ¡°Why are you asking me that?¡± Ashur crossed his arms and asked back. ¡°Don¡¯t you know everything?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true. I only know what I know.¡± ¡°Is there a chance that the Barbaroi will target Darmon¡¯s inn?¡± ¡°I think that¡¯s unlikely. If they do, they¡¯ll target you. They won¡¯t target the inn.¡± Goosebumps ran down his body. ¡°Well...then what should I do?¡± ¡°I think I said that last time.¡± Ashur crossed his arms and looked at the training ground. People were swinging swords and spears and running around the training ground. Why aren¡¯t they talking? He was impatient and frustrated. Ashur¡¯s mouth opened slowly. ¡°There¡¯s nothing you can do. Just enjoy it.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Huh?¡± ¡°Think of it as a storm.¡± Jung Yu-shin¡¯s mouth dropped open. Is this what a Sword Master would say? If this is true, wouldn¡¯t it be safer to go into the labyrinth than to stay in the inn? ¡°I¡¯ll go into that labyrinth.¡± ¡°I really can¡¯t stop you. Go.¡± Ashur blurted out and spread his palms to wash his dry face. ¡°I¡¯ll start preparing starting today.¡± ¡°Understood. Take care. Don¡¯t die.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Jung Yu-shin turned and left the training ground. Ashur sighed deeply as he watched Jung Yu-shin¡¯s back as he left. ¡°What¡¯s so urgent? Tsk.¡± He left the Swordsmanship Guild and walked toward the Explorer¡¯s Guild. He had told Mion that he wouldn¡¯t be able to attend class for the time being, so she wasn¡¯t worried. The problem of protecting the inn was also solved. The problem of Barbaroi was postponed. Because I didn''t have the ability. Finally, the problem of finding a party remained. If you think about it, it''s the most difficult difficulty. Because it''s a problem of finding people. I walked down the street and arrived at the Explorer''s Guild in the southern area. Creak. As I opened the door and went in, I saw the deserted interior of the Guild. Most of the explorers left for the labyrinth early in the morning. So it was natural that there were no people around lunchtime like now. I went to the bulletin board hanging on one side of the wall and stood. When I looked up, there were countless job postings stuck right next to each other. When I didn''t know anything, I grabbed any piece of paper stuck on the bulletin board and took it to the receptionist and asked. Now, since I learned how to read in the orphanage class, I could read a little bit. "Hmm." All I could make out were a few words and numbers, but it was much better than before. Most of the bulletin board notices were looking for back-up positions. In particular, there was a lot of demand for priests and magicians. The pay ratio was also somewhat higher for priests and magicians. Of course, it wasn''t an abnormally high ratio. The Karl party was made up of friends who didn''t know much, so they divided the shares fairly. During the scrap party, I was the most normal, so there was no haggling over the pay. During Karin''s party, I went as a porter and never really brought up the pay. There were requests on the other side of the bulletin board, but most of them were similar. The requests were mainly for subjugation and magic stone extraction. Most of the requests were between the 1st and 5th floors. There were rare requests for the 5th floor and above. I heard that from the middle explorer, they go to the explorer headquarters in the central area, and it was true. In addition, they were looking for explorers with some experience. They had some experience to be called beginner explorers, but they were a bit awkward to be called middle explorers. An ambiguous position, perhaps. It would be right to call him a lower-level explorer. There wasn''t a party that he particularly liked. Jung Yu-shin passed the bulletin board and went to the reception desk. Gae Su-in was sitting alone. "Hello. How may I help you?" "I''d like to find a party." "Is there a party you''re looking for?" "Is there a party that the vanguard can join?" "Yes. Please wait a moment." Gae Su-in looked through the documents piled up next to him. "Um... there''s not much. I''m looking for a few people from the beginner explorer party." "Are there any other parties besides beginner parties?" "Among the low-level parties There is someone who is looking for you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°I recommend you come in the morning. It seems that the explorers gather at that time.¡± ¡°Understood. Thank you.¡± The dog Suin smiled brightly and nodded. ¡°Yes. Then I¡¯ll see you tomorrow, Explorer.¡± ¡®You¡¯re cute.¡¯ Jeong Yu-shin smiled happily and left the Explorers¡¯ Guild. When he returned to the inn, Dulchangko was there. The time he asked Aldain for help was this morning, but he came already. He¡¯s done his work quickly. ¡°Are you here?¡± Dulchangko nodded and greeted him. ¡°I heard you¡¯ve been talking about me lately?¡± Dulchangko smiled awkwardly and scratched his head. ¡°I couldn¡¯t help but say a few words because my colleagues around me kept asking.¡± ¡°Yes. Thank you for coming.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Ska-nim!¡± Why is this guy like this? The expression on Deulchanko¡¯s face, which was touched, was a bit rough. ¡°Let¡¯s sit down first. I have something to ask you.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Deulchanko carefully sat down across from Jeong Yushin. ¡°What happened to those slave hunters?¡± ¡°Most of them died at the hands of Ska-nim. There are still some left. However, they are stupid and don¡¯t know each other¡¯s faces, so they can only identify each other by a crude mark. Furthermore, they are not very loyal to the organization, so there is no need to worry about retaliation.¡± ¡°Is it safe enough for me to enter the labyrinth?¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤I think it will be okay for the time being. That doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s over. I think we¡¯ll have to wait and see how this goes.¡± Are they like cockroaches that can¡¯t be completely eradicated? ¡°Understood. Discuss the compensation with Tarman and receive it.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± He was told that it would be safe for the time being. Jung Yu-shin absentmindedly brushed away his feelings. He realized it and laughed. He had come empty-handed, but before he knew it, there were more things to protect. His shoulders were heavy, but he didn¡¯t feel so bad. Jung Yu-shin smiled while looking at his snub nose. ¡®It¡¯s not such a bad world. The world where people live is all the same.¡¯ ¡°Our ? N§àv§Öl?g?t ? (Official version) party doesn¡¯t accept Barbaroi. Get out.¡± The bald dwarf, the party leader, said firmly. Jung Yu-shin¡¯s face crumpled miserably. ¡®Shitty other world.¡¯ He woke up early in the morning and ran to the Explorers¡¯ Guild to do the party interview, but most of them shook their heads. ¡°Please tell me why.¡± ¡°Well... because you¡¯re a female hunter?¡± ¡®Fuck.¡¯ ¡°Just let me join you once. I¡¯m not that bad of a person.¡± ¡°What the hell do you want me to do?! Get out of here, you crazy bastard!¡± The dwarf was startled and grabbed his axe. Jung Yu-shin pulled back. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about it. I meant to ask you to join the party.¡± ¡°No!¡± Jung Yu-shin looked around at the dwarf¡¯s party members sitting at the table. Judging by their cold expressions, it seemed hopeless. He got up from his seat and went to the reception desk. ¡°Um... Are you rejecting me again?¡± The dog asked with an apologetic expression. ¡°Yes.¡± This is the fifth rejection. Jung Yu-shin is human, so his body and mind are exhausted from the continuous rejections. He was thankful that the rumor of Barbaro, who is a sympathizer, did not spread until now, but if this happens, his thoughts will change again... Tsk!!! He slapped his cheek and stopped his extreme thoughts. ¡®Today is not the day.¡¯ He couldn¡¯t get full on the first drink. If he kept trying, wouldn¡¯t he be able to get into a party with good skills and good personality? ¡°I¡¯ll come next time.¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m sorry.¡± The dog Su-in bowed his head with an apologetic expression. Jung Yu-shin bowed his head in return and left the explorer party. He walked down the street and returned to the inn. ¡°I¡¯m home.¡± ¡°Oh! You¡¯re here?¡± Dulchangko and Tarman, who were busy carrying food, greeted Jung Yu-shin. Jung Yu-shin looked at Dulchangko and asked. ¡°Dulchangko, why are you working?¡± ¡°I felt bad just sitting still, so I tried to move my body. It¡¯s not that hard, so don¡¯t worry.¡± I sat down at the counter after seeing the brightly smiling Ttulchanko. A soft seat. It was the seat where Darmon always sat. ¡°Give me a glass of alcohol... no, just a glass of water.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Tarman answered and ran to the kitchen to get some water. He drank a glass of water and blankly looked out at the scenery. A warm summer breeze came in through the open window, ruffling Jung Yu-shin¡¯s hair as it passed by. ¡®That¡¯s nice.¡¯ How much better would it have been if his life genre had been healing? The slow life of an innkeeper from another world. It wouldn¡¯t have been so bad to get hit by a truck and fall into another world, but then get cheat skills and run an inn with some sly friends and live a life where the water just flows. ¡°What the hell.¡± Jung Yu-shin muttered as he closed his eyes. He didn¡¯t get hit by a truck and he didn¡¯t have any cheat skills. The inn wasn¡¯t his either. He dozed off while imagining various things. He heard the conversations of the guests in his sleep. ¡°Did you hear that news?¡± ¡°What news?¡± ¡°The fifth prince disappeared from the Kingdom of Lionel.¡± ¡°The fifth prince? Aren¡¯t you the youngest of the five princes? Could it be that he disappeared?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I only heard rumors that the kingdom was turned upside down.¡± ¡°Where did you hear it?¡± ¡°I heard it from a merchant from the Kingdom of Lionel.¡± ¡°The Kingdom of Lionel is far to the south of here, so why did you come all the way here?¡± ¡°The magic stones and rare materials from the Labyrinth City, as well as the artifacts, all come from here, so why didn¡¯t you come?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, but it¡¯s too far.¡± ¡°Money is the problem. Is distance the problem?¡± ¡°You have a knack for making people speechless. By the way, the Lionel Kingdom is really chaotic. Didn¡¯t the first prince fall ill and become bedridden?¡± ¡°I heard that¡¯s true. I¡¯m not sure.¡± The guests continued talking, but Jung Yu-shin fell asleep again. The chair was so soft that he couldn¡¯t come to his senses. The surroundings became quiet. Someone carefully touched his shoulder. ¡°Ska-nim.¡± Jung Yu-shin opened his eyes. The saddle nose was looking down. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°It¡¯s closing time.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± Jung Yu-shin got up from his seat and went up to the second floor. Even though he had slept all day, he was tired again. He changed his clothes and lay down on the bed. ¡°Squeeze!!!¡± Something soft was pressed against my body. I got up in a hurry and pulled back the bedsheet, and a white rat was lying on the floor. ¡°Lin, I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Squeak!! Squeak!!¡± The white rat squeaked and squeaked. ¡°Calm down. I¡¯ll give you a massage.¡± Jung Yu-shin gently massaged the white rat until it calmed down and then yawned. He hadn¡¯t been hit by a truck and didn¡¯t have any cheat skills, but he had a soft friend. A soft friend. ¡®Is this right?¡¯ He had a moment of doubt. He patted Lin¡¯s stomach and gave his mind to the darkness that had come. Chapter 60: Thought verification One day. Two days. Three days. Time passed little by little. On the fourth morning. Jeong Yusin woke up early again and went to the explorer guild. ¡°No!¡± ¡°G-Go away!¡± He had asked to join a party, but the reactions of the people were the same as before. After receiving numerous rejections, he was exhausted. Jeong Yusin sat at a corner table in the guild, sighing heavily. Three days had already passed, and they had entered the fourth day. The continuous rejections made his head spin. ¡°There¡¯s no answer.¡± Jeong Yusin muttered to himself, tugging at his hair. He could hear whispers around him. ¡°Is that him?¡± ¡°They said he¡¯s a virgin. Honestly, it¡¯s hard to believe.¡± ¡°Still, the fact that he hasn¡¯t harmed anyone suggests he might actually be a decent person. Maybe because he¡¯s mixed blood, he has self-control.¡± ¡°Bullshit. He looks like a young man, but he¡¯s a virgin? That¡¯s a problem. You can see it, can¡¯t you? The flame of desire burning inside him, just waiting to burst out in a dark maze. Once it erupts, it¡¯ll be explosive! Hey, you know what I mean, right?¡± "F**k." Jeong Yusin¡¯s expression twisted. He didn¡¯t know exactly when it happened, but the rumor that he was a virgin had spread all the way to this guild branch. The problem was, people were either half-believing it or treating him as even more dangerous. Just mentioning he wanted to join a party resulted in such a violent rejection that communication itself became impossible. There was no good way. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll just form my own party.¡± Jeong Yusin stood up and went to the reception desk. ¡°Yes. How can I help you?¡± A dog beastman gave him a sympathetic look. ¡°I¡¯m looking to form a party.¡± ¡°I... see.¡± The dog beastman picked up a pen. ¡°Your goal is to gather magic stones and hunt hobgoblins between the 1st and 5th floors, correct?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Do you have any specific party members in mind?¡± ¡°One front-line, one guide, and one rear-line would be enough.¡± ¡°Are you okay with useless or beginner party members?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡®Compromise is necessary. No decent person is coming.¡¯ That was the conclusion he had reached for now. Even so, he planned to send away anyone with an unmanageable seal after conducting an interview. ¡°I understand. Please go to table number 5 and wait.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± He went to the table the receptionist had pointed to and waited. How much time passed? Quite a bit of time had gone by, yet no one had arrived. Just as he thought it might not be the day, he was about to get up from his seat when someone sat down in front of him. ¡°I heard you¡¯re looking for a party.¡± A human young man sat across from Jeong Yusin and spoke. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°I heard it¡¯s fine even if they¡¯re useless.¡± ¡°It depends on the seal. What kind of seal do you have?¡± ¡°I have a rubber rubber seal.¡± What? Jeong Yusin¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°What... what kind of seal is that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a seal that makes the body stretch like rubber.¡± ¡°...No. You¡¯re not accepted.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°If I say no, it means no.¡± ¡°Damn it!¡± The human man muttered, getting up from his seat. He seemed familiar with rejection, not lingering and quickly giving up. ¡°But why is that a negative seal?¡± Curious, Jeong Yusin asked. ¡°Once my body stretches, it takes some time to return to normal. About a month?¡± ¡°I see. Go ahead.¡± After the young man left, a few more people came. Most of them seemed like useless people. ¡°What¡¯s your seal?¡± Jeong Yusin asked. The skunk beastman sitting across from him rolled his eyes and then spoke. ¡°It¡¯s a seal that makes me wet myself when I¡¯m nervous.¡± Jeong Yusin folded his arms. What a strange seal. Jeong Yusin spoke. ¡°Are you nervous?¡± ¡°No.¡± After saying that, the skunk beastman shivered. ¡°...Don¡¯t get nervous.¡± After hearing Jeong Yusin¡¯s reply, the skunk beastman trembled again. ¡®What can I even say?¡¯ Jeong Yusin scratched his head in disbelief. Is this person able to live normally? Thinking about it, he seemed to have inadvertently made the person wet their pants, so he pulled out a few coins from his pocket and handed them to the skunk beastman. ¡°Buy a diaper with this.¡± The skunk beastman¡¯s eyes became red. ¡°Thank you! I¡¯ve heard there¡¯s no such thing as a virgin barbarian, but now I believe it!¡± ¡°...I see.¡± Jeong Yusin sent away the useless explorer and slouched in his chair. Creeeeak. Someone entered the guild. Everyone who had been chatting immediately fell silent. ¡®What¡¯s going on?¡¯ Turning his head, he saw a human about the same age as him. In his early twenties. Blue hair. An impression of confidence filled his face. Step. Step. The young man walked slowly, enjoying the attention he was getting. People began to whisper. ¡°Is that the guy?¡± ¡°Yeah. He¡¯s the one who got that seal this time. He¡¯s ridiculously lucky.¡± Jeong Yusin quietly slipped into a seat next to him. ¡°What kind of seal does that blue-haired guy have?¡± A cat beastman scowled. ¡°Go away.¡± ¡°Just tell me. I won¡¯t ask to join the party. After all, we¡¯re in the same line of work, so can¡¯t you just answer a simple question?¡± The cat beastman, seeing this was a bit much, scratched his chin and spoke. ¡°He got the ¡®genius swordsman¡¯ seal.¡± A genius swordsman? ¡°What kind of seal is that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a seal that gives unmatched talent with swords. It¡¯s amazing.¡± ¡°Can you elaborate?¡± ¡°What else is there to say? That guy was originally a beginner explorer. He joined a middle-tier explorer party as a porter and then got that seal.¡± ¡®Wow.¡¯ That¡¯s really impressive. Jeong Yusin¡¯s stomach twisted with envy. ¡®Hah, if only I had a cheat seal.¡¯ Jeong Yusin licked his lips, looking at the young man who got the genius swordsman seal. The cat beastman frowned. ¡°Still, it¡¯s a bit much.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll see.¡± As the blue-haired young man passed by, people parted and made way for him. The young man walked as if it were only natural, heading straight for the reception desk. ¡°I¡¯m looking for party members.¡± The dog beastman nodded and picked up his pen. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°One front-line, two rear-line, all female.¡± ¡°...Yes, yes.¡± The dog beastman hesitated for a moment before scribbling again. The cat beastman shook his head and gave a wry smile. ¡°He was a decent guy originally, but now that he got a good seal, his true nature is starting to show. Well, most explorers are like that.¡± ¡°I see. In that sense, I¡¯m better than the guy who¡¯s obsessed with women, right? Let me join the party.¡± The cat beastman stared at him seriously. ¡°No, that¡¯s not it. That guy only likes women, but you don¡¯t discriminate between men and women, right? Besides, being a virgin makes it kind of dangerous. With just a little kindness, you¡¯ll start thinking, ¡®Does he like me? Is he interested?¡¯ and get lost in delusions. Eventually, in the dark maze, you end up... you get what I mean, right?¡± The example was quite detailed. Though, one thing was for sure¡ªthe imagination of the friends in the maze city was outstanding. ¡°Tch. You¡¯ll regret it. Do you think someone like me would keep extending my hand like this?¡± The cat beastman¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. ¡°Barbarian, don¡¯t you often hear the phrase ¡®excessive self-consciousness¡¯?¡± ¡°No?¡± Jeong Yusin casually lied without even moistening his lips. The cat beastman waved his hand. ¡°Go. Our party is full, we¡¯re not taking anyone else.¡± ¡°Ugh.¡± Jeong Yusin got up and left the explorer guild. He spent the rest of the day in the inn. Tarmann and Anne left after their shifts, and the long-nosed person went up to their room on the second floor. Jeong Yusin sat with his arms crossed. ¡°Is there really no way?¡± In his anxious state, the idea of joining some strange party was unbearable. But the situation wasn¡¯t easy. He had to acknowledge the widespread hatred of barbarians and make compromises. He promised to give in more than he had expected. While organizing his thoughts, he looked up at the ceiling. Creeeak. The inn door opened. Two people wearing robes entered the inn. One was short, and the other was tall. The tall person approached. The sound of clinking metal could be heard, as if they were wearing iron armor under their robes. Jeong Yusin checked his dagger in his coat. ¡°Do you have a room?¡± A clear female voice spoke. The tall person, whom he had thought was a man due to their height, turned out to be a woman. ¡°Yes, we do.¡± ¡°How much?¡± ¡°For one night, five coins. Breakfast is free, but lunch and dinner are three coins each.¡± ¡°Here are ten coins.¡± The tall person took coins from their robe and placed them on the counter. The short person stood behind, silently. Jeong Yusin glanced at the short person and then spoke. ¡°If you share the room, it will be eight coins.¡± ¡°Then we¡¯ll share the room.¡± Jeong Yusin returned two coins to them. ¡°You can go upstairs and use the fifth room on the left.¡± ¡°Just a moment.¡± Jeong Yusin stopped the two people from going upstairs. ¡°Is there something you want to say?¡± He looked at the tall person. Their face was hidden under their robe. ¡°What do you think about slave hunters?¡± He asked casually. It was an abrupt and rude question. He had to ask somehow, since he didn¡¯t know their identity. It was a minimum safety check, especially since the long-nosed person wasn¡¯t here right now. ¡°They¡¯re people who should be killed. Does that answer your question?¡± The woman in the robe answered smoothly. ¡°May I see your sword?¡± ¡°Why do you think I carry a sword?¡± ¡°Any weapon will do. Please show me.¡± ¡°Fine, here.¡± The tall person took out a longsword from under their robe and handed it to Jeong Yusin. ¡®No need to give it, but...¡¯ Jeong Yusin accepted the sword and drew it from the scabbard. Swish. The cool blade reflected the inn¡¯s light. ¡®Checked.¡¯ There was no slave hunter¡¯s mark. Clink! Jeong Yusin returned the sword to the scabbard and handed it back politely. ¡°I¡¯ve been checking the city because things are a bit rough lately. Have a comfortable night.¡± ¡°You, the innkeeper, sure are worried.¡± The tall woman said one word and turned away. Jeong Yusin watched them go up to the second floor and scratched his head. ¡°Am I overly self-conscious?¡± Could it be? No, probably not. Jeong Yusin stared at the inn door for a while before tidying up and returning to his room. He changed his clothes and pulled the blanket up. The white rat, Rin, wasn¡¯t there. ¡®Did she go out?¡¯ He was curious, but he wasn¡¯t really worried. Because the servant was Ingrid Redtail. Jeong Yusin lay down on the bed and closed his eyes. Next morning, he woke up early again and went to the explorer guild. Once again, after several rejections, he sat quietly at a corner table. ¡®Bastards.¡¯ He was so angry he could go crazy. This damned world. A dark, twisted feeling churned inside him. Someone approached. ¡°Are you Ska?¡± Looking up, a human woman in plate armor stood there. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I heard from my senior. Unlike the other maze city people, I heard you have loyalty and sincerity.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s your senior?¡± ¡°Gilseon.¡± Jeong Yusin¡¯s eyebrows twitched. The silver-furred dog beastman he met in the Karin party. A paladin who served the spirit of light. The one who had escaped the maze, received a strange seal, became a fool, and then regained his sanity with help from another temple. The last news he had heard was that Gilseon was heading to the temple of light outside the city. ¡°How is Gilseon doing?¡± ¡°He¡¯s doing well. Lately... he¡¯s been busy, though.¡± ¡°I see.¡± A brief awkward silence passed between Jeong Yusin and the paladin. The paladin spoke first. ¡°May I sit down?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The paladin sat across from Jeong Yusin. ¡°I forgot. I haven¡¯t introduced myself yet.¡± ¡°Please do.¡± ¡°Soline. I serve the spirit of light as a paladin. I came to the maze city for some training under the orders of the temple.¡± ¡°I see. I¡¯m Ska. You must have heard of me.¡± ¡°I know. Senior Gilseon talked about you a lot.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Are you looking for a party?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Is the front-line position already filled?¡± ¡°No one yet. As you can see, a despised barbarian.¡± Jeong Yusin shrugged and gave a wry smile. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll join.¡± This was it. Jeong Yusin¡¯s expression brightened. If you live a good life, luck will come. He almost wanted to clap his hands and shout, but held back. Because the explorers in the guild had rich imaginations and sensitive personalities. But there was still one more hurdle to cross. ¡°How much did Gilseon talk about me?¡± ¡°He mentioned you so often he could recognize you at first glance.¡± ¡°...In that case, did he mention I have the ¡®virgin female corruption seal¡¯?¡± ¡°...That... he didn¡¯t mention that.¡± Soline shifted uncomfortably and scratched her head. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m wearing a seal suppressing ring.¡± ¡°Is that so? Is it a reliable magic item?¡± ¡°It cost me one gold coin. It works fine.¡± She had made that claim, but honestly, Jeong Yusin was starting to doubt whether the ring was working properly. The side effect of the seal suppressing ring was an increase in sexual desire, and lately, he had felt his desires fluctuate more than usual. He thought it was probably because he had a lot on his mind, but the doubt remained. ¡®I should visit the magic shop someday.¡¯ Soline nodded. ¡°You¡¯re brave, openly revealing your negative seal and even preparing countermeasures. You have wisdom to match your courage. Senior was right about you.¡± Soline¡¯s compliment made Jeong Yusin¡¯s shoulders lift slightly. ¡°I do have a bit of that.¡± ¡°So, will you accept me?¡± ¡°Yes. But...¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°How many times have you entered the maze?¡± ¡°About five times. The deepest I¡¯ve reached is the 5th floor. After the fifth trip, I took a long break.¡± ¡°I see. Just to ask, do you have any negative seals?¡± Soline¡¯s face turned slightly red. ¡°Sorry... I can¡¯t say.¡± Jeong Yusin frowned. What¡¯s going on? What kind of seal does she have? A suspicion started rising inside him. ¡°I swear, it¡¯s not a seal that would threaten the party. Trust me. I swear on the name of the spirit of light.¡± Soline swore on the name of the spirit she served? At this point, he decided it was probably safe to believe her. After a moment of thought, Jeong Yusin nodded. She was a paladin with good character, so he didn¡¯t think she¡¯d lie in a place like this. ¡°Is it really not a strange seal?¡± ¡°I swear. It¡¯s a seal I¡¯m too ashamed to speak of.¡± ¡°I understand. Since you¡¯re a senior of Gilseon and serve the priesthood, I¡¯ll trust you for now.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Soline smiled awkwardly and scratched her head. ¡®I should be the one thanking you.¡¯ He had found one party member. Now he would wait a little longer. Thud! ¡°I heard you¡¯re looking for a guide.¡± A gnome with a long nose wearing a mask sat at the table and spoke directly. What is this guy up to? For now, Jeong Yusin nodded. ¡°Yes. That¡¯s correct.¡± ¡°Let me join.¡± He stared blankly at the gnome, who suddenly wanted to join the party. Hmph. ¡°By the way, what kind of seal do you have?¡± ¡°I have a seal that makes my nose grow longer when I lie. If I speak the truth, it shrinks.¡± ¡°Ah... okay.¡± Jeong Yusin snapped out of his daze. Is this a Pinocchio situation? Seriously, there are all kinds of seals. Should I believe it or not? But still, I need to check. ¡°The city has been quite rough lately. Let¡¯s talk [N O V E L I G H T] after you remove your mask.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± The gnome readily took off his mask. ¡®He¡¯s just a regular gnome.¡¯ Nothing special to say. But... you never know unless you check. Jeong Yusin cleared his throat and spoke. ¡°What do you think about slaves?¡± Time for an ideology check. The sudden question made the gnome open his mouth slightly. ¡°Sl... Slaves?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Why the hell are you asking about that?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m curious.¡± The gnome hesitated and eventually spoke. ¡°Sl... Slavery is bad.¡± Swoosh! The gnome¡¯s nose grew longer. Jeong Yusin¡¯s eyes widened. Chapter 61: Back to the labyrinth Look at this kid? A chill came over Jung Yu-shin¡¯s eyes. Paladin Soline also hardened his expression. ¡°Why did your nose grow long?¡± Jung Yu-shin growled. The gnome¡¯s face turned pale. ¡°That¡¯s... that¡¯s not it.¡± ¡°What?¡± As the atmosphere became strange, several people began to cross their arms and look at the table where Jung Yu-shin was sitting. ¡°...¡± The gnome hesitated with a red face. ¡°Slavery is bad? Speak clearly.¡± Jung Yu-shin urged. But the gnome remained silent. Kwaaaaang! Jung Yu-shin slammed the table. ¡°Speak!¡± Jung Yu-shin¡¯s voice resonated through the room. The surroundings became as quiet as a mouse. The eyes of the explorers in the guild were all focused on the gnome. Jung Yu-shin¡¯s face distorted fiercely. ¡°Have you heard of slave hunters? They are people who capture people who are living normal lives and sell them as slaves. They are not just wandering around the Eastern Union border. They are also found in the Labyrinth City.¡± Jung Yu-shin put his hand into his bosom and grabbed the dagger. ¡°Choose your words carefully from now on. If you don¡¯t want to get caught.¡± After speaking, he glared at the gnome. The gnome¡¯s throat twitched. ¡°No! That¡¯s not what I meant! I just...¡± ¡°Just what?¡± Jung Yu-shin¡¯s eyes began to glow with murderous intent. Unable to bear it any longer, the gnome shouted. ¡°This is my taste! I like being a slave!¡± What? An awkward silence descended on the guild. Jung Yu-shin opened his mouth. The gnome''s nose had already disappeared. "I...I have nothing to do with those slave hunters! This is the truth!" "..." He was completely wrong. He had just revealed the poor gnome''s suspicious sexual preferences. The surroundings began to murmur. "Why is that Barbaroi bastard revealing other people''s preferences? He''s going too far. Do you just reveal things that you don''t like and are suspicious of? Tsk." "But that gnome''s tastes are a bit like that. Slave play." "That''s true. A bunch of dangerous guys." People''s mutterings rang through his ears. Jung Yu-shin lowered his head. "I''m sorry." "You bad boy!!!" The gnome''s eyes were filled with resentment. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Jung Yu-shin kept bowing his head while repeating his apology. How much time had passed? The gnome who had been staring at the back of his head sighed deeply and folded his arms. ¡°I¡¯m sorry? Then increase the percentage of compensation I receive. What¡¯s the point of just apologizing in words?¡± ¡°No. That won¡¯t do.¡± Jung Yu-shin raised his head and cut off the gnome¡¯s proposal like a knife. The gnome gaped open. His mind was confused. Does this Barbaroi not have a human heart? Jung Yu-shin opened his mouth with a slightly red face. ¡°I feel sorry. Since we exchanged this once, let¡¯s keep the compensation percentage the same.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤You¡¯re a terrible guy. Won¡¯t you give in on this?¡± The dwarf sitting at the table next to him muttered. Jung Yu-shin turned his head and looked at the dwarf. ¡°You¡¯re not even in our party, why do you keep interfering? Do you want to get your butt spanked?¡± When Jung Yu-shin said something, the dwarf muttered something and then fell silent. Jung Yu-shin looked at the gnome. The gnome¡¯s face was slightly red. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. But I can¡¯t adjust the compensation ratio as I please. I think it requires the consent of all party members.¡± The gnome shivered and sighed again. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤I understand. The leader is fair, so let¡¯s trust him once. Can you accept me?¡± The gnome nodded and asked. ¡°Good. What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Gallahheim.¡± ¡°Scar, please take care of me.¡± Jung Yu-shin held out his hand. The gnome reached out and took it. ¡°It¡¯s going to end so warmly all of a sudden?¡± The dwarf from earlier muttered as if he was dumbfounded. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, you punk.¡± Jung Yu-shin glared at the dwarf. ¡°Okay...okay.¡± The dwarf immediately shrank back. The members of the union immediately went back to their work. They seemed to have been babbling a few times as if it was a common occurrence, but soon lost interest. Someone approached Jung Yu-shin. ¡°Barbaroi is the leader of the party. That¡¯s unusual. Are you looking for a rear guard?¡± He raised his head and looked up at the person who had just spoken. It was a ? N§àv§Öl?§Ôht ? (Don¡¯t copy, read here) male elf wearing a priest¡¯s uniform. ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°As you can see, you¡¯re a low-level priest who serves the spirit of the wind.¡± The elf took out a necklace and showed it to me. Looking at the necklace, he remembered when he first fell into another world. It looked similar to the necklace that Simus often kissed on the pilgrimage road. ¡°Can I sit down?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± It seemed like a lucky day for the rear guard to approach him so easily. No. But I still had to ask what I had to ask. ¡°Do you have any negative imprints?¡± The elf closed his mouth and made a troubled expression. What is it? Honestly, I was confident that I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if some imprint popped out. Come. I¡¯ll pass it on smoothly. I made up my mind and focused my gaze on the elf¡¯s mouth. ¡°It¡¯s the Grandmother Lover Imprint.¡± ??? Jung Yu-shin¡¯s mouth fell open. His head felt dizzy as if someone had hit him on the back of the head with a hammer. ¡°H...what?¡± Jung Yu-shin stammered and asked back. ¡°Grandmother Lover.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing else.¡± The elf continued speaking naturally. Jung Yu-shin stared blankly at the elf¡¯s face. ¡°Isn¡¯t it painful? Loving an old man against your will?¡± The elf¡¯s face became serious. ¡°At first, I was very upset. I thought about erasing it, but isn¡¯t it a hard-earned imprint? It¡¯s not easy to get an imprint, so I thought I¡¯d endure it for a while. And.¡± The elf coughed once and continued. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤A new world has opened up. Listen to me. This isn¡¯t such a bad imprint. If you fall for the charm of the wrinkles once...¡± ¡°That¡¯s it.¡± Jung Yu-shin stopped the elf. The elf looked dissatisfied, but closed his mouth. ¡°Aren¡¯t there any other negative imprints besides that?¡± ¡°No. And I don¡¯t consider the grandmother¡¯s lover imprint to be a negative imprint.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± ¡°Will you accept me?¡± ¡°Yes. Let¡¯s do it well.¡± ¡°Pirion Acrein.¡± The elf held out his hand, saying his name. Jung Yu-shin shook his head, staring blankly at the elf¡¯s hand. ¡°It¡¯s Ska. Let¡¯s not hold hands.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± The elf smiled bitterly and returned his hand. ¡°Your tastes are unique, but I can accept it.¡± The gnome Gallaheim intervened. Jung Yu-shin watched the gnome¡¯s nose grow longer. The nose grew longer, as if anyone could see that it was absolutely unacceptable. ¡°Tuck your nose in and lie.¡± ¡°Oh my!¡± Gallaheim hurriedly picked up the mask with the long nose and covered his face. Jung Yu-shin looked around at the people sitting at the table. Paladin Soline. Gnome Gallaheim. Elf Pirion. Everyone was gathered. People. They were friends with unique tastes, but they didn¡¯t seem bad-tempered. I thought that alone would be half the battle. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Big. Then let¡¯s talk about the reward ratio and the level of achievement. How far will we go? How much will we earn?¡± ¡°This is serious. Good.¡± The gnome Gallaheim scratched his mask and said. The other party members nodded their heads. ¡°Then¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± Jeong Yu-shin sat down and talked to the party members for a long time. All of the party members were low-level explorers who had shed their beginner image. All of them reached the 5th floor at the most. They had been in and out of the labyrinth many times. That meant they had some experience. The elf priest decided to take a little more of the reward for the request. A few hours later, Jeong Yu-shin got up from his seat. ¡°Then let¡¯s end the conversation here and meet again in three days.¡± Jeong Yu-shin parted ways with the party members and returned to the inn. The sun that rose in the east was already overhead. We went early in the morning and the conversation ended around late lunchtime. ¡°I¡¯m here.¡± ¡°Are you here?¡± Dulchangko approached and greeted them. ¡°Please sit down for a moment.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Two guests came last night.¡± ¡°Yes. I saw them this morning.¡± ¡°Did you check their faces?¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t check them because they were covered in robes.¡± Is that so? ¡°Is it possible that they are dangerous?¡± Dulchangko thought for a moment and shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°First of all, the material of the robes is high-quality. It¡¯s something ordinary people wouldn¡¯t even be able to see. Furthermore, the way they ate was full of dignity and formality. They are quite high-ranking people. If they are suspicious, they are suspicious, but I don¡¯t think they will cause any harm to the inn.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Jung Yu-shin patted Deulchangko on the shoulder. ¡°It was originally my job.¡± Deulchangko scratched his head as if embarrassed. ¡°But where did Tarman go?¡± ¡°Lord Aldain called him and he went to the monster dismantling center for a while.¡± Why did he go? I was worried for no reason. ¡°But what happened when you went?¡± Deulchangko asked cautiously. ¡°I did save a party member. The person seems really nice.¡± Jung Yu-shin sighed deeply before saying anything. There was something that was a bit difficult to talk about. ¡°The people are nice. And we will be leaving for the labyrinth in three days.¡± ¡°Understood. Should I prepare some food and water?¡± ¡°Prepare enough for a week.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± At that moment, the inn door opened and someone came in. A tall female knight and a small boy. The female knight had green hair and was wearing old plate armor. The boy had brown hair and was wearing cloth. The two guests I saw last night were definitely the same. I wondered what had blown and revealed their identities, but I held back. I didn¡¯t want to get involved with the higher-ups. Especially now that I was about to go to the labyrinth. I made eye contact with the two for a moment, but that was it. Jeong Yu-shin got up from his seat without saying anything. ¡°I¡¯m going to the market. I need to buy some supplies in advance to enter the labyrinth.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Jung Yu-shin glanced at the knight and the boy as he left the inn. The two were sitting at the table, whispering something. ¡®It¡¯s none of my business.¡¯ Not knowing who it was. Jung Yu-shin left. Jung Yu-shin prepared for the labyrinth for three days. After bargaining with the market general store owner, he bought two small recovery potions, an antidote, and two sturdy leather pouches. He already had dry firewood, recovery ointment, rope, thick robes, and bandages, so there was nothing more to buy. Instead, he bought a bunch of torches. He went to the blacksmith shop and received light armor and a Barbuta helmet with a visor. Boron¡¯s bones, who had been handing him the equipment, were touching. ¡°So what weapon do you plan on using?¡± At the powerless Boron''s question, Jeong Yu-shin stroked his chin and thought deeply. The weapon of the Knight of Light, Soline, is Claymore. He would stand in front and swing a greatsword, so there was no reason for him to insist on a two-handed sword. Wouldn''t it be better to go in a form of coordinating with the vanguard while protecting the rearguard and guide? "One Arming Sword. One round shield made of wood. Please give me this." "A round shield. Wouldn''t it be better if the shield had a metal frame on the end?" "Yes." Boron brought his equipment. The light armor was similar to before. He added segmented iron plates to the leather armor base to block vital points. He added solid plates to the chest and stomach. If I had enough money, I could buy a chainmail armor and wear it underneath. Jung Yu-shin was greedy and licked his lips. He put the arming sword on his waist and put on his helmet. He adjusted the shield handle strap and tied the loose walker strap tightly. Jung Yu-shin jumped and ran while wearing his armor. He drew his sword and swung his shield. Boron crossed his arms and stared at Jung Yu-shin for a moment before blurting out. ¡°You¡¯re such a persistent person. You¡¯re like Einhofer.¡± Jung Yu-shin stopped and tilted his head. ¡°It¡¯s a little embarrassing to suddenly compliment you. Here¡¯s the money.¡± Jung Yu-shin took out a silver coin from his bosom and handed it over. ¡°What about alcohol?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll buy it next time.¡± ¡°Oh, take care.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± After finishing his business at the blacksmith shop, he returned to the inn. Ddeulchangko opened his mouth when he saw Jung Yu-shin. ¡°Ska-nim, you look like a warrior who has overcome obstacles.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Then you are leaving tomorrow?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± He felt eyes on him. Not far away, a knight and a boy were sitting at a table, looking at him. The knight and the boy seemed interested in the explorer, but they didn¡¯t seem to want to talk to him. Jung Yu-shin didn¡¯t want to get involved either, so he didn¡¯t approach them to talk to them. The next morning. Jung Yu-shin packed his luggage and went to the Explorers¡¯ Guild. When he entered the Guild building, the party members were sitting in a corner. The paladin, Soline, had a greatsword slung over his shoulder. The guide, the gnome Gallaheim, had a crossbow on his back and a small dagger on his waist. The elf priest Firion was wearing a cloth outfit and holding a wooden staff. The staff had a spiked mace attached to the end, which could be called a long morning star. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Jung Yu-shin led the party members through the crowd and arrived at the front of the labyrinth. Explorers were swarming in front of the labyrinth. Before entering the magic circle at the entrance of the labyrinth. He turned around and looked around at the party members. Human Paladin Soline. Nose-bearing Gnome Gallaheim. Grandmother-loving Elf Pirion. ¡°Why don¡¯t you go?¡± Gallaheim asked. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Jung Yu-shin and the party members stood in the magic circle following the guard¡¯s instructions. The goal was to mine magic stones and subdue hobgoblins. The maximum level was the 5th floor. He pushed down the helmet he was holding in one hand and fiddled with the flint in his pocket. ¡°Nothing bad, right?¡± As Jung Yu-shin muttered, light flashed from the magic circle. Chapter 62: Ddripping Floating for a moment. Pitch-black darkness. Hard floor. And the moisture unique to caves touched my skin. bang! The moment I landed on the ground and quickly tried to take out the flint. ¡°Keeeek?¡± Something made a sound right in front of me. ¡°Hobgoblin!¡± Gallaheim screamed. ¡°Are you human?¡± Jung Yu-shin asked. Gallaheim had confirmed the identity, but asked just in case. ¡°Keeeeeek!!!¡± The hobgoblin screamed. No. Jung Yu-shin immediately pulled out his Arming Sword and swung it in the direction of the sound. Swish! ¡°Kkeueeek!!!¡± Blood splattered on his helmet first, followed by a scream. Jung Yu-shin immediately took out the flint from his pocket and lit it. Hwaruk. The torch lit up the dark labyrinth. Blood flowed out from the fallen hobgoblin¡¯s neck, soaking the cave floor. Jung Yu-shin looked around at the party members with the torch in his hand. Each of them was holding a weapon. ¡°It¡¯s unlucky to meet a hobgoblin right where you teleported.¡± Gallaheim muttered with a pale expression. Is it some kind of explorer¡¯s superstition? It¡¯s not a story I particularly believe. I¡¯ve rolled around enough without even seeing this. ¡°Please stop talking nonsense as soon as you teleport.¡± Jung Yu-shin took out a dagger from his bosom and cut off the hobgoblin¡¯s ear. He took out a leather pouch from the backpack he had on his back and put the hobgoblin¡¯s ear in it. ¡°You¡¯re really fast. You¡¯ve done this before, haven¡¯t you?¡± Elf priest Pirion was impressed. ¡°Don¡¯t mention it.¡± Jung Yu-shin stood up and continued. ¡°So where are we?¡± ¡°Just wait a minute.¡± The gnome, Gallaheim, took out the map from his bosom and looked at it. Karin looked around and immediately figured out where they had been transferred, but Gallaheim seemed to be a bit sluggish. Gallaheim scratched his head and opened his mouth. ¡°It¡¯s completely on the outskirts. It¡¯s far from the central area. It¡¯ll take quite a while to get to the next level.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Not bad. We¡¯ll have to go back a bit to complete the quest anyway. He decided to think positively. Jung Yu-shin swung his sword, shook off the blood, and draped it over his shoulder. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Gallaheim took the lead. Jung Yu-shin followed behind Gallaheim. Behind Jung Yu-shin, Elf Priest Pirion walked, and lastly, Paladin Soline followed behind. Gallaheim. Jung Yu-shin. Pirion. Soline. They walked through the dark cave in a certain formation. The party members seemed nervous and didn''t say anything. They walked for about 2 hours. "Huh!" Suddenly, Gallaheim raised his crossbow. He looked quite surprised. "What''s going on?" "Enemies behind!" At Gallaheim''s shout, Soline immediately turned around and took a stance. Jung Yu-shin also grabbed his shield strap and stepped forward. They waited for a moment while maintaining their formation. Thump, thump. Footsteps were heard. They weren''t the footsteps of a monster. Jung Yu-shin grabbed Gallaheim''s shoulder. ¡°Gallaheim, please put down your crossbow for a moment.¡± Jung Yu-shin placed the elf priest and gnome behind him and raised the torch high. After waiting for a while, the sound of footsteps became quieter. ¡°Don¡¯t shoot.¡± A voice was heard from beyond the darkness. A human voice. Jung Yu-shin did not let go of his tension. A middle-aged human man approached slowly, holding a torch. ¡°Barbaroi?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°I see. Judging from their attire, they must be low-level explorers who have shed their beginner¡¯s appearance.¡± ¡°...¡± Jung Yu-shin met the human man¡¯s eyes without saying a word. The man was wearing heavy armor and had a kite shield on his back. ¡°Don¡¯t glare at me like that. We will pass first, so I came to ask for your understanding.¡± The man said. ¡°Understood. Pass.¡± After finishing his speech, Jung Yu-shin made eye contact with his party members. The party members nodded silently and agreed. The man¡¯s party members approached him in the darkness. Judging by the flashing weapons, they seemed to be at least a lieutenant. ¡°Huh!¡± Suddenly, the elf priest let out a single scream. The elf¡¯s eyes were bulging out as if they were going to pop out. His gaze was directed at one of the middle-aged man¡¯s party members. Jung Yu-shin grabbed his sword. What is it? He quickly scanned the middle-aged man¡¯s party members. A lizard-man holding a spear. A deer-man carrying a longbow on ? N§àv§ÖIight ? (Original source) his back. A bald human with a longsword slung over his shoulder. And. There was an old human woman. She had long white hair tied back and her entire body was covered in a robe. It was a sad expression, as if it was aged gracefully. Judging from the subtle elegance in his posture, he seemed to be of an ordinary status. He didn¡¯t seem to fit in with this dark labyrinth at all. The grandmother-loving elf approached the elderly woman with a cold face. ¡°Over there.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t come near.¡± A middle-aged man who seemed to be the leader stood in front of the old man. Jung Yu-shin held the elf¡¯s body tightly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. My colleague likes old people.¡± The man tilted his head for a moment and then opened his mouth. ¡°There are people like that. I understand, but don¡¯t come near.¡± ¡°Understood. I¡¯ll hold on to this elf, so you can quickly pass.¡± Jung Yu-shin made way for the people to pass. He also didn¡¯t forget to hold on tightly to the elf who had fallen for the grandmother¡¯s charm. The man nodded once and looked back at the party members. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± The man¡¯s party quickly walked into the darkness of the cave again. An old woman often followed the party. It was unclear whether she was healthy at her age or whether she was light because she didn¡¯t have any luggage. What was so urgent? He was curious, but there was something he had to do first. Jeong Yu-shin turned his head to watch the people disappear into the darkness. ¡°Pirion.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤I¡¯m sorry. I think I went crazy for a moment.¡± ¡®You can pursue the grandmother in the labyrinth.¡¯ He understood, but it was wrong to approach the other person without asking for their understanding. ¡°I understand.¡± He decided not to press the elf¡¯s sincere reflection any further. ¡°Whew, this has happened a few times, but it really makes me nervous every time.¡± The gnome muttered with a sigh of relief. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Jung Yu-shin led the party through the darkness of the cave. How many hours had they walked? The party¡¯s breathing had begun to become ragged. ¡°Would you like to rest?¡± Jung Yu-shin asked. ¡°There¡¯s a rest area just a little further from here.¡± Gallaheim answered, wiping the sweat from his forehead. ¡°Understood.¡± After walking for another hour, they arrived at the rest area. They entered the common area on one wall of the cave and settled down. They took out blankets to cover the wall and unpacked their backpacks. They placed torches in the center and sat down. ¡°Barbaroi, you¡¯ve got great stamina.¡± The paladin Soline said as she looked at Jung Yu-shin. Jung Yu-shin took off his helmet and brushed his sweaty hair back. ¡°It¡¯s not that great. It just happened because we kept doing it.¡± ¡°Even when we ran into other parties, we acted calmly without panicking. In fact, everyone except you was flustered.¡± Jung Yu-shin tilted his head at Soline¡¯s words. Hmm. Is that right? I¡¯ve been in and out of the labyrinth four or five times, so shouldn¡¯t I act naturally? After thinking about it for a while, he came to a conclusion. It might be different for everyone. ¡°I guess my shoulders are heavy, so my actions are also heavy.¡± Jung Yu-shin snickered and replied. Soline shrugged and laughed. ¡°It¡¯s just like Senior Gil Si-eon said. I¡¯m glad I got a good leader.¡± Is that so? Jung Yu-shin nodded and drank from his water bottle. After resting for about an hour, he left the resting place and continued on through the darkness. After walking for several hours, he came across a group of hobgoblin corpses. Jung Yu-shin approached. I examined the hobgoblin corpse. Straight scars, as if measured with a ruler. It was a single blow that cut off only the vital points without any extras. It seemed that the party that went ahead had taken care of it. They didn¡¯t take the ear. I don¡¯t know if they didn¡¯t need the small change or if they were in a hurry. I could get the ear for free without fighting, so I could say I was lucky. The party members seemed to think the same, as they took out daggers from their bosoms. ¡®Free corpse loot? Is the heavens pushing me?¡¯ Jeong Yu-shin smiled broadly and took out the dagger. Snap. Snap. They sat down in a circle and cut off the hobgoblin¡¯s ear. Sitting like this, I thought of the abandoned party and laughed without thinking. ¡°Barbaroi, why are you laughing?¡± Gallaheim¡¯s face turned a little pale. He had no idea where the laughter could come from. ¡°I laughed because I thought of my old friends.¡± Only then did Gallaheim¡¯s face brighten. ¡°I see. Are you all doing well?¡± Jung Yu-shin smiled bitterly at Gallaheim¡¯s question. ¡®They all went their separate ways. One died by my hand.¡¯ He repeated the truth to himself. ¡°Yes.¡± Jung Yu-shin answered briefly and cut off the ear. He opened his pocket and put all the hobgoblin ears in it. Thanks to the party ahead of him unintentionally opening the way, he was able to take the ears from the hobgoblin corpse without fighting. Still, it felt a little lacking. ¡®I guess there¡¯s not much to gain from the first floor.¡¯ The black slime holding the magic stone was nowhere to be seen. He stuffed his pocket into his backpack and got up from his seat. ¡°How about going to the second floor?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Gallaheim readily answered. ¡°Good.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Priest Pirion and Paladin Soline agreed. They walked for another few hours. Jung Yu-shin turned his head and looked at the party members. They looked sweaty and tired from walking for a long time. ¡°Let¡¯s camp on the first floor today.¡± The party members nodded to Jung Yu-shin¡¯s words. ¡®We should also think about stamina distribution.¡¯ After organizing his thoughts, he asked Gallaheim. ¡°Is there a place to camp nearby?¡± Gallaheim spread out the map and looked at it. ¡°There¡¯s a rest area a little further from here.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± They walked for about 2 more hours and found a rest area. It was a communal space several times larger than the resting area we had rested in before. At least three parties could fit in there. There was no one there. It was an outer area away from the central area and also on the first floor, so it was natural in a way. As before, we unpacked and finished preparing for camping. We decided to save on dry firewood and instead put the torch in the center. Jung Yu-shin and the party members sat comfortably in their seats, each taking out dry food and water from their backpacks and eating and drinking. The tension and awkwardness from when we first entered the labyrinth had greatly decreased. Suddenly, a curiosity came to mind. Jung Yu-shin swallowed the jerky and opened his mouth. ¡°Pirion, I have a question.¡± ¡°Tell me.¡± ¡°Pirion, aren¡¯t you an elf? You¡¯re a member of the longevity tribe, so how does the... grandmotherly lover¡¯s seal activate? If we look at the age of the elves, aren¡¯t they all young?¡± Elf priest Pirion smiled and opened his mouth. ¡°Why are you asking? Are you interested?¡± The sudden question shook Jung Yu-shin¡¯s head. Why was he curious? It must have been a forbidden question. ¡°Come to think of it, I¡¯m not really curious. Let¡¯s just pretend it never happened.¡± ¡°This imprint detects the other person¡¯s aging. Did you get an answer?¡± Is that so? Since we¡¯ve already stepped into the darkness, he decided to ask just one more question. ¡°It seems a little ambiguous. Is there a special standard for the imprint to define aging?¡± ¡°The more wrinkles the other person has, the more saggy their flesh is, the more my ¡®there¡¯ reacts.¡± That place? That place. The elf nodded and pointed to his chest once, then to his lower body again. Ugh. Jung Yu-shin hurriedly covered his mouth. The elf continued. ¡°I¡¯m 300 years old, but my heart is in my 20s. My heart is young, so what if they¡¯re a little younger than me? The old lady was like that too. Huh, how could that be...¡± ¡°Let¡¯s stop.¡± Jung Yu-shin glared at the elf and said. Gallaheim intervened. ¡°Barbaroi, is there a need to reject him like that? I think his tastes are worthy of respect. At least you shouldn¡¯t interrupt people when they¡¯re talking.¡± Jung Yu-shin approached Gallaheim in a sitting position and extended his hand. ¡°Put your mask down.¡± ¡°Huh... Huh! Don¡¯t do that!¡± Gallaheim shouted as he stepped back in shock. After bickering with the party members for a while, they finished eating and decided on the order of night watch. Jung Yu-shin was third. He put on his robe and leaned against the wall. He briefly looked at the torch burning alone in the dark and damp room and closed his eyes. ¡°Barbaroi.¡± Someone called his name. When he opened his eyes, Soline was standing there. ¡°Barbaroi, you sleep well in a place like this.¡± Soline said with a bitter smile. ¡°It¡¯s the first floor. Go and get some sleep.¡± Jeong Yu-shin replied and sat up straight. His back and neck were sore from sleeping with his back against the wall. He watched Soline go back to his seat and looked at the torch for a moment. Beyond the burning torch, he saw a blanket placed at the entrance. He listened to the party members tossing and turning with one ear and let it go. He stared at the blanket for a long time. It was clearly wrapped to prevent light from leaking out, but he felt like he was locking himself up. At that moment. Sharak. The mofo shook slightly. Jung Yu-shin''s body stiffened. A chill ran down his spine. There was no sound of footsteps or breathing, but the mofo fluttered slightly. Something incomprehensible had happened. Miji became terrified and grabbed Jung Yu-shin''s heart. He gripped the Arming Sword tightly and glared at the mofo. "Knock knock." A playful voice was heard from beyond the mofo. Chapter 63: The sky is pushing me! Hey! Srrr-rrr! Jeong Yusin jumped up from his seat and drew his Arming Sword. "Who¡¯s there?!" He deliberately raised his voice. The party members, who had been half-asleep, immediately stood up and grabbed their weapons first. Ding ding. Ting Ting. Outside, the sound of strings being plucked echoed. "...Is that the sound of a lute?" Galherheim, who was hurriedly loading his crossbow, muttered with wide eyes. "Calm down. Calm down. We¡¯re not monsters, but humans," he hummed, as if singing a song. Jeong Yusin¡¯s eyebrows twitched. Another party must have come to the resting spot. But their method was quite malicious. How could they startle people without even making a sound? They must be skilled, but isn¡¯t that too much? Even the elf priest, Phirion, seemed to have the same thought, making a sour expression as he spoke. "At least they should¡¯ve made some noise with their footsteps, right?" "Ah, sorry! They¡¯re a quiet bunch. But anyway, should we go in?" Jeong Yusin looked around at his party members. The party members, responding to Jeong Yusin¡¯s gaze, nodded quietly. "Come in." Shhh. As soon as Jeong Yusin¡¯s words ended, the blanket covering the entrance was pulled aside. A young man with white face paint entered, smiling. It looked just like a clown¡¯s makeup. The gleam in his eyes made Jeong Yusin instinctively wary. In one hand, he held a dagger, and in the other, a lute. Behind the painted man, four other men entered. They were all human, with quiet, calm expressions. The weapons they carried varied, but most were short-range weapons like daggers, short swords, and maces. Another common trait was that all of them had crossbows slung over their backs. The man with the clown makeup grinned at Jeong Yusin. "Are you the party leader?" "That¡¯s right." "Calm down. We really just came to rest. We¡¯ll quietly stay in a corner." "And if I don¡¯t want that?" "...What? Heh, hahahaha!!!" The clown-like man laughed loudly, raising his head as if he had heard some great joke. Jeong Yusin quietly stared at the man who suddenly burst into laughter. Is he crazy? From behind the clown, a man with a quiet demeanor stepped forward. He wore an eye patch over one eye, and a thick beard covered his chin. The man spoke. "This resting spot looks a bit too big for just one party. Is this all yours?" "Not exactly. But we¡¯ve been using it first. Isn¡¯t it common sense to ask for permission?" "Isn¡¯t that what you¡¯re doing now?" "In that tone?" Jeong Yusin¡¯s response made the one-eyed man laugh a little, before his expression hardened. "You¡¯re a young one. Recklessness isn¡¯t good." Just as Jeong Yusin was about to speak, someone tugged at his pants. It was Galherheim, the nosy gnome. "What is it?" Jeong Yusin asked. "Just give in. Do we really need to fight over this spot?" Galherheim spoke in a low voice. Jeong Yusin looked around at his party. Most of them wore expressions that showed they didn¡¯t want a fight. "Tch. Fine. Go to that corner." "Tch! What a temper." The one-eyed man clicked his tongue and led his party to a corner to sit. His party quickly and efficiently set up camp. They seemed experienced, having done this many times. Jeong Yusin kept glancing at the one-eyed man¡¯s party. As the man had said, it seemed they really did come to rest. Was his reaction too extreme? Being the leader of the party, Jeong Yusin felt conflicted between his personality and ensuring the safety of his group. Had that confusion manifested as an overreaction? For some reason, he thought highly of Karin. Despite her slightly ferocious and reckless nature, she had been adept at leading the party. Someone placed their hand on his shoulder. It was the paladin, Soline. "Don¡¯t blame yourself. As a leader, your reaction was understandable. They approached without making a sound, so it wouldn¡¯t have been strange if a fight broke out." "I see." Jeong Yusin nodded slightly and spoke. "Let¡¯s rest a bit before heading out. Phirion, you¡¯ll be taking the watch, right? Let¡¯s stand together." "Understood." Jeong Yusin and his party returned to their original positions. Soline and Galherheim lay down on their spots. Jeong Yusin and Phirion leaned against the wall. Looking at the corner, the one-eyed man¡¯s party was eating. The overall atmosphere was quiet, but Jeong Yusin occasionally felt strange looks aimed at him, particularly from the man with clown makeup. Whenever their eyes met, he would just grin, but there was an unsettling feeling in his gut. The members of the one-eyed man¡¯s party finished their meal and lay down. Jeong Yusin turned his head back to look at the torch. In the silence, accompanied by a peculiar tension, he quietly counted in his head to pass the time. After four hours, the members of Jeong Yusin¡¯s party got up from their positions. Their eyes were bloodshot, likely from lack of sleep. It was probably expected. How could anyone sleep easily when surrounded by suspicious people? The party quickly finished their meal, packed their things, and left the resting spot. As they moved silently, Galherheim, who was walking ahead, spoke up. "After thinking about it, that man with the clown makeup, he¡¯s definitely one of ''them'' from the East District." ''Them''...? "Who is this guy?" "Oswald. He¡¯s an executive in the Shadow Clowns Clan, a dark underworld gang from the East District." Jeong Yusin had never heard of this dark gang. "Why would someone like that be here?" "I don¡¯t know. He seems to have some agenda, but it¡¯s better not to get involved." "Is this Oswald strong?" "He could easily kill a low-level scout, twisting their wrist like a child¡¯s." Galherheim spoke as he looked into the darkness. "..." With such a noticeable feature, shouldn¡¯t they recognize him immediately? Jeong Yusin swallowed the question. Galherheim was the guide. He didn¡¯t want to distract him and break his concentration. Besides, it seemed like there wouldn¡¯t be any real involvement with the one-eyed man¡¯s party anyway. After walking for a while, they reached the teleportation stone on the first floor. Jeong Yusin touched the stone. Whoooom. A red portal and a blue portal materialized. Jeong Yusin took the torch and stepped into the red portal first. Thud! The hard floor. The air was still humid. They had arrived on the second floor. From the blue portal, Galherheim emerged first, followed by Phirion and finally Soline. Galherheim spread out a map and spoke. "Another outer district." "Since we¡¯re not heading for the deeper levels, let¡¯s just go at a relaxed pace." Jeong Yusin reassured Galherheim and led the party into the darkness. How long had they been walking? When his sense of time started to blur... Galherheim suddenly stopped, his ears perked up. "Ten hobgoblins ahead." Galherheim¡¯s voice quietly echoed. Finally, a real fight was about to begin. It was time to see what his party members were capable of. Jeong Yusin raised his shield and stepped forward. Arrrgh!!! Hehehe!!! The hobgoblins¡¯ laughter echoed from beyond the darkness. Thud thud thud thud!!! The sound of small feet running grew louder. Galherheim aimed his crossbow toward the darkness. Just as the faint shapes started to appear in the torchlight... Thwooosh!!! The bolt fired by Galherheim pierced through a hobgoblin¡¯s forehead. "Snap!" The hobgoblin collapsed, letting out a final scream. The battle had begun with a surprise attack. "Arrrgh!!!" Others charged over the fallen hobgoblin¡¯s body. One. Two. Three. Here they come. Soline swung her claymore. Downward, from top to bottom. Whoooosh!!! The hobgoblin¡¯s upper body was split open, brain and innards spilling onto the floor. Several hobgoblins passed Soline and charged toward the rear. "Arrrgh!!!" Jeong Yusin waited. He swung his shield. Bam!!! The shield crushed a hobgoblin¡¯s face. "Arrgh!!!" Its broken teeth flew into the air. The hobgoblin screamed and clutched its face. Opening. The Arming Sword plunged deep into the hobgoblin¡¯s throat as Jeong Yusin withdrew his blade. Pssshhh!!! He severed the jugular. Blood gushed from the hobgoblin¡¯s neck and splattered on the cave walls. The hobgoblin, with its face crushed and its jugular cut, collapsed to the ground. But Jeong Yusin didn¡¯t stop. Bam!!! He kicked the hobgoblin¡¯s jaw. The hobgoblin¡¯s neck snapped as it collided with another group of hobgoblins charging in. Boom crash!!! The hobgoblins tumbled. [Haste] From behind, Phirion finished her incantation. A gentle breeze seemed to brush past. Jeong Yusin¡¯s body suddenly felt lighter. As expected, being a priest of the Wind Spirit, her divine magic had a similar feel. Struggling to rise, the remaining hobgoblins charged again. "Arrrgh!!!" One of them screeched and jumped high, swinging its mace. Clang! Jeong Yusin raised his shield to block, then thrust his sword forward. Thud! The sharp Arming Sword broke the hobgoblin¡¯s ribs and pierced its heart deeply. "Arrgh!!!" The hobgoblin struggled a few times before going still. Stepping back, Jeong Yusin pulled out his sword and swung it at another hobgoblin. A diagonal slash. Blood spurted from the hobgoblin¡¯s eyes. "Arrgh!!!" The hobgoblin howled, covering its eyes. It was too noisy. With a pommel strike, Jeong Yusin smashed its head. Bam!!! The skull shattered with a single blow, caving in. There was no time to rest. The next hobgoblin came charging with a spear. Clang! The spearhead aimed at Jeong Yusin¡¯s chest, but it bounced off his solid plate armor. Jeong Yusin casually swung his shield to crush the spear. The hobgoblin, startled, stumbled backward. He didn¡¯t miss. He swung his sword horizontally. The sharp edge of the Arming Sword reflected the torchlight and flashed. Whoosh!!! The hobgoblin¡¯s head flew through the air. The neck was cleanly severed, its cross-section fully visible. Shoooosh!!! Blood gushed from the severed neck, spraying everywhere. The headless hobgoblin collapsed to the ground. The ones who came from the rear were all taken care of. Looking ahead, Jeong Yusin saw four hobgoblins surrounding Soline. Thwack! A bolt fired by Galherheim pierced the head of one hobgoblin standing next to Soline. The hobgoblin, its brain pierced, fell like a log. Jeong Yusin ran toward Soline. Soline swung her greatsword. The hobgoblin hopped sideways to avoid it. Clang!!! The greatsword struck the floor in vain. The hobgoblin quickly seized the opening and charged in. A body slam, putting all its weight into it. Thud! Soline staggered for a moment. Jeong Yusin quickly sprang forward and kicked the hobgoblin¡¯s abdomen. Crack! The Walker¡¯s boot dug deep into the hobgoblin¡¯s sternum. "Arrgh!!!" The hobgoblin vomited blood. Jeong Yusin didn¡¯t stop and stabbed his sword into its eye. Thwack!!! The sharp tip of the Arming Sword gouged the eye and went deep into the brain. "Snap!" The hobgoblin trembled and went limp. Whoosh!!! With a final swing, Soline cleaved through two hobgoblins in one blow. Whoooosh!!! Blood splattered on the cave wall. No screams. They were instantly killed. With Soline¡¯s finishing blow, the battle was over. Ten hobgoblins slain. Jeong Yusin turned to check on his party members. They were breathing heavily, but there seemed to be no injuries. Jeong Yusin lifted his visor. "Are you all okay?" "Looks like no one¡¯s hurt." Phirion, the elf priest, replied. "That was terrifying. Is this how barbarians fight?" Galherheim asked as he slung his crossbow over his back. ''That was cleaner than last time.'' "Well, I suppose so. Let¡¯s cut off their ears for now." Jeong Yusin pulled out a dagger and said. "Hah, hah. Thanks. That could¡¯ve been a real problem." Soline, catching her breath, suddenly expressed her thanks. "No problem." Though they were just hobgoblins, it seemed plausible that if they were surrounded, things could¡¯ve gotten worse. In the worst case, the helmet could¡¯ve been knocked off, and a dagger might¡¯ve been buried in the neck. Jeong Yusin cut off the hobgoblin ears, put them in his pouch, and headed back into the dark cave. Whoosh. The torchlight illuminated the dark cave. 5 days later. Jeong Yusin¡¯s party reached the teleportation stone at the end of the third floor. Jeong Yusin looked at the stone and smiled faintly. They had slain enough hobgoblins to gather enough ears for a bounty request. They had also collected enough Magic Stones from the Black Slime. A solid reward was already secured. Thinking of the shining silver coins, Jeong Yusin felt his stomach grow warm. ''Maybe the heavens are on my side?'' Compared to Karin¡¯s party, his was weaker, but his party members were certainly not bad. He wanted to continue traveling with them if possible. "This much income is great. We¡¯re lucky! Barbarian, you¡¯re really a blessing!" Galherheim said with a laugh. "With the leader standing strong like a rock, it¡¯s reassuring." Phirion also chimed in. With the party members¡¯ praise, Jeong Yusin felt his shoulders rise with pride. "...In that case, how about moving on to the next floor?" Galherheim rubbed his hands together, looking relaxed compared to the tense and anxious mood when they first entered. All the party members were low-level scouts. While not mid-tier, they were far more capable than beginner explorers. They had reached the 5th floor, so the 4th should be manageable, right? Moreover, they had plenty of torches. Luck was # N§àv§Ölight # on their side. "What does everyone think?" Jeong Yusin asked, looking around at his party. "Sounds good." "Yes." Soline and Phirion agreed. Jeong Yusin grinned and nodded. "Alright! Let¡¯s go! If the heavens are with us!" He shouted energetically and touched the teleportation stone. Whoooom. The blue and red portals appeared. Jeong Yusin took the torch and entered the red portal first. Thud! Stepping out of the red portal, Jeong Yusin landed. "Hm?" The air felt heavy, like it was saturated with something other than water. And, surprisingly, the surroundings weren¡¯t dark. He quickly looked up. Not far off, the man with white face paint and his calm-faced companions stood holding torches. Jeong Yusin¡¯s eyes widened. It was the man he had seen a few days ago. The executive of the East District¡¯s underworld gang. Oswald. Beside Oswald stood the one-eyed man. In his hand, he held an elderly woman, gripping her by the head. The woman was vomiting blood. Jeong Yusin recognized her. Her party members lay scattered on the ground, dead or alive, he couldn¡¯t tell. Shit. What the hell was going on here? Oswald grinned and spoke. "Fancy meeting you again, huh? By the way, buddy." The one-eyed man stepped forward and interrupted Oswald. "Looks like the young guy¡¯s out of luck. Let¡¯s send him to a better place." Crack crack crack!!! As soon as the one-eyed man finished speaking, his party members aimed their crossbows at Jeong Yusin. Jeong Yusin had no idea what was going on, but one thing was clear. I''m screwed. Chapter 64: Time to hunt A tense situation. Woohoo. Party members came out of the red portal. They were bewildered because they suddenly encountered people, but soon they readied their weapons without saying a word, perhaps because they realized the ominous atmosphere. ¡°...¡± The blindfolded man¡¯s party and Jung Yu-shin¡¯s party faced off in silence. Jung Yu-shin frowned. He knew that these guys were not ordinary. That¡¯s why he climbed the levels as slowly as possible and hunted the monsters. They seemed to be high-level guys, so he thought he would quickly clear the levels. He thought that if he took his time, he wouldn¡¯t encounter them. But he was wrong. To make matters worse, all of the old woman¡¯s party members had collapsed. These guys were grabbing the old woman¡¯s hair viciously. Anyone could tell that the blindfolded man¡¯s party wasn¡¯t a very good group. And. Why did they have to meet right after exiting the portal, right on this vast fourth floor? Wasn''t it as if the heavens had pushed him off a cliff? Jung Yu-shin was so upset by this ridiculous situation that he was seething inside. ''Fuck.'' No. He calmed down. Even if the heavens fall, there is a hole to escape from. Jung Yu-shin opened his mouth calmly. "Teachers, I''ll pretend not to see you, so can''t I just go?" The blindfolded man snickered. "This is the first time I''ve heard you say teacher. Young friend, I''m sorry..." "Where are you going?! Who the hell are you? Why are you persecuting a delicate woman? Leave the woman behind and get out!" Suddenly, the elf priest Pirion shouted. His eyes sparkled with anger. ''You crazy old lady lover!'' Jung Yu-shin opened his mouth. I couldn¡¯t speak because it was so ridiculous. ¡°The priest is right. Why are you attacking other parties and persecuting the weak? Even if we all joined forces in the Great Labyrinth, it wouldn¡¯t be enough.¡± Soline stepped forward and defended the elf priest Firion. Her eyes briefly lingered on the party member of the old woman who had collapsed. ¡®Ah, damn it. Soline, you too.¡¯ It was a combination of a paladin and a priest. The people were really nice. But seeing them not being able to tell where they should and shouldn¡¯t be put made me angry. ¡°Gallaheim! You say something too!¡± Paladin Soline harassed the gnome Gallaheim. ¡°I...I.¡± Gallaheim hesitated. ¡°Come on!¡± Soline growled and urged him on. ¡°Old, I think it¡¯s wrong to grab an old woman¡¯s hair.¡± ¡®I can see her nose growing longer.¡¯ Just hearing her voice made him think that Gallaheim¡¯s nose must have grown longer. Jung Yu-shin chewed his lips. In any case, he had bought himself some time. He was glad that he didn¡¯t get hit by a bolt and die screaming as soon as he came out of the portal. But that was all. Jung Yu-shin glanced at the fallen explorers. I don¡¯t know if they¡¯re dead or alive, but they¡¯re at least midshipmen. It¡¯s right to think that the guys aiming their crossbows right in front of him are on par. The clear difference in power. The party of the blindfolded man who looks relaxed at first glance. His colleagues who can¡¯t stand injustice. It¡¯s a complete dilemma. His head was spinning. ¡°Hey, shit. This isn¡¯t right.¡± Jung Yu-shin blurted out. Everyone, both friend and foe, looked dumbfounded at the sudden insult. ¡°...¡± The cave fell into silence. It wasn¡¯t just a simple insult. It was a soulful cry that rose from the depths of their hearts. ¡°Fuck!!! Why can¡¯t I be happy!!!¡± A shout of anger swept through the cave. Jung Yu-shin, who had been grumbling, changed his face and opened his mouth. ¡°Prepare for battle.¡± A low, cold voice was heard. Everyone in the cave was taken aback by the sudden change in emotion, but Jung Yu-shin¡¯s party reacted first. Soline stepped forward and Gallaheim and Pirion stepped back. It can¡¯t be avoided. Maybe. He thought that someone in his party might die. He slung his sword over his shoulder and took a stance. ¡°Ahhh. Wait. Wait.¡± Then Oswald suddenly intervened. ¡°This isn¡¯t fun. Should I tell you something fun?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be a jerk and get out.¡± Jung Yu-shin growled. It was really unsettling to see the most dangerous-looking guy here squirming. ¡°Whew, scary. Scary. That old man.¡± Oswald pointed to the old woman caught by the blindfolded man. ¡°The fifth prince¡¯s nanny.¡± ¡°...¡± A cold silence fell over the cave. At Oswald¡¯s declaration, even the enemies and allies opened their mouths and couldn¡¯t continue speaking. ¡°You...!¡± The blindfolded man glared at Oswald. Oswald shrugged. ¡°I found the nanny, so I¡¯ve completed my mission. I¡¯ve cleaned up the trash. I¡¯ve done everything I had to do.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Do the guys from the Labyrinth City talk about the details of the request ¡ã? N o v e l i g h t ?¡ã as they please?¡± The blindfolded man spat out. Oswald chuckled. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to kill everyone you see anyway? It would be better if you were more specific.¡± ¡®What the hell is going on?¡¯ Wasn¡¯t the blindfolded man a member of the underworld? Jeong Yu-shin¡¯s head quickly turned. The 5th prince disappeared. The 5th prince¡¯s nanny came to the Labyrinth City. Naturally, he had to be certain that the 5th prince was in the Labyrinth City. To be exact, it was because of the actions of the 5th prince¡¯s nanny. Despite his old age and white hair, he couldn¡¯t have come into the Labyrinth without a certain degree of certainty. Since the blindfolded man hasn¡¯t killed the nanny yet. Should we assume that the 5th prince¡¯s whereabouts have not been revealed yet? I don¡¯t know. There¡¯s not enough evidence. This is beyond the realm of prediction, so I refrained from making any deductions. One thing for sure. The blindfolded man was not from the underworld and was hostile to the Fifth Prince. At that moment. The blindfolded man sighed deeply and opened his mouth. ¡°Shoot.¡± ¡®Fuck.¡¯ Thump! Tutu thump!! Thump! The strings of the crossbow rang simultaneously. Gallaheim and Pirion panicked. Ssueeeeeeeeek!!! Ssueeeeeeeeek!!! Jung Yu-shin quickly stepped forward and raised his shield. Rear protection was a priority. Ssueeeeeeek!! Ssueeeeeeek!! The bolt pierced the wooden shield. The iron plate on the wrist prevented the bolt from getting stuck in the wrist, but. ¡°Fuck!¡± Jung Yu-shin swore. A burning sensation in the thigh. The brain was suddenly agitated with pain. [Revenger] Imprint activation. Tattatatta!!! The sound of running footsteps. ¡®Come!¡¯ He gripped the Arming Sword tightly in one hand. But the enemies did not rush at him. He raised his head over the shield and looked straight ahead. The blindfolded man and his men were running into the darkness. The old woman was dragged away as well. ¡°Hahahahaha! It¡¯s hunting time! Have fun!¡± Oswald shouted as he followed the blindfolded man. ¡®You damn bastards.¡¯ He mistook them for explorers. These guys are not explorers. They are hunters. I don¡¯t know how they caught a mid-level explorer, but it was definitely not the right way. ¡°Fuck!¡± Jeong Yu-shin sank into his seat. The bolts dug deep between his thighs and his brain felt like it was going to burn out. Most of the bolts were flying through his upper body, and he aimed precisely between the metal plates on his thighs. They weren''t easy. And now it was going to be a chase in the dark, and he hurt his leg. Soline came over and examined Jung Yu-shin''s wound. "The bolts are deeply embedded." Jung Yu-shin pulled out his dagger. "Soline, look at the net. Don''t look at me." "Okay...okay." Jung Yu-shin sterilized the dagger with a torch, panting. I thought I was going to go crazy, having to go through this shit again. "Whew." He held his breath and stabbed his thigh with the dagger. Crunch. Crunch. The dagger went deep, scraping the bone and tearing the muscle. Jeong Yu-shin''s eyes became bloodshot. Saliva flowed out of his sullen mouth. I dug my inner thigh with a dagger to find the bolt head. I cut through the flesh and muscle. I needed space for the bolt head to come out. ¡°Ugh!!!¡± My teeth chattered. I grabbed the bolt with trembling hands. The bolt head got caught in the tendon and wouldn¡¯t come out. I kept putting it in and taking it out. The excruciating pain that I couldn¡¯t describe. Sparks flashed in my brain. Blood gushed out from my thigh. Tsk tsk. Finally, the bolt head came out of my thigh. ¡°Keuheup!!!¡± Jung Yu-shin gasped for breath as he looked at the bolt head that had come out. His whole body was soaked with sweat. He gathered his dizzy mind and searched through his backpack, spraying recovery potions and antidotes on the wounds, applying a generous amount of ointment, and wrapping them in a cloth. He wanted to use them all, but he held back. Because I don¡¯t know what will happen next. In the same sense, I also declined Firion¡¯s recovery magic. Gallaheim approached. ¡°The five princes¡¯ nanny party is all dead. I just checked.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤How did they die?¡± ¡°It seems to be poison.¡± ¡°Were there any bolt marks?¡± ¡°Yes. There were also marks from large awls.¡± Awl marks? Poison? A familiar combination. Anxiety rose up. ¡°Whew, let¡¯s go. We have to escape as quickly as possible.¡± ¡°Ha, but that nanny.¡± Firion stammered and interjected. ¡°Firion, stop when I speak in a gentlemanly manner.¡± Jeong Yu-shin glared at Firion. ¡°Scar is right. Right now, escape comes first.¡± Soline interjected. ¡°Okay, okay.¡± Pirion nodded. ¡°Gallaheim, please find the fastest way out of here.¡± ¡°Okay. But can you walk?¡± Gallaheim¡¯s voice was filled with worry. ¡°Yes.¡± Jung Yu-shin frowned and stood up. His thighs were aching. He had done the bare minimum, so he just had to endure it. He looked around the party. Most of them were fine, but there was one problem with Soline. There was a bolt stuck in the shoulder of his plate armor. ¡°Soline, are you okay?¡± Jung Yu-shin asked. ¡°He¡¯s not hurt. It¡¯s old armor, so it¡¯s not very good.¡± Soline answered bitterly. It was the tone of a low-ranking paladin¡¯s complaint. ¡®I guess I should take the lead.¡¯ Jung Yu-shin took the lead, holding a torch. The party moved through the darkness. They walked for about 2 hours. Ssaeeeeeeeeek!!! The sound of bolts cutting through the air. They instinctively raised their shields. Kwaaak!!! The bolts pierced through the shields and struck. The tension was so strong that even their wrists tingled. Each shot was nerve-racking. These guys had been circling around from afar for 2 hours, firing bolts. They were persistently targeting only him. Jeong Yu-shin gritted his teeth. Those guys wanted him to lose his senses and become angry. If the leader collapses, do they think the rest are easy prey? I absolutely cannot do this. I held back with all my might. Tiring. Tiring. The occasional lute and laughter echoed through the cave. Ssaeeeeeeek!!! Another bolt split the darkness and flew towards Gallaheim. ¡°Ughhhhhhh!!!¡± The dazzling Gallaheim screamed. Jung Yu-shin quickly blocked Gallaheim¡¯s path. Kwaaaaak!!! The bolt pierced the shield once again and struck it. The wooden shield had already been struck by more than ten bolts, turning it into a hedgehog. His wrists were aching from the continued impact. Jung Yu-shin desperately racked his brain. ¡®Aren¡¯t they even afraid of monsters coming?¡¯ Is there some way to avoid monsters? How can they be okay in the darkness? Is it an imprinting ability? The thought didn¡¯t last long. ¡°Kueeeeeeek!!!¡± The Hobgoblin Warrior¡¯s roar was heard from afar. Gallaheim''s face turned pale. "Prepare for battle!" Jung Yu-shin shouted. Thump! Thump! Thump! The sound of running footsteps. "Two Hobgoblin Warriors. One Hobgoblin Shaman. Five Hobgoblins!" Gallaheim shouted. Eight in total. "Target the Hobgoblin Shaman first!" Jung Yu-shin shouted. "Okay, okay!" Gallaheim hurriedly raised his crossbow. He slung his arming sword over his shoulder and lowered his stance. He had to fight the Hobgoblin horde while being wary of the bolts flying in the darkness. The difficulty was ridiculous. But. ''I will definitely survive.'' Jung Yu-shin''s eyes burned with naturalization. ¡°Keeeeeeeek!!!¡± ¡°Keeeeeeeek!!!¡± The hobgoblins¡¯ screams erupted from the darkness and echoed through the cave. Chapter 65: I’ll tell you later He slung his arming sword over his shoulder and raised his shield. Boom! Boom! Boom! The footsteps of the heavy Hobgoblin Warrior drew near. A group of Hobgoblins emerged from the darkness. Clubs, long spears, daggers, axes. They were holding various weapons. They looked pretty neat, I don''t know where they were picked up. "Gallaheim!" Jung Yu-shin shouted. Boom! Galllaheim fired a bolt. Ssaeeeeeeek!!! The bolt flew past the Hobgoblin Shaman and disappeared into the darkness. "Damn it!" Galllaheim swore. Jung Yu-shin glared at Galllaheim. They say the one who farted gets angry. Seeing him lose his temper after not hitting him, I wanted to hit him in the head. [Haste] Pirion''s chanting was over. My body felt lighter. I couldn''t pay any more attention to Gallaheim. The Hobgoblin Warrior was running towards me from the front. Jung Yu-shin grabbed his sword. ''Come.'' "Kueeeeeeek!!!" The Hobgoblin Warrior ran and swung his club. Jung Yu-shin stepped back half an inch. Kwaaaaang!!! The ground shattered and pieces of stone flew out. The Hobgoblin Warrior''s posture collapsed because of the heavy club. The hand holding the club caught my eye. ''Gap.'' I raised my foot and stepped on the Hobgoblin''s wrist. Boom!!! Ppagagak!!! Jung Yu-shin''s walker shattered Hobgoblin Warrior''s wrist bone. "Kueeeeeeek!!!" Hobgoblin Warrior screamed and let go of his club. ''Opportunity.'' He raised his arming sword and tried to stab Hobgoblin Warrior under the chin. Ssaeeeeeeek!!! A bolt flew towards Jung Yu-shin, cutting through the darkness. "Crap!" Kwagagak!!! He raised his shield and blocked it. The bolt blocked it. But. Paaaak!!! He was hit by the other hand of the enraged Hobgoblin Warrior. Jung Yu-shin rolled on the floor and hit the cave wall. The shoulder part of his light armor was crushed. "Scar!!!" Soline shouted. Soline couldn''t help because he was too busy dealing with the remaining hobgoblin warrior. Jung Yu-shin jumped up from the floor like a grasshopper. [Revenger] Imprint activated. Blue chrysanthemums flowed out from between the eye sockets of the helmet. He charged again. The hobgoblin warrior grabbed the club with his good hand and swung it wildly. Kwaaaaang!!! Kwaaaaang!!! Jung Yu-shin jumped here and there to avoid the club. ''Knee.'' He stabbed the sword straight in. The sharp tip of the sword cut through the hobgoblin warrior''s knee cartilage and was firmly embedded. "Kueeeeeeek!!!" The hobgoblin warrior''s body stiffened. It didn''t stop. Stepping forward, he dug into the arms of the Hobgoblin Warrior. He took out the dagger on his waist and stabbed it under the Hobgoblin Warrior¡¯s chin. The dagger pierced his chin and tore his brain. Instant death. The Hobgoblin Warrior¡¯s body, which had lost its strength, slowly began to collapse. Jung Yu-shin pulled out the arming sword stuck in his knee as he fell back. ¡°Scar!¡± Soline¡¯s voice brightened. ¡°Wake up!¡± He shouted briefly and raised his shield. Kwaga-gak!!! The long spear that the Hobgoblin had stabbed passed by scraping the shield. He lowered his posture, stabbed the Hobgoblin in the stomach with his sword, and fell back. ¡°Keeek!¡± The Hobgoblin dropped his weapon and grabbed his stomach. ¡®Drop your weapon?¡¯ He kicked the chin with his walker. Thud!!! The hobgoblin with its jaw shattered flew through the air for a moment before rolling on the ground. Jeong Yu-shin fixed his shield on his wrist and grabbed his spear. Thud!!! The faint sound of the crossbow¡¯s strings could be heard from afar. ¡®It¡¯s coming.¡¯ He quickly raised his shield. Kwaaak!!! The bolt that flew from the darkness was stuck in the shield. ¡°Gallaheim! Try to hit it this time!!!¡± ¡°Ah, I got it!¡± Gallaheim raised his crossbow. The target was the hobgoblin shaman. Thud!!! The sound of the crossbow¡¯s strings could be heard from afar. The bolt¡¯s target was Gallaheim. Gallaheim trembled in surprise. ¡°Fuck!!!¡± Jung Yu-shin ran and swung his sword. Taaaaang!!! The hand holding the sword tingled. Luckily, the bolt hit the swordsman exactly. The crisis was averted. However, the bolt that Gallaheim fired just grazed Hobgoblin Shaman. It was natural that he missed the shot since his composure was disturbed. Jung Yu-shin clicked his tongue, threw his sword to the ground, and grabbed his spear. Hobgoblin Shaman raised his staff. ¡°Huh-huh!!!¡± He twisted his waist with all his might. Hobgoblin Shaman opened his mouth. Jung Yu-shin threw his spear with all his might. Ssuaaaaaaang!!! A tremendous cracking sound echoed through the cave. Ppeu ... The spear flew at an incredible speed and pierced through three hobgoblins in one breath and landed squarely on the hobgoblin shaman''s Adam''s apple. "Keeek!! Keeek!!" The hobgoblin shaman stopped chanting and staggered backwards, holding his Adam''s apple. "Stay behind me!" Jung Yu-shin picked up his sword and spoke to the elf and gnome, then ran forward. The location was where Soline was. Soline was fighting the hobgoblin warrior without backing down an inch. However, the hobgoblins around him were making a noise and poking Soline, so he was gradually being pushed back. "Here we come!" "Scar!" Jung Yu-shin ran and swung his sword. Pwaaaaaaak!!! The sharp blade of the arming sword cut off the hobgoblin''s neck. Twooooong!!! The bolt flew back. The target was himself. He fell flat on the ground. Phew!!! The bolt pierced the forehead of the hobgoblin that was charging at Jeong Yu-shin. The hobgoblin couldn''t even scream and fell to the ground like a weak log. He jumped up from the ground and swung his sword. Every time the sword light flashed, the hobgoblins'' necks flew into the sky. A fountain of blood spurted out from the cross-sections of the headless hobgoblins'' necks. Gallaheim and Firion, who were following behind, screamed. He cleared away all the fallen. The last one. Only the hobgoblin warrior remained. While Soline was facing him from the front, he went back and swung his sword. The target was the hobgoblin warrior''s ankle. Tsaaaaaaak!!! The blade of the arming sword cut the Achilles tendon of the Hobgoblin Warrior exactly. ¡°Kueeeeeeek!!!¡± The Hobgoblin Warrior screamed and swung his club here and there. Kwaaaaang!!! Kwaaaaang!!! He dodged them all by a hair¡¯s breadth as he stepped forward and lowered his sword. ¡®Wrist.¡¯ Tsaaaaaaak!!! Blood gushed out from the Hobgoblin Warrior¡¯s wrist like a spring between rocks. ¡°Keeeek!!!¡± The Hobgoblin Warrior dropped his club. At the same time. A bolt flew out of the darkness. Ssaeeeeeeek!!! Three shots this time. They were aiming for Gallaheim and Firion. He knew it instinctively. He threw himself [N O V E L I G H T] in front of his comrades, raised his shield, and extended his sword. Kwaga-ga-gag!!! Taaaaang!!! Two shots hit the shield and one hit the sword. Gallaheim stuck out his tongue with a pale face. ¡°No, you crazy!!! Are you possessed?¡± ¡°Later.¡± Jeong Yu-shin answered nonchalantly and turned around. We have to kill the Hobgoblin Warrior first. The Hobgoblin Warrior was still swaying his remaining arm without coming to his senses. At that moment. Soline ran in and swung her greatsword. Ssaaaaaaak!!! The greatsword split half of the Hobgoblin Warrior¡¯s head and stuck in. ¡°Geuuuuuu...¡± Kkuung!!! The hobgoblin warrior knelt on the floor, his brain dripping. Subjugation complete. Tsaaaak. Soline pulled out his greatsword and slung it over his shoulder. ¡°Thank you, Scar.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s do it later.¡± Jung Yu-shin lowered his head and looked down at his shield. It was tattered and full of bolts. ¡°Gallaheim, how much further do we have to go?¡± Gallaheim unfolded the map. Judging from the way his body convulsed every once in a while, he was wary of bolts. ¡°Are you worried about bolts flying at you? Don¡¯t be nervous. Would it be worse than dying?¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t.¡± ¡®Oh well.¡¯ Jung Yu-shin muttered to himself and walked among the hobgoblin corpses. Now that we¡¯re being attacked, I get it. These guys are more like assassins than hunters. An assassin targeting the 5th prince. Even if he survives, it''s a problem. He can''t take the spark out of the labyrinth city. He thought about asking Ingrid, but he erased it. Indebted to the powerful? It''s like walking into a tiger''s mouth with his own feet. I''ll kill them here. All of them. Jeong Yu-shin made up his mind and opened his mouth. "Listen!!!" The surroundings became quiet. "What, what?" Pirion asked stammeringly. Jeong Yu-shin waved his arms. "I didn''t say that to our party, so let''s not look at him like he''s crazy." "Ah... I understand." Pirion barely answered. His expression didn''t change. "You little rats crouching in the dark, listen up." Jeong Yu-shin muttered a word and walked over to pick up a torch. No sound was heard in the darkness. ¡°You poor bastards. It¡¯s obvious even without looking. You must have lived your whole life as a coward, attacking people. You killed people regardless of their status, no matter how high or low they were. Right? You are the dogs of the powerful. Your lives are meaningless, so what are you going to do with your life? Bark like a dog and die. Woof woof.¡± ¡°...¡± The gaze of the party members pounded on my face, but I ignored it. ¡°You idiots.¡± I glared at the darkness that didn¡¯t respond. I got angry, so I scratched them a little. I hoped the provocation would work. I couldn¡¯t hold back because I was so angry, I prayed that they would only shoot the bolt at me. That way, the party would survive. Jeong Yu-shin turned his head and looked down at the gnome with a nose. ¡°Gallahheim, I think the calculations are done by now?¡± ¡°It¡¯s about 5 more hours from here.¡± ¡®Ha.¡¯ Jung Yu-shin swallowed a sigh that was about to come out. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Jung Yu-shin said, holding the torch. The party members carefully moved through the darkness, sticking closer to Jung Yu-shin than before. Jung Yu-shin opened his mouth, looking into the darkness. ¡°Gallaheim.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Tell me about that clown named Oswald or something.¡± ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Put your nose in and lie. Really.¡± Gallaheim quickly put his hand to his nose. He couldn¡¯t see it because he was wearing a mask specifically for his nose, but he could feel something even without looking. ¡°...¡± ¡°Do you think Oswald will save you? Is that why you¡¯re not telling? Do you think you should live even if all the party members die?¡± ¡°...¡± Gallaheim became a dumbfounded man. ¡°Please tell me.¡± ¡°...¡± Gallaheim scratched his head. Jung Yushin waited quietly, keeping his silence. ¡°Haa. I understand. Oswald¡¯s imprinting ability is...¡± Gallaheim finally surrendered. However, he was still afraid, glancing at the darkness as he opened his mouth. He whispered in a small voice, afraid that someone might hear. It was time to have a cup of tea. The atmosphere of the party became heavy. It was because he had heard about Oswald¡¯s ability. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤What should I do?¡± Elf priest Firion muttered solemnly. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Whew. That¡¯s why I told you. It¡¯s useless to know.¡± Gallaheim sighed deeply and answered. The party members'' steps seemed to be getting slower. Jung Yu-shin gathered his thoughts in silence. A human with a face painted on, Oswald. An executive of the Shadow Clowns, an Eastern Sector underworld clan. Known imprints are. [Veil of Darkness] A so-called dark curtain, an imprint that greatly increases the party''s stealth and noise-blocking abilities as well as his own. He has unrivaled abilities in assassination and reconnaissance. [Deadly Back Strike] An imprint that inflicts fatal damage when attacking an opponent from behind. There must be more imprints that Oswald possesses, but these are the only two that Gallaheim knows. Jung Yu-shin clicked his tongue. They''re not easy. Isn''t there a way? A way to safely save the party members while also burying those bastards here. Especially Oswald. A guy specialized in backstabbing. It was sickening to see a guy with a swindler''s seal doing such things. My head felt hot. It was killing me to think between life and death. "Ugh!!!" Gallaheim screamed. "Why are you doing that?" Jung Yu-shin asked. "Kueeeeeeek!!!" Instead of Gallaheim''s answer, a monster''s cry could be heard from far away. "Prepare for battle." No bolts flew for a while. He didn''t think it was a blessing. He guessed that there must have been some hidden plan. "Kueeeeek!!!" Jung Yu-shin''s eyebrows twitched. The monster''s voice was a little different. It wasn''t a hobgoblin. "A human-faced fox!!!" Gallaheim shouted. ¡°Haa.¡± Jung Yu-shin sighed. Eldritch Wave. A new law in the labyrinth. A phenomenon discovered through suffering with the Karin party. A situation that rushed in without even thinking about it. It was as if the whole world was trying to kill him. Jung Yu-shin looked around his party. They were shaking with fear, having heard of Eldritch Wave. They couldn¡¯t come to their senses. Their fighting spirit was broken, as their raised weapons were slowly lowering. No. If their minds are broken, they will collapse. The party will easily fall apart, and all that will be left is a miserable death. They can¡¯t leave it like that. Jung Yu-shin took a deep breath and shouted. ¡°Come to your senses!!!¡± The screams echoed through the cave. ¡°Trust me!!! There is a way to survive!!!¡± The party members who were sinking into despair looked at Jung Yu-shin in surprise. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Ska, what is that method?¡± Elf priest Pirion asked. Looking at his face, there was a faint hope on his face. Jung Yu-shin looked at Pirion and opened his mouth. ¡°The method¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± Actually, there is none. ¡°Kueeeeek!!!¡± The monster¡¯s roar was getting closer. Jung Yu-shin turned around, draping his Arming Sword over his shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you later.¡± Chapter 66: Thank you, teachers In the dark cave, the form of a human-faced centipede appeared beyond the flickering torchlight. There were exactly 10 of them. ¡®Well, that¡¯s something.¡¯ He sighed inwardly. It was a remarkably small number compared to the situation he encountered on the 5th floor. As expected, then. When he saw the hobgoblins moving around freely, he had already guessed. That, around the time the Eldritch Wave was nearing its end, Jeong Yushin¡¯s party had arrived on the 4th floor. Jeong Yushin felt relieved, but the party members¡¯ bodies stiffened with fear. ¡°Gyaahhh!!!¡± ¡°It¡¯s coming!!!¡± Gellerheim screamed. At the very moment when they were about to charge forward, a plan formed in Jeong Yushin¡¯s mind. It wasn¡¯t perfect. It was more like improvisation. But... ¡®Not bad, huh?¡¯ It was a gamble, but there didn¡¯t seem to be anything to lose. ¡°Run! Stick behind me!¡± ¡°What?!¡± The party members stared at Jeong Yushin, dumbfounded. Not caring about their reaction, Jeong Yushin grabbed a torch and rushed forward. ¡°Wait, wait!!! Come with me!¡± The party members shouted and hurriedly followed behind Jeong Yushin. ¡°Kweeeeek!!!¡± The human-faced centipedes soared into the air, swinging their tails. Jeong Yushin swung his shield, swatting them away like a fly. BAM!!! A human-faced centipede ~N§àv§Ölight~ crashed to the ground, its head shattered by the edge of his shield. The party members behind them were horrified. How easily he had knocked away that terrifying human-faced centipede. ¡°Are you insane!!!¡± Gellerheim clicked his tongue. ¡°Shut up and run!!!¡± At Jeong Yushin¡¯s demand, the party gritted their teeth and ran. ¡°Kyeek!!!¡± A human-faced centipede appeared from the side. BAM!!! Jeong Yushin kicked its head with his foot. WHAM!!! At the same time, a bolt shot toward them. He waited. Quickly sidestepping, he raised his shield. CRASH!!! The bolt bounced off the shield, and Jeong Yushin continued running. Once again, a human-faced centipede flew through the air. He swung his arming sword. SWWISH!!! The tail of the centipede was sliced in half, and its head was knocked down to the ground with a pommel strike. He swiftly snatched the severed tail and tucked it into his arms. With what he wanted secured, all that was left was to keep running. WHOOSH!!! Another bolt flew through the air. This time, four bolts. Jeong Yushin stopped in place, raising his shield and swinging his sword. CRASH!!! DING!!! Two bolts lodged in the shield, one deflected by the sword, and the last one? ¡°ARGH!!!¡± Suddenly, Gellerheim collapsed, clutching his thigh. ¡°Damn!!!¡± The feared situation had finally occurred. Jeong Yushin grabbed Gellerheim by the neck as he fell and lifted him up. A bolt had pierced deeply into his thigh. ¡°Soline!¡± Jeong Yushin tossed Gellerheim toward Soline. Soline, running, caught Gellerheim with one hand and slung him over her shoulder. ¡°Gellerheim! Stay with me! You have to lead the way!¡± Screaming, Gellerheim shook himself awake and clenched his teeth. ¡°Kkhh! Right!!!¡± There was no time to treat his wounds. The human-faced centipedes and assassins were still chasing behind, targeting the party. TATATAT!!! Thanks to Gellerheim holding onto his consciousness, the party was able to continue down the right path. How long had they been running? They managed to shake off the pursuing human-faced centipedes. No more bolts flew at them. The torch flickered, almost going out. The shadows of four figures danced on the cave walls. ¡°Heh... heh...¡± The party members were gasping for air. It was only natural since they had been running for their lives. Jeong Yushin and the party reached a vast chamber. In the wide chamber, multiple paths extended in different directions. ¡®Here.¡¯ Jeong Yushin stood tall. The party stopped walking too. ¡°Skah! Why are we stopping?¡± Soline asked. ¡°Go ahead.¡± Jeong Yushin replied. ¡°That¡¯s nonsense!¡± Soline shouted. ¡°Soline, please. I¡¯m the only one you can trust.¡± ¡°No!!!¡± ¡°Are we going to die here?¡± Jeong Yushin¡¯s question made Soline bite her lip. ¡°Gellerheim is injured. If we waste more time here, we¡¯ll all die. I¡¯ll hold them off.¡± ¡°Why are you doing this?!¡± Soline¡¯s voice quivered. ¡°I brought all of you here. It¡¯s my responsibility. I can¡¯t allow you all to die because of me. So don¡¯t worry about me. Worry about yourselves. We might be few in number, but human-faced centipedes are still lurking in this level.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Soline, go.¡± For some reason, Pirion didn¡¯t say he was staying behind, but he gently urged Soline to go. Jeong Yushin and Pirion exchanged a brief glance. ¡°There are many good angles here. Don¡¯t worry too much.¡± ¡°I trust you.¡± Pirion closed his eyes and began casting. Jeong Yushin hesitated to stop Pirion but decided against it. [Haste] [Raise Strength] His body felt lighter, and his strength surged. ¡°Thank you. Now go.¡± Jeong Yushin turned and spoke. ¡°Kkh!¡± Soline gritted her teeth and suppressed her frustration. ¡°Stay alive.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s do that.¡± Pirion¡¯s words were barely audible as they both ran off. TATATAT! The sound of the party members fading behind them. Since the torch had been handed over, the chamber soon became dark. Before lighting a new torch, there was something else to do. Jeong Yushin turned his back on the path the party members had taken and blocked the way. He pulled out the human-faced centipede tail from his pocket and squeezed it onto his arming sword¡¯s blade. The sticky poison mixed with the abyssal energy trickled down the sword. Preparation was complete. He took out a flint and ignited the torch, throwing it onto the floor. The small torch barely illuminated the chamber, filling it with silence. Jeong Yushin stared at the burning torch on the cold floor before looking up. He admired the pitch-black darkness, lost in thought. Now he understood why the old man¡¯s party and Oswald¡¯s party couldn¡¯t advance past the 4th floor. When the Eldritch Wave appeared, a black portal, not the usual red, formed at the transition stones. If they went through that black portal, they would randomly teleport to another level. However, the blue portal from the transition stones still appeared. If he wanted to return to the city, he could just go through that. ¡®Stubborn, aren¡¯t they?¡¯ He now understood why the elderly woman¡¯s party had bolt and spear wounds on their corpses. Oswald¡¯s party was likely still intact because of the Mark of the Dark Veil. Some questions had been answered, but at this point, what did it matter? Jeong Yushin stretched his neck and loosened his body. In the worst situation, he had devised the best plan. He lured the enemies in with provocation. He coated his sword with poison. He stepped into the wide chamber and blocked the way. He had done everything to send his good-natured party members to safety. He didn¡¯t want to send them to their deaths unless absolutely necessary. Fighting while protecting the party was troublesome. But in the end. There was only one goal. To bury these bastards here. Step. The sound of footsteps lightly touching the ground echoed in the silent chamber. Jeong Yushin turned his head. ¡®There?¡¯ Thunk! A bolt flew at him. CRACK! He raised his shield to block it. SWISH!!! The shield cracked in half. Jeong Yushin threw it far away. THUD. The sound of the shield rolling across the chamber rang out. ¡°...Gentlemen, how long do you plan to keep shooting bolts from a distance like cowards? Aren¡¯t you ashamed of your parents in hell?¡± Jeong Yushin¡¯s indifferent voice echoed through the silent chamber. Instead of a response, the sound of a crossbow being drawn was heard. Thunk! Thunk! Thunk! Three bolts came flying, one straight, one from the right, and one from the left. DING!!! Thwack!! Thwack!! One was deflected. The remaining bolts lodged in his thigh and shoulder. CRUNCH!! He bit his teeth to suppress the urge to scream. Thunk! Thunk! Thunk! More bolts flew. SWOOSH!!! He swung his sword but only cut through the air. Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! One hit his arm, another his opposite thigh, and the last struck his side. ¡°Ugh!!!¡± A groan escaped his lips. There was no time to catch his breath. Another bolt flew toward him. DING!!! Two bolts were deflected. Thwack! He wasn¡¯t sure where it hit him. A terrible pain spread through his body. Sparks flashed in his head. His anger surged, nearly driving him mad. He bit his tongue to regain focus. With trembling hands, he grabbed his helmet and threw it off. CLANG! The helmet rolled to the floor. He wiped away his sweat-soaked hair. Jeong Yushin grinned, arms wide open, in a maddening, daring stance. ¡°Come at me!!! You bastards!!!¡± The men began to fire bolts like crazy. How much time had passed? Neither the assassins nor Jeong Yushin knew. DING!!! DING!!! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Jeong Yushin swung his sword like a maniac. The pain triggered a frenzy, and the frenzy sparked even more pain in a bizarre cycle. His soul clung to his body as he swung his sword in desperation. At the crossroads of life and death, he drew his blade. DING!!! Jeong Yushin¡¯s body, pierced by bolts, had turned into a pincushion, but he neither fell nor retreated. He was like a madman. His body was dying, but his sword grew faster. DING!!! DING!!! DING!!! More bolts were deflected by his sword. It was as if a god was guiding him, swatting away the bolts like a madman. His blue aura blazed brighter than ever. A signal that he had drawn even closer to death. Thick, congealed blood dripped from his mouth. Jeong Yushin grinned. ¡°Heh...¡± Seemingly pleased by his laughter, no more bolts came. ¡°...Crazy bastard. I¡¯ve never seen someone as insane as you in my life.¡± The man with the blindfold appeared and praised him twice. Behind him stood three of his subordinates. Jeong Yushin spat the blood in his mouth to the ground. ¡°Pffft!!!¡± Red blood splattered on the floor. ¡°...Where¡¯s Oswald?¡± Jeong Yushin stammered, asking. ¡°How should I know? He was here just a moment ago.¡± The blindfolded man shrugged and answered. Jeong Yushin faced the blindfolded man and stretched out a wide grin. At that sight, the blindfolded man¡¯s face turned grim. ¡®He really is insane.¡¯ Having worked in the assassination business for 15 years, he had never seen someone this determined in the face of death. Even when a bolt dug deep into his body, this man didn¡¯t flinch. Looking at his glowing, blue eyes, a chill ran down his spine. Is this what a barbarian really is? He had heard the rumors but never seen one in person. Facing him now, it was like dealing with a demon. A beastly man. One who had to be killed. ¡°End it quickly. He¡¯s a wounded beast.¡± The blindfolded man said, pulling out his weapon. His subordinates also drew their weapons. They must have undergone severe training because even drawing their weapons was quiet. Mace, dagger, one-handed sword, hand axe. ¡°...Sirs.¡± Jeong Yushin mumbled, lifting one foot. All eyes were on him. ¡°I...I¡¯ll switch off. Rest in peace.¡± The assassins¡¯ eyes widened in surprise. With his foot, he stomped on the torch. BAM! The torch went out. The wide chamber was engulfed in darkness in an instant. Victory by surprise. He rushed toward the man who had been watching him. The one holding an axe. In the darkness, he swung his sword. SWISH!!! ¡°Ugh!!!¡± A scream erupted. He felt the satisfaction of the strike in his sword. It didn¡¯t matter where he had cut. The important thing was that he had hit. He moved his creaking body and rushed toward the next one. TATADAT!!! WHOOSH!!! Footsteps and weapon sounds. Left. The sword dug into Jeong Yushin¡¯s shoulder. In his dizzy state, he figured out one detail. The one wielding a one-handed sword. ¡°I stabbed him!!!¡± The assassin shouted. ¡°Grr! I¡¯m one of your allies! What the hell are you doing?!¡± Jeong Yushin shouted. ¡°What...what!¡± The voice sounded confused. ¡®Fooled.¡¯ He swung his sword carelessly. As long as it hit, that was the end. SWISH!!! ¡°AAAAHHHH!!!¡± The assassin screamed like a pig being slaughtered. Fighting in close quarters in the darkness, losing composure rapidly. The limit of a player with a shattered psyche. Having taken down two, only two remained. ¡°The fire in the eyes is burning!!!¡± The blindfolded man shouted. Jeong Yushin closed his eyes and took a few steps, then stopped abruptly. The arena fell silent in that instant. No one moved. Jeong Yushin also stood still, opening his ears, waiting. The first to move is the first to lose. Step. Right. He immediately thrust his sword in. The sensation wasn¡¯t great, so it was probably the thigh. ¡°Grrr!!!¡± Thud! Another assassin fell to the ground, stabbed by the sword. Only one remained. At that moment. A dagger stabbed into his neck. Jeong Yushin¡¯s eyes snapped open. The pain didn¡¯t register; he couldn¡¯t breathe. With trembling hands, he grabbed the dagger tightly. ¡°You...madman!¡± The voice of the blindfolded man trembled. He pushed the sword deeper into Jeong Yushin¡¯s neck. The sensation was thick, the feeling of his intestines¡ª Bingo. ¡°KHAAAHHH!!!¡± The blindfolded man staggered back, collapsing to the floor. So this was poison? The effect was impressive. Eww. He pulled the dagger from his neck and tossed it to the ground. CLANG. Jeong Yushin lowered his head and spat the blood in his mouth onto the floor. Then, from his waist pouch, he pulled out a torch and set it on fire. Flame whooshed. The torch lit up the wide chamber again. ¡®I need to pull out the bolts.¡¯ Thanks to the Revenger Mark, his wounds were healing, but with bolts embedded in his body, the pain remained. But... Strangely, the pain was ebbing away like the receding tide. Instead, the darkness of the labyrinth filled his mind, stacking up steadily. No. It was the darkness that had always been dormant within him. A dark energy stirred in Jeong Yushin¡¯s eyes. Looking around, he saw the four men lying on the ground. They were frozen stiff by the paralyzing poison, and it made him chuckle. Jeong Yushin raised his sword respectfully and bowed. ¡°Masters, thank you. Your foolish disciple has learned a lot today. In that sense, let me dance with my sword.¡± After speaking, he looked down at the men and gave a smile. The legs of the men, collapsed from the paralyzing poison, began to dampen with the creeping wetness. Chapter 67: Boljjjjjjjj Jung Yu-shin quietly looked down at the assassins urinating. ¡°W...why are we your masters?¡± The blindfolded man stuttered. ¡°Didn¡¯t you teach me parrying? Shooting bolts like crazy.¡± ¡°You...crazy bastard.¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Jung Yu-shin shouted. A loud roar echoed through the hall. The assassins became dumbfounded. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Masters, I¡¯ll show you a sword dance.¡± ¡°...¡± Jung Yu-shin moved around and swung his sword. The wide hall. Jung Yu-shin¡¯s shadow stretched out beyond the flickering torches. The assassins seemed to be going crazy with fear. The Barbaroi in front of me was swinging his sword with bolts all over his body. A sight that defied common sense. The bizarre dance continued for three minutes. ¡°Wow, wow, wow!!!¡± The dance ended with Jung Yu-shin spitting out a bowl of blood. He caught his breath, picked up the mace that had fallen on the floor, and approached the assassins. ¡°I¡¯ll hear what you think of the sword dance before I go.¡± He put the mace in the assassin¡¯s mouth. The assassin had a mustache similar to Hitler¡¯s. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Please, spare me.¡± ¡°Ding! I¡¯m out.¡± He swung the mace. Bam!!! Crack!!! His skull shattered and his eyes popped out. The man with the Hitler beard had his head crushed like a flatfish. 1 dead. Jung Yu-shin swung his mace and shook off the brain dregs. ¡°I asked you how you felt, you bastards.¡± He aimed his mace at another guy. ¡°How was it?¡± ¡°...¡± An assassin with a nose as big as a fist. He was twitching his mouth and couldn¡¯t speak properly. Did he have aphasia? Jung Yu-shin nodded and brought down his mace. The fist-nosed man¡¯s head was crushed. He twitched his body, so he brought it down a few more times. Pfft!! Pfft!! Pfft!! Blood splattered on Jung Yu-shin¡¯s indifferent face. ¡°Oswald, I know you¡¯re watching. Come out.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Are you just going to leave your client to die?¡± ¡®Are you going to give it a try?¡¯ Jung Yu-shin leisurely looked for the next guy. ¡°I...I!¡± The assassin with one ear raised his voice. Without answering, he brought down his mace and smashed his head. The last one left. The blindfolded man. ¡°This is fate, so let¡¯s at least make a formal statement.¡± The blindfolded man¡¯s lips trembled. Shhhhh. The blindfolded man eventually couldn¡¯t hold it in and wet his pants again. Jeong Yu-shin looked down until the end and let out a word. ¡°You¡¯re squeezing so well. Oh my, you did a good job. You did a great job.¡± He gently stroked the blindfolded man¡¯s head and grabbed it. ¡°Did you enjoy shooting bolts from afar? You didn¡¯t know it would end up like this? You idiots. Gulp!!!¡± He unintentionally spat a handful of blood on the blindfolded man¡¯s face. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤I¡¯m sorry.¡± Jung Yu-shin wiped the blood off the blindfolded man¡¯s face with his palm as an apology. It didn¡¯t wipe off well. Instead, it covered his face in blood. Jung Yu-shin met the blindfolded man¡¯s eyes again. ¡°I don¡¯t have much time right now. I¡¯ll just ask one thing. Are there any others besides you?¡± ¡°...¡± The blindfolded man didn¡¯t open his mouth. However, his pupils shook slightly. ¡®Confirmed.¡¯ He confirmed the most important information. Jung Yu-shin got up from his seat and stepped on the blindfolded man¡¯s neck. Knock knock. The man with a broken cervical vertebra shuddered. He kept stepping on him without lifting his foot, blocking his airway. ¡°Keuuuup!!!¡± The man¡¯s face turned blue and then white. He soon died. Jung Yu-shin took his foot off the man¡¯s neck and looked around. Four people. All dead. Jung Yu-shin''s body swayed. "¡¤¡¤¡¤Oswald, come out." Clap clap clap clap!!! The sound of applause came right behind him. He turned around to see Oswald clapping his hands like crazy with a red face. "Amazing!!! Amazing!!! Scar!!!" Oswald stopped his hands and grinned. "This crazy guy!!! Courage, venom, and improvisation, he didn''t lack anything. When I heard that you annihilated the slave hunters, I thought some random guy was causing trouble in the eastern district, but he was a gem!" Jung Yu-shin looked at Oswald for a moment. His tone of voice had changed considerably, as if he was excited. Was he no longer in clown mode? "Yeah." "Come join our clan!" "That won''t do." Jung Yu-shin cut off Oswald¡¯s suggestions like a knife. Oswald snickered. ¡°Is this a talent? You have a talent for making people cry. I like you more and more? Is there anything else you want?¡± ¡°I want to ask you something.¡± ¡°Of course!¡± ¡°Where have you been?¡± Oswald¡¯s smile deepened at Jung Yu-shin¡¯s question. ¡°As you expected. I went to beat up your party.¡± ¡°...¡± His heart sank. The news was shocking enough to make the pain disappear in an instant. Jung Yu-shin grabbed his sword. Oswald quickly continued. ¡°But I just came back. When I thought about it, it seemed like a useless thing to do.¡± Jung Yu-shin glared at Oswald. ¡°Where is the 5th prince¡¯s nanny?¡± ¡°Here.¡± As I moved away, the figure of an old woman was revealed. She was unconscious, but relatively healthy. It wasn¡¯t the serious condition where blood was pouring out of her mouth like the last time I saw her. Jung Yu-shin grabbed his sword and stepped forward. I checked everything. If I just kill Oswald, everything will be over. He calmly faced Oswald, but his physical condition was getting worse by the minute. ¡®We have to finish this quickly.¡¯ Oswald glanced at Jung Yu-shin¡¯s sword, then threw his arms out and jumped back. ¡°Hey, why are you so desperate to kill me?¡± ¡°Because you tried to kill me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true.¡± Oswald said with a serious expression after hearing Jung Yu-shin¡¯s answer. ¡°I just did what I was told to do. And I saved your companion¡¯s life. Didn¡¯t I tell you that this old man is the 5th prince¡¯s nanny?¡± ¡°Oswald, aren¡¯t you looking at me like a piece of shit?¡± It¡¯s too much of a bother to refute each and every one of them. ¡°Ha, I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m sorry. Actually, I enjoyed it a bit. It¡¯s because I didn¡¯t recognize a talented person like you.¡± Oswald sighed and apologized. ¡°Shut up and come and fight.¡± ¡°Really? Your party is rushing here right now?¡± Jung Yu-shin¡¯s body froze. Oswald¡¯s eyes flashed. ¡°You¡¯re all going to die here? Scar, aren¡¯t you looking at me like a piece of shit?¡± ¡°...¡± Jung Yu-shin and Oswald met eyes in silence. Oswald opened his mouth. ¡°I gave you a lot of concessions. Whatever my intentions were, I saved your party and even gave you information. And I didn¡¯t even touch you when you fought. I¡¯ve never been this kind. In that sense, please do me a favor. Of course, not naked.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤What?¡± ¡°Come visit our clan in the underworld.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because I like you. Stop by for a tour.¡± ¡°Come visit later when you¡¯re bored.¡± ¡®You crazy bastard, would you go?¡¯ Jung Yu-shin answered contrary to his true feelings. ¡°Okay! Then I¡¯ll take this old man. Our clan will take good care of him until you come back.¡± The 5th prince¡¯s nanny as a hostage? Jung Yu-shin racked his brain and racked his brain. The assassins were after the 5th prince¡¯s nanny. The nanny¡¯s identity had been confirmed. If he takes her, she won¡¯t be safe even outside the labyrinth. She might get attacked. Not only herself, but Darmon¡¯s inn is also in danger. In short, the 5th Prince¡¯s nanny. ¡®Bomb.¡¯ ¡°Okay.¡± After desperately finishing the calculation, she answered. ¡°Then next time...¡± Oswald stopped talking and turned around again, pointing at the blindfolded man. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right! Make sure to take the bag that those assassins have." ¡°That¡¯s a bag with magic. It¡¯ll be pretty salty. And take this too.¡± Oswald took a stone out of his bosom and threw it. Bang! He swung his sword and knocked the stone to the ground. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤No, take it, you lad. Don¡¯t throw it away. That¡¯s a pretty expensive magic stone.¡± ¡°Why are you giving me this?¡± He couldn¡¯t just accept such a suspicious stone from an enemy. Oswald shrugged his shoulders and opened his mouth at Jeong Yu-shin¡¯s question. ¡°A favorite?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡®Are you really a crazy bastard?¡¯ The clown-like guy who used to jump around and show off his interest in hunting suddenly changed his face and suggested recruiting him. His overheated head couldn¡¯t keep up with the dizzying situation. ¡®There¡¯s no one normal among the underworld bastards in the Eastern District.¡¯ Oswald sighed and opened his mouth as the suspicion didn¡¯t disappear from Jeong Yu-shin¡¯s eyes. ¡°If you¡¯re really suspicious, just sell them to the Explorers¡¯ Association. You¡¯ll make some money. See you later.¡± Oswald disappeared from that spot carrying the 5th prince''s nanny. It was as if he had transferred. Was it the effect of the Darkness Curtain? Indeed, the Gae Sa Ki imprint. Thud. As soon as Oswald disappeared, Jeong Yu-shin fell to his knees. All of the strength drained from his body. It was because his body, which had barely held on with the Revenger imprint, had reached its limit. ''I''m going to fall.'' Beyond the blurry vision. People were running from far away. They were familiar. Soline? Not only that, but he could also see Gallaheim and Firion, who had treated his injuries. Oswald was right. That made him even more confused. What on earth was that crazy clown''s plan? "Scar!!!" Soline ran towards him, screaming. They were such a good party without any plan. Jung Yu-shin smiled and closed his eyes, then opened them again. Soline was shaking his shoulders like crazy. Jung Yu-shin''s body was shaking back and forth like a scarecrow blowing in the wind. "Don''t die!!! Ugh!!! Damn it!!!" "S...Solline." Jung Yu-shin barely opened his mouth. "What?!" "Mi...Go outside the labyrinth and don''t talk about the 5...5 prince''s nanny." Not only Soline, but all the party members stared blankly at Jung Yu-shin. "T-That''s not important!" Soline shouted. "M...Most important. And t...Take that cross-eyed bag." Jung Yu-shin gestured at the blindfolded man and continued. "It''s...expensive. And my helmet too... Ah! And this stone too...¡± Jung Yu-shin lowered his head as he spoke. He had more to say, but he was too tired. For now, he instructed them to take everything they could. It might be for funeral expenses, but they didn¡¯t know. There were shouts around them, but the party members¡¯ voices were getting farther and farther from their ears. Darkness was falling. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤We have to get out quickly!¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤We¡¯re almost there!!!¡± ¡°Scar, just hold on a little longer¡¤¡¤¡¤!¡± His vision shook here and there. Someone kept talking to him. ¡°Get through!!! It¡¯s just a hobgoblin!¡± Soline shouted bravely. Kaaaang!!! Ssaeeeeek!!! The sound of weapons clashing against each other. The sound of flesh being torn and the screams of monsters could be heard nearby. What happened? I don''t know. It seemed like quite some time had passed. Blue light. Clear air. Had they come out? Someone shouted again. The voice was a little different. "No, crazy! You''re still breathing after being hit by a bolt like this?!" "I, call the priest first!!!" I laid down on the soft bed. My mind, which had been flickering here and there, sank beneath the surface of the water. I think I had a long dream. I remember pouring beer and chatting with my friends in front of a convenience store in the evening. I remember running along the park track in the cool evening breeze. I remember going camping with my family and counting the stars in the night sky. I miss my family and friends. I opened my eyes. A familiar ceiling. It was my room in the inn. The warm morning sunlight was streaming in through the window. My chest felt heavy. I barely ? N§àv§Ölight ? (Exclusive on N§àv§Ölight) lifted my stiff neck and looked at my chest. The white rat, Lin, was sleeping with its face buried in my chest, snorting. All the bolts embedded in my body had been removed. I laid my head back down on the pillow and looked at the ceiling. I survived. Once again. How long had I been unconscious? Originally, I should have come to my senses at the shelter. Many thoughts crossed his mind. There were things that had not been resolved. There were too many things he was curious about. How did he get out of that labyrinth? Jung Yu-shin tried to move his stiff body. He wanted to enjoy this peaceful moment a little longer. Jung Yu-shin closed his eyes again. At that moment. ¡°Ska-nim?¡± Someone called his name from outside the door. A soft voice. It was familiar. Mi-on¡¯s voice was clear. He lay there without answering, feeling weak and playful. Creak. The door opened and Mi-on came in. Slap. Slap. The sound of footsteps carefully stepping on the wooden floor gradually came closer. The calming scent of mamang wafted into his nose. ¡°Ska-nim, are you awake?¡± Mi-on came closer and spoke. ¡°...¡± Mi-on¡¯s soft hand gently grabbed Jung Yu-shin¡¯s hand. ¡®Now!¡¯ The moment Jung Yu-shin was about to open his eyes. Something touched his cheek. Chuut. Something moist and soft. ¡°Hoosh. Hoosh.¡± Mi-on¡¯s breath tickled his cheek. Tickle. Something warm and moist tickled his cheek. ¡®Huh?¡¯ Chuuup. Chuuup. His cheek was slurping. ¡®What the heck?¡¯ Jung Yu-shin¡¯s eyelids fluttered. Chapter 68: Dad! Jung Yu-shin screamed inwardly with his eyes closed. ¡®What on earth is it?¡¯ Could it be the female virgin¡¯s fallen mark? All sorts of thoughts swirled in his head. He wanted to pretend to wake up and surprise Mi-on once, and then have a pleasant conversation with her. Things took a strange turn. ¡°Hehehe.¡± Mi-on¡¯s cute laugh rang in his ears. A soft hand swept Jung Yu-shin¡¯s forehead once. Quickly. He felt the soft touch of a tongue on his forehead. Jung Yu-shin¡¯s body froze like ice. ¡°Then... tomorrow too.¡± The smell of the mammang disappeared along with Mi-on¡¯s muttering. Slap. Slap. Squeak. The door closed and Jung Yu-shin opened his eyes wide. ¡°Ah... really, what is it?¡± Jung Yu-shin muttered while looking at the ceiling. Jung Yu-shin, a 23-year-old single woman who had longed for the sweet romance in fantasy romance, was filled with confusion. It didn¡¯t come out in any drama, book, personal experience, YouTube, or any other media. The meaning of a woman sucking a man¡¯s cheek. ¡®Green light? Red light?¡¯ If it had been a light cheek kiss, I would have thought it was affection. Cheek sucking? ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Was I misunderstanding this world?¡± Jung Yu-shin raised his stiff hand and rubbed his cheek. ¡°Tick?¡± The white mouse, Lin, opened her eyes and yawned, then met Jung Yu-shin¡¯s eyes. ¡°Come down.¡± Lin licked Jung Yu-shin¡¯s cheek. ¡°Haa.¡± Jung Yu-shin sighed and closed his eyes again. After lying in a daze for about an hour, he got out of bed. He couldn¡¯t sleep any longer because his mind was so disturbed. He stood on the floor and checked his condition by stretching his body here and there. His body was cleanly healed without a single scar. ¡®Good.¡¯ Jung Yu-shin changed his clothes and went out to the room. When he went down to the first floor, he saw the bustling guests. ¡°Ska-nim!¡± A big man with a shaved head, Tarman, called Jung Yu-shin¡¯s name loudly. Jung Yu-shin smiled and waved his hand once. Tarman ran over and hugged Jung Yu-shin. Jung Yu-shin frowned. ¡®This is a bit much.¡¯ A man hugging a man, that¡¯s a bit much. ¡°Let go of this.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Ska-nim!¡± Dulchangko also came over and spread his arms. ¡°Don¡¯t do that. It¡¯ll make people misunderstand.¡± Jung Yu-shin said as he stepped back. In fact, several of the guests were looking at him with interest. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Dulchangko bowed his head and apologized. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Is Anne in the kitchen?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Tarman answered. Jung Yu-shin nodded and went into the kitchen. Anne was cooking diligently. Despite being the only one watching the kitchen, she was skillfully placing orders without a single mistake. She was truly talented. Anne, who had been working frantically, turned her head and made eye contact with Jung Yu-shin. ¡°I¡¯m home.¡± Jung Yu-shin said. ¡°You¡¯re here.¡± Anne¡¯s eyes turned slightly red. Jung Yu-shin smiled, approached her, patted her shoulder once, and said. ¡°It must be hard, thank you for your hard work.¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s nothing compared to the hardships you¡¯ve gone through, Ska-nim. I¡¯m glad you came to your senses.¡± Jung Yu-shin scratched his head with an embarrassed smile. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for bothering you when you¡¯re busy. Let¡¯s talk later.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Jung Yu-shin returned to the inn hall after receiving Anne¡¯s greeting. ¡®There really are a lot of people.¡¯ It was lunchtime, so there shouldn¡¯t have been many people, but the number was increasing. I couldn¡¯t even guess what was going on. Only Tal-chan-ko and Tar-man were carrying food until their soles were burning. I thought about talking, but I stopped. I had a lot of questions I wanted to ask, but I didn¡¯t want to bother them. I guess I¡¯ll just wait a little longer. Jung Yu-shin sat down on the counter chair. It was soft and comfortable. A comfort that couldn¡¯t even be compared to the hard, damp floor of the labyrinth. I felt my return. ¡°Squeak squeak!¡± Looking down, Lin was pulling his leg. He lifted his nape with his hand and placed it on his knee. Lin was not satisfied with that and crawled up to his stomach. Jung Yu-shin leaned against the back of the chair. Lin leaned against Jung Yu-shin¡¯s stomach. Jung Yu-shin closed his eyes and fell asleep listening to the bustling noise of the inn. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Ska-nim.¡± Someone called his name. When he opened his eyes, he saw Snoot looking down at him. ¡°I¡¯ve prepared the meal.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Jung Yu-shin stretched and looked around. Lin couldn¡¯t see where he had gone. The inn was deserted because it was past peak time. He went to the table where Anne and Tarman were and sat down. ¡°Here it is.¡± Anne handed him a bowl of porridge. Oatmeal porridge with vegetables and chicken. Jung Yu-shin looked down at the porridge and asked. ¡°Have I been unconscious for a while?¡± ¡°Yes. About a week.¡± Deulchangko answered. ¡°That long? But my body seems to be fine for that reason?¡± ¡°Mr. Mi-on came to visit every day and cast a ¡®vitality¡¯ recovery spell.¡± That¡¯s right. ¡®Was it really Boljjangjjang that was the vitality recovery spell?¡¯ Was there such an imprint? He suppressed the curiosity that arose in his mind. ¡°Okay. Anyway. Everyone was okay?¡± ¡°Yes. Everyone was fine.¡± Not only Deulchangko, but also Anne and Tarman smiled. Jung Yu-shin smiled back and scooped up the porridge with a spoon and put it in his mouth. The rich chicken broth made it taste delicious. The salty taste made my mouth water even more. The soft chicken and vegetables went well with the oats, adding to the chewy taste. Jung Yu-shin''s eyes widened. "It''s really delicious." Tarman smiled happily. Jung Yu-shin tilted his head. "Tarman, did you make it?" "No. Anne made it." "Why are you looking so proud?" "That... that." Tarman blushed and tried to explain. "Tarman helped me a lot." Anne stepped forward and answered. "I see. Thank you." Jung Yu-shin ate as slowly as possible. It was to give his stomach, which had been dormant for a long time, time to adjust. There was another reason. It was a different level of excitement from the jerky or biscuits he had eaten in the labyrinth. He wanted to enjoy that feeling for as long as possible. A moment later. Jung Yu-shin, who had emptied the bowl of rice, bowed his head slightly. ¡°Thank you. Thanks to you, I survived.¡± Tarman and Anne waved their hands. ¡°Oh, no. Rather, thank you for eating.¡± Jung Yu-shin smiled and ? N§àv§Öl?g?t ? (Official version) opened his mouth. ¡°Okay. You two go and rest. Dulchanko stays. Let¡¯s talk.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Tarman and Anne clung tightly to each other and entered the kitchen. I had guessed it, but there was something that I could clearly feel as the two of them were flirting. Jung Yu-shin turned his gaze from the kitchen and looked at Dulchanko. ¡°What would it feel like to date a childhood friend?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Dulchanko scratched his head and continued. ¡°Isn¡¯t this a world that guys like us can¡¯t know?¡± ¡®Like us?¡¯ Jung Yu-shin frowned. ¡°Why are you lumping me in with you?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that true? Tarman and Anne are explorers, but they are also semi-retired, and their worlds are a bit different from ours? They live their lives risking their lives for a single sword.¡± ¡®Since when has this been such a romantic world?¡¯ Jung Yu-shin clicked his tongue inwardly, folded his arms, and opened his mouth. ¡°Did Aldain come looking for me?¡± ¡°He came to see me once after hearing that Ska had lost consciousness.¡± ¡°What did you leave behind?¡± ¡°He told me to come to work when I was bored.¡± Is that so? ¡°Do you know about Oswald?¡± ¡°Huhh ..." It was as if it was going to grow. ¡®Why are you like this?¡¯ Jung Yu-shin pulled back. It was burdensome for Dulchanko to be so surprised. ¡°Do you understand? Don¡¯t you know?¡± ¡°I... As far as I know, he¡¯s a member of the Shadow Clowns.¡± ¡°More specifically.¡± Dulchanko suddenly raised his head, looked around, and whispered softly. ¡°It¡¯s hard to tell you here.¡± ¡°Is it some kind of big secret? Then where are you going to tell me?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s worth hiding to that extent, but just in case, why don¡¯t you go to Aldain¡¯s office and talk?¡± Hmm. That¡¯s it? ¡°Okay, I understand.¡± ¡°...¡± Dulchanko¡¯s eyes were sparkling with half worry and half anticipation. ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡± ¡°No. Are you going to go now?¡± ¡°Wait a minute, but where did my party go?¡± ¡°After moving Ska-nim from the relief center to here, he came to visit for a few days and then took a short break.¡± ¡°What did he say?¡± ¡°Nothing else. He asked if we could meet at this inn soon since the maintenance was finished.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± At least everyone was safe. He was even more relieved that he didn¡¯t go around talking about the nanny and Oswald as he had asked. ¡°One last thing.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°What do you think about a... woman kissing you on the cheek?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, but common sense tells me it¡¯s a sign of affection.¡± ¡°Right? Then what about the cheek?¡± ¡°Yes...?¡± Dwarf-nosed¡¯s eyes filled with confusion. ¡°Uh...uh...¡± Dwarf-nosed began to suffer from acute aphasia. ¡°No. Let¡¯s go for now. To the Demon Dismantling Center.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Yes.¡± Walking down the street in the midday sunlight. I entered Aldaine¡¯s office in the Demon Dismantling Center with Dulchanko. ¡°You¡¯re here? It¡¯s been a while. Sit down.¡± Aldaine, who had been wrestling with a stack of documents, raised his head and said. ¡°Yes.¡± Dulchanko sat down next to Aldaine and Jeong Yushin sat on the chair across from Aldaine. ¡°So what are you here for?¡± ¡°Do you know about Oswald?¡± ¡°I do.¡± ¡°Please tell me.¡± ¡°You tell me first. Let me hear. What happened in the labyrinth.¡± Dulchanko¡¯s eyes sparkled. It was like a young boy expecting a heroic tale. Aldaine didn¡¯t show it as much as Dulchanko, but he seemed curious. Jeong Yushin scratched his head and opened his mouth. ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s see. So...¡± About 30 minutes passed. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤So after killing all those assassins, I had a fight with Oswald and that was it. After that, I lost consciousness and don¡¯t remember anything.¡± Jung Yu-shin¡¯s story ended. I couldn¡¯t tell you everything that happened in the labyrinth, so I summarized and summarized it to tell you only the necessary parts. ¡°Huh...¡± Swallow-nosed his mouth wide open and couldn¡¯t continue speaking. ¡°...¡± Aldain rubbed his eyes silently and finally opened his mouth. ¡°No. Skaia, does that make sense? You slaughtered all the assassins while being hit by the bolt like that? And as if that wasn¡¯t enough, you picked a fight with Oswald? And you survived? How did you do that, you crazy bastard?¡± Jung Yu-shin shrugged. ¡°That¡¯s it.¡± ¡°...¡± Aldain and Dulchanko looked at Jung Yushin in the distance. Aldain raised his head and looked at the ceiling for a moment before touching his head. ¡°Uh... where did we end up? Dulchanko, how much did I say?¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t said anything yet.¡± ¡°Yes. Oswald is a Shadow Clowns officer. He¡¯s a mid-level explorer, but it¡¯s hard to see him as a regular mid-level. That¡¯s because his imprinting ability is special.¡± Certainly. Veil of Darkness is a stealth imprint. Deadly Back Strike is an imprint that inflicts fatal wounds when attacked from behind. Each imprint was good when viewed separately, but it wasn¡¯t hard to guess that the two would be even more terrifying when combined. Jung Yushin nodded. Aldain continued speaking. ¡°He has good taste and skills. I heard he has a strange personality. He¡¯s more of a mood person. He treats people¡¯s lives like flies. But he¡¯s good at his job.¡± ¡°Your evaluation is a bit erratic?¡± Jung Yu-shin asked. ¡°He¡¯s a guy with a bit of a erratic mind.¡± Jung Yu-shin nodded at Aldain¡¯s answer and opened his mouth. ¡°His eyes were gleaming, so he seemed a bit crazy.¡± ¡°...¡± Aldain and Snail Nose closed their mouths and stared at Jung Yu-shin. Jung Yu-shin tilted his head. ¡°Why is that? Please continue.¡± ¡°Uh... In a word, he¡¯s more like a good killer than a strong guy. He¡¯s more of an assassin than a warrior. To be honest, it¡¯s extremely unusual for Oswald to spare your life. It¡¯s hard to believe that he even gave you a magic stone and offered to recruit you.¡± ¡°But it actually happened, right?¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Well, that¡¯s true. Oh, really. Does that make sense?¡± Aldain¡¯s face gradually frowned. Dwarf Nose hurriedly opened his mouth. ¡°Ska, what are you going to do about the 5th Prince¡¯s nanny?¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤I don¡¯t know yet. There are assassins roaming the Labyrinth City, so it would be a problem to just go to Oswald¡¯s Clan and bring the nanny. I doubt they¡¯d just hand the nanny over. To be honest, there¡¯s no reason to bring the nanny.¡± Aldain interjected. ¡°Ska, the situation is not good, so wait and see what happens and decide. Don¡¯t go into the Labyrinth for the time being and stay in the city.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll think about it. Okay.¡± Jung Yu-shin finished speaking and stood up. Squeak. Thump. Jung Yu-shin left and silence filled the office. ¡°What on earth is that guy Scar doing?¡± Aldain grumbled. ¡°Isn¡¯t it a good thing he came back alive?¡± At Snoggle¡¯s answer, veins rose on Aldain¡¯s forehead. ¡°Snoggle, stop making me speechless. It makes me mad.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I was able to return to Darmon¡¯s inn when the sun began to set. It was because we had been talking about various things at the Demon Dismantling Center for quite some time. As I entered the inn, I felt a sweltering heat. People were crowded in a corner of the inn hall. Clap, clap, clap!!! Applause? ¡°Haap!!! Yah!!!¡± I could also hear shouts. What on earth is going on? Jeong Yu-shin pushed his way through the crowd to the corner. And then he saw. The little fox Suin was performing with three soft slimes. People were clapping their hands with happy smiles. Jung Yushin cleared his throat. Oh my. Me again. It was nothing special. It was just a simple performance. When I interviewed for the chef last time, I gave permission for the fox Suin to come and perform sometimes. It wasn''t that surprising. The fox Suin, who was diligently moving the slime, found Jung Yushin and smiled brightly. Jung Yushin smiled back. The fox Suin wriggled and got down from her chair, running towards her and shouting. "Daddy!!!" All eyes in the inn were focused on Jung Yushin. Jung Yushin''s expression hardened. "Huh...?" Chapter 69: The never-ending night The fox beastman ran up and clung tightly to Jeong Yushin¡¯s leg. Jeong Yushin looked down at the little fox beastman, who was sticking to him like gum. Ignoring the insane closeness of the little fox beastman, the inn hall was packed with people. ¡°...¡± A cold silence settled in. The guests'' sharp stares pounded against Jeong Yushin. This was dangerous. Perhaps even more so than when Oswald had been here. He instinctively sensed the crisis. From now on, he had to choose his words carefully. Cold sweat began to bead on his forehead. Jeong Yushin calmly opened his mouth. ¡°Why am I your father?¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re my daddy!¡± The fox beastman declared this, then rubbed her face against Jeong Yushin¡¯s thigh. ¡°...¡± The declaration of an idiotic father. The attempt at a senseless assassination. Its effect was immediate. The people gathered in the inn hall gasped in shock. ¡°Hah...!¡± ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°I heard he was a virgin, but was that not the case?¡± ¡°Could it be because he¡¯s a father... and a forbidden relationship with his daughter?¡± The crowd whispered. Jeong Yushin¡¯s body staggered slightly. He barely held onto his dizzy mind and grabbed the fox beastman¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Why are you suddenly calling me daddy?¡± ¡°Well... the boar uncle told me to call you that!¡± The boar uncle? It could only be that big-nosed guy. ¡®What the hell?¡¯ He thought this subordinate had good character, but to crack under this pressure? It felt like a knife had been driven deep into his gut. A vein bulged on Jeong Yushin¡¯s forehead. Seeing the fear in Jeong Yushin¡¯s face, the little fox beastman began to cry. Tears welled up in her round eyes. ¡°Wiiiii. You¡¯re my daddy, that¡¯s all!¡± ¡®Ha.¡¯ His mind grew dizzy again. He hadn¡¯t even had a wedding, let alone slept with someone, but here he was, in a situation where the little fox beastman called him daddy. To make things worse, the expressions of the people around him began to look more and more displeased. Then. ¡°Skah!¡± The inn¡¯s door opened, and Big-Nose walked in. He quickly sized up the situation, looking at Jeong Yushin and the fox beastman, and closed his mouth. ¡°Big-Nose, did you stick a knife in my back?¡± Jeong Yushin growled. Hearing Jeong Yushin¡¯s voice, the little fox beastman clung even tighter to Jeong Yushin¡¯s leg. ¡®Ha.¡¯ Jeong Yushin swallowed a breath. The little fox beastman¡¯s frail body was trembling. Was she scared? The anger that had surged suddenly dissipated. Jeong Yushin raised his hand and gently patted the little fox beastman¡¯s head. ¡°Don¡¯t be scared. I¡¯m not mad at you.¡± The little fox beastman cautiously lifted her head. Tears and snot streaked down her face. ¡°...Really?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Jeong Yushin turned his head and looked at Big-Nose. ¡°Big-Nose, go get a handkerchief and some fruit juice.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Big-Nose dashed to the kitchen. Jeong Yushin patted the little fox beastman once more and glanced around. Whether they trusted him or not, he met the eyes of each person and spoke. ¡°You regulars should know who I am, right? Those who know, know. Let¡¯s put the speculation to rest and get back to your business.¡± Once Jeong Yushin finished speaking, some people nodded, while others tilted their heads in confusion. Perhaps reading something from Jeong Yushin¡¯s calm tone and gaze, the people silently returned to their seats. Big-Nose returned from the kitchen with a handkerchief and fruit juice. Jeong Yushin took the handkerchief and gently wiped the little fox beastman¡¯s face, then handed her the fruit juice. ¡°Go play with the slimes. Don¡¯t worry. Sorry for scaring you.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± The little fox beastman smiled brightly, as if she hadn¡¯t been crying, and skipped away. Jeong Yushin gestured for Big-Nose to follow him to the counter. ¡°Come. Let¡¯s have a chat.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Jeong Yushin and Big-Nose sat at the counter. ¡°Tell me.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Big-Nose carefully opened his mouth. About ten minutes later, Big-Nose finished speaking. Jeong Yushin rubbed his temples. He pieced the situation together. The little fox beastman¡¯s name was Luna. When Jeong Yushin had been in the labyrinth, Luna had often come to the inn to perform. With her lively personality and cute appearance, Luna was welcomed not only by the inn¡¯s guests but also by Big-Nose, Tarman, and Anne. One evening, Big-Nose had dropped Luna off at her home and met Luna¡¯s mother. Big-Nose had a brief chat with Luna¡¯s mother. And then, the truth was revealed. The little fox beastman¡¯s situation was far more serious than he¡¯d imagined. Jeong Yushin spoke. ¡°So, the father of that little fox beastman is missing in the labyrinth, and her mother has been bedridden for months due to illness?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°The father was a mid-level explorer, and it¡¯s been eight years since he went missing... Is this something that happens often?¡± ¡°Occasionally.¡± The taste in his mouth turned bitter. So that was why Luna had come looking for work during the recruitment drive. It was pitiful that, at her age, she was already looking for a job instead of enjoying herself. ¡°Then why is she calling me her dad? She said the boar told her to.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a system in the Spirit Guild called godparenting.¡± Godparent? Like a godfather. It¡¯s essentially a system where someone becomes the guardian of a child. Jeong Yushin had heard about it during his time at the orphanage, where the kids often talked about adoption and guardianship. Big-Nose continued. ¡°It came up briefly during a conversation with Luna¡¯s mother. Since the innkeeper is you, Skah, your name came up, and I think Luna overheard it from outside the door. I didn¡¯t force her to say it.¡± Jeong Yushin sighed deeply. Now he had some idea of why the little fox beastman called him her father. She probably didn¡¯t think of him as her real father, but rather someone she could rely on. At that moment, the little fox beastman approached. ¡°Uncle, daddy! Luna is going home now!¡± The little fox beastman bowed deeply. Looking at the jingling coin pouch, it seemed she had made quite a bit of money. Jeong Yushin glanced out the window. It was late at night, and the street was dark. Even though it was the southern district, it didn¡¯t seem safe for such a young child to be wandering around. Jeong Yushin spoke. ¡°Big-Nose, take Luna home. It¡¯s dark out.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Jeong Yushin watched as Big-Nose and Luna left the inn, hand in hand, and crossed his arms. Was it right to interfere in someone else¡¯s family matters? ¡®It¡¯s not like I have no problems of my own.¡¯ Jeong Yushin sighed deeply. ¡°Skah!¡± The inn door opened, and a group of people walked in. It was his party. The holy knight Soline, the big-nosed gnome Gellerheim, and the granny lover Pirion. Jeong Yushin waved his hand. The party came over. ¡°How¡¯s your body?¡± Soline asked. ¡°Thanks to your concern, I¡¯m feeling better. Thanks. For now, sit at the table. I¡¯ll treat, so let¡¯s drink our fill tonight.¡± Gellerheim¡¯s face lit up brightly. ¡°The innkeeper knows how to treat people right.¡± Jeong Yushin forced a smile. ¡°I¡¯m not the innkeeper.¡± ¡°By the way, business seems to be going well.¡± Pirion said, looking around. ¡°We¡¯re managing somehow. Come, take a seat.¡± Jeong Yushin stood up from the counter and led the party to the table. Tarman, moving as fast as his feet could carry him, entered the kitchen. ¡°Anne! Please prepare some simple food.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Jeong Yushin left the kitchen and returned to the party with bottles of alcohol and glasses from the liquor shelf behind the counter. ¡°Oh! Dwarf wine? That¡¯s quite bold.¡± Gellerheim exclaimed. ¡°You serve in the clergy, so is drinking okay?¡± ¡°As long as I don¡¯t make a fool of myself, it¡¯s fine.¡± Pirion spoke on Soline¡¯s behalf. He opened the wine and filled the party members¡¯ glasses. They drank a toast and began chatting. Most of it was about their time in the labyrinth. ¡°...I really thought I was going to die.¡± ¡°Soline carried you while swinging her sword with one hand. That was some serious willpower.¡± Soline complained, and Gellerheim praised her. ¡°Ahem. So, what about the 5th Prince¡¯s nurse?¡± ¡°Now isn¡¯t the time to discuss that. There are too many people listening.¡± Jeong Yushin cut off Pirion¡¯s words sharply. ¡°Sorry, I was being careless.¡± Pirion apologized. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Jeong Yushin generously accepted Pirion¡¯s mistake. It was pitiful, really. Seeing Pirion with his wrinkled face, unable to tell if something was a turd or paste, made Jeong Yushin feel sorry. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about the distribution of the reward.¡± Gellerheim interrupted. ¡°Let¡¯s do that.¡± Soline took out four silver pouches and placed them on the table. Hobgoblin hunting. A total of 40. 30 silver coins. The presence of a Hobgoblin Warrior meant the reward was higher, but it wasn¡¯t as great as when they were with the crappy party. From the looks of it, the reward they received back then was likely more for the information. Magic stone collection. 15. 15 silver coins. Altogether, they had 45 silver coins. There were four party members, so that meant each person would receive 11 silver coins. The remaining reward would go to the elf cleric Pirion. ¡°When I collapsed, I heard you went to the relief station. How much did the treatment cost?¡± ¡°I helped the relief station staff treat you. Of course, I pitched in too. We managed to lower the cost a bit. It was around 2 silver coins, but we paid it.¡± Soline answered Jeong Yushin¡¯s question. ¡°I¡¯ll repay the treatment cost.¡± At Jeong Yushin¡¯s words, Soline looked serious. ¡°Don¡¯t. Skah, you saved our lives. Without you, we would all have died. This is our way of thanking you, so don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Soline smiled, and Pirion nodded in agreement. Gellerheim seemed to have a different opinion, but he eventually nodded too. ¡°Right. 10 silver coins isn¡¯t bad. With this, we can afford to take it easy for a while.¡± Gellerheim¡¯s words made the party laugh. Each of them seemed to be lost in their own thoughts, as if considering what they wanted to do next. ¡°Alright! Let¡¯s drink!¡± Gellerheim shouted. CLINK! Jeong Yushin and the party clinked their glasses with smiles. In the cheerful atmosphere, they joked and chatted. Jeong Yushin went to the kitchen and brought back the food. It was a barbecue dish made by boiling pork ribs and glazing them with seasoning. Known as ¡°pork ribs¡± in the common tongue. Gellerheim¡¯s eyes widened when he saw the mountain of pork ribs on the platter. ¡°You¡¯re really serving this much?¡± ¡°Stop talking. Let¡¯s eat.¡± Soline tore off a piece of pork rib, popped it in her mouth, and her eyes widened. ¡°It¡¯s delicious.¡± ¡°Eat up.¡± As soon as Jeong Yushin finished speaking, the party members devoured the food and emptied their glasses. ¡®Are they possessed by gluttony?¡¯ Jeong Yushin chuckled, watching the party members devour the food silently and hurriedly. As the pile of ribs diminished, a thought suddenly crossed his mind. ¡°By the way, have you received any new marks? Or has anyone leveled up?¡± Jeong Yushin asked. ¡°No one. We checked at the temple. And we don¡¯t seem to have hunted enough monsters to level up.¡± Pirion licked his finger, covered in seasoning, and answered. Jeong Yushin nodded inwardly. Leveling up wasn¡¯t as easy as it seemed. He had only leveled up twice after all the hardships. And the marks... ¡®I need to check on mine as well.¡¯ He hadn¡¯t felt any signs due to losing consciousness. His body seemed fine, but he didn¡¯t know what mark he had received. It might be another negative mark. No. Jeong Yushin shook his head, shaking off the negative thoughts. His limbs were fine, and his mind was intact, so there was no party collapse from a vicious negative mark. He should be grateful. Time passed, and the guests left. After sending Tarman and Anne home since their shifts were over, only Jeong Yushin¡¯s party remained in the dimly lit, quiet inn hall. Jeong Yushin cleared his throat and began explaining the events with Oswald. When the brief explanation ended, the expressions of the party members turned serious. ¡°...So what should we do now?¡± Gellerheim asked. ¡°...¡± No one answered. What should they do? A heavy silence lingered. ¡°Currently, there are assassins in ¡ã? N o v e l i g h t ?¡ã the labyrinth city. We don¡¯t know how many, but judging by the 5th prince¡¯s nurse being attacked, it¡¯s safe to assume her identity has been exposed.¡± ¡°...Shouldn¡¯t we go rescue her?¡± Pirion asked. Of course, the granny lover was still concerned. ¡°The nurse is in the blazing sun now. If we get too close, who knows what kind of trouble we¡¯ll find. It¡¯s dangerous, so we¡¯ll have to wait and see for now. Honestly, I don¡¯t even know what Oswald is thinking.¡± The worst case scenario was that Oswald would send the 5th prince¡¯s nurse here. The even worse case was that Oswald would spill information about Jeong Yushin¡¯s party to the assassins. The crazy bastard could do anything. In any case. Assuming the worst... The assassins would all gather, and he didn¡¯t want innocent people getting hurt. They couldn¡¯t just rush in, nor could they idly stand by. Jeong Yushin¡¯s mind was a mess. Lack of information only fueled his imagination. ¡®Stay calm.¡¯ Jeong Yushin shook his head and spoke. ¡°Let¡¯s rest for now and meet in a few days. About three days should be enough?¡± ¡°That¡¯s too short.¡± Gellerheim said. ¡°How long does it usually take?¡± ¡°At least a week to recover from travel fatigue.¡± The party nodded in agreement. ¡®A week? Is that how long they need to rest?¡¯ Suddenly, the party members looked like lazy good-for-nothings. ¡®Am I the odd one here?¡¯ ¡°Alright, I understand. Then let¡¯s meet in a week. Be careful, and let¡¯s refrain from going out for now.¡± The party members nodded, slowly getting up from their seats. ¡°Oh! I almost forgot. Here.¡± Soline handed over the bag. It was the bag the blindfolded man had been carrying. ¡°Inside the bag, I placed the magic stones Oswald gave.¡± ¡°Is that so? Let¡¯s sell them and split the money.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need. You got them. We did nothing.¡± Soline said seriously. ¡°Then I¡¯ll gratefully accept.¡± The party nodded in agreement. After seeing the party members off, Jeong Yushin returned to the counter and sat down alone. He passed the time in solitude. After waiting a little longer, Big-Nose returned. ¡°Did you get her home safely?¡± ¡°Yes. Also, I have something to tell you.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Big-Nose scratched his head before speaking. ¡°Luna¡¯s mother wants to meet you.¡± Jeong Yushin placed a hand on his forehead. Not only had he gained a virtual daughter, but now a virtual wife wanted to meet him. Jeong Yushin made a reluctant expression. ¡°When?¡± ¡°Today, right away.¡± ¡°Ha...¡± Jeong Yushin let out a long sigh. The night was still not over. Chapter 70: Child-loving Jung Yu-shin A dark inn hall. Jung Yu-shin and Deul-chan-ko made eye contact. Jung Yu-shin linked arms. ¡°Do you really have to go at this hour of the night?¡± ¡°Yes. He said he wanted to see you.¡± ¡°Tsk. Got it. I¡¯ll bring the bag to my room and come back, so wait.¡± Jung Yu-shin stopped as he was about to put the bag on his back. ¡°Wait a minute. Let me ask you something. I got this from those assassins. Can I use it?¡± Jung Yu-shin held up the bag and showed it to him. Deul-chan-ko¡¯s expression hardened. ¡°The assassins might recognize it. It¡¯s dangerous, so I recommend you not use it for the time being.¡± ¡°Okay. I heard this is an enchanted bag. Is it expensive?¡± Deul-chan-ko tilted his head. ¡°There¡¯s someone I know who knows about magic tools. Can I have them appraised?¡± ¡°Yes. And can this magic stone be appraised?¡± Deulchangko¡¯s eyes widened when he saw the magic stone that Jung Yushin had handed him. ¡°This...this is a high-grade magic stone?!¡± ¡°Is it expensive?¡± ¡°Yes! It¡¯s worth dozens of gold coins! Where did you get this?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you? I got it from Oswald.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you tell me everything when you were with Aldain?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know it was that expensive. Okay. Let¡¯s go.¡± Jung Yushin threw his bag at Deulchangko. Deulchangko was startled and grabbed the bag that Jung Yushin had thrown. Squeak. The two men left the inn. The hot summer wind brushed past their foreheads. They walked slowly through the night streets where people were rare. Deulchangko glanced at Jeong Yushin. His eyes had deepened even more. He was a man who gave off an ominous vibe even when he first saw him. He was slowly peeling off the layers of an onion, and he was gradually becoming accustomed to the Labyrinth City. Deulchangko suddenly recalled his conversation with Aldain. After the story about Oswald ended. Right after Jeong Yushin left Aldain¡¯s office. Deulchangko scratched his head. His curiosity was so strong that he couldn¡¯t hold it in. ¡°But Aldain, why are you so surprised? Your struggles are certainly noteworthy, but aren¡¯t there many strong people in the Labyrinth City? And there must be cases where strong people from outside start out as novice explorers?¡± Aldain¡¯s neck snapped. ¡°Are you asking if that guy Ska wasn¡¯t a strong man from the beginning?¡± ¡°Yes. That¡¯s right.¡± Aldain snickered. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you? When he came to work with Darmon¡¯s introduction, he hurt his hand once.¡± ¡°...¡± Dwarf Nose waited silently for the next words. Aldain leaned back in his chair and stared into space. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you more. That guy, he almost cut off his finger because he mishandled the sword while dismantling a monster. I healed him with recovery magic. That¡¯s when I saw him.¡± Aldain grinned. ¡°That guy¡¯s hand. It was a hand that was just starting to develop calluses. It was a hand that had never held a sword in its entirety. It seemed like he didn¡¯t even know how to hold a weapon, let alone a sword.¡± ¡°...!¡± Dwarf Nose was speechless. Goosebumps ran up his back. A man who had never held a sword before, after going to the labyrinth several times and coming back, invaded the eastern district without a fraudulent mark and slaughtered slave hunters, turning the tavern into a sea of ??blood? Even if Aldain had lent him his single-edged sword and leather coat, it was a ridiculous story. ¡°You know what happens next, right? He might not admit it, but in my eyes, he¡¯s a natural-born killing machine. He¡¯s a swindler. He¡¯s one of our own.¡± Aldain stroked his single-edged sword and laughed. * * * ¡°What are you thinking?¡± At Jung Yu-shin¡¯s question, Dul-chan-ko instantly returned to reality. ¡°Ah...no.¡± ¡°It¡¯s bland.¡± Jung Yu-shin closed his eyes and walked as if enjoying the hot wind. The smell of a big shot wafted from his slow steps. Dul-chan-ko swallowed dry saliva. That relaxed look was scary, but at the same time, it was also reassuring. ¡®Is Aldain really right? I really want to know what he really looks like.¡¯ Deulchangko cleared his confused mind. Jung Yushin¡¯s heart, not knowing Deulchangko¡¯s true feelings, was heavy. ¡®Mr. Ha...what should I do? Luna¡¯s mother faints when she sees me? I heard she¡¯s not feeling well, and what if she dies of a heart attack?¡¯ Just thinking about it was terrifying. Becoming the mortal enemy of the cute fox Suin. This shouldn¡¯t happen. ¡°We¡¯re almost there.¡± Deulchangko¡¯s words broke Jung Yushin¡¯s thoughts. They passed the park they often went to and walked down an alley a little to arrive. A shabby house. Knock knock. ¡°I¡¯ll go in.¡± Deulchangko opened the door with one word. Squeak. Opening the wooden door and going inside, there was a living room and two small rooms. Jeong Yu-shin looked around. Furniture that was broken and old here and there. Broken glass windows. The old stove that had been used for cooking had only ash left. A house that was extremely dreary. ¡°Cough. Cough.¡± A coughing sound was heard from beyond the wooden door on the left. ¡°Madam, may I come in?¡± ¡°Yes. Please come in. Cough.¡± A feeble voice was heard from inside the door. Squeak. Opening the wooden door and going inside, the fox-like woman was lying on the bed. Jeong Yu-shin and Dwarf Nose approached cautiously. Jeong Yu-shin was able to see the fox-like woman in detail. A pale complexion. Thin cheeks. Dark dark circles. Cloudy eyes. If she were to close her eyes right now, she would look like a dead person. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤It is polite to get up and greet guests, but I am not feeling well. Please understand.¡± A quiet but elegant voice, weak but formal. Jung Yu-shin nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t worry and make yourself comfortable.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤It¡¯s Edel. You are not like Barbaroi as I have heard. Gulp.¡± Jung Yu-shin smiled bitterly at Edel¡¯s words, the fox. ¡°I often hear about it. While I am away, your daughter stops by our inn to perform. Thank you for trusting me and sending her.¡± Jung Yu-shin bowed deeply. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤You are really different. Gulp.¡± ¡°It is often difficult because people do not recognize you.¡± Jung Yu-shin smiled softly and said. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤I see.¡± The fox Adel looked at Jung Yu-shin for a long time. Jung Yu-shin also made eye contact with Adel. Adel opened her mouth. ¡°I also heard that my daughter is indebted to you, Ska-nim. I wanted to go and thank you in person, but my health is not good, so I called you here. I apologize.¡± ¡°No. On the contrary, our inn sales have increased a lot since Luna came. I am more grateful.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤I see. Ska-nim, I know it is really shameless, but could you do me one favor?¡± ¡°Yes, is there anything you need?¡± ¡°Please take care of my daughter.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Cough. I don¡¯t have much time left. I don¡¯t mind dying like this, but I feel bad about leaving my daughter behind. I raised her without shame. Could you please protect her until she becomes independent?¡± ¡°...¡± Jeong Yu-shin couldn¡¯t open his mouth carelessly. He was only 23 years old. The heart of a mother who calmly counted her fading life and worried only about the future of her daughter whom she had raised with love. It was too heavy. It¡¯s hard to handle. ¡°Aren¡¯t there any others?¡± ¡°The only time that kid really laughed was when he went to the inn.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤I¡¯ll think about it.¡± Jung Yu-shin barely managed to get it out. ¡°Cough. Okay.¡± Ethel answered with a weak smile. Jung Yu-shin and Dulchangko got up from their seats. ¡°Okay.¡± Jung Yu-shin bowed his head and left. Creak. As he closed the door and came out, he saw a door in another room hurriedly shut. Was Luna listening? Jung Yu-shin stopped and looked around the shabby house once more. Luna. What should we do? ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Jung Yu-shin and Dulchangko left the shabby house and entered the dark {N?o?v?e?l?i?g?h?t} he walked through the streets of the labyrinthine city. Jeong Yu-shin glanced at Deulchangko. Even though it was night, his eyes were clearly red. ¡°Deulchangko, why are you so affectionate?¡± Jeong Yu-shin asked. ¡°Sniff. That¡¯s right.¡± Delchangko, the boar, sniffed. ¡®I¡¯m like that too.¡¯ He didn¡¯t say it out loud, but his heart was like that. The hot summer wind swept through Jeong Yu-shin¡¯s hair. ¡°What on earth is that fox Suin¡¯s mother¡¯s illness? Tell me more in detail.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Jeong Yu-shin and Deulchangko returned to Darmon¡¯s inn and sat at the counter. Deulchangko explained the story in detail. About 30 minutes passed. He sat on the counter chair and listened to the story while drinking. Fox Suin. Ethel. A widow who runs a pharmacy in the southern district. Her husband disappeared in the labyrinth 8 years ago. She lived with her young daughter Luna, running a small pharmacy, but she contracted a terminal illness a few months ago. Her name was magic sclerosis. It was a disease where the magic that circulated like water in the body hardened into stone. A fatal disease where the entire body stiffens and the heart finally stops. The cause of the disease is unknown. There is only one treatment. The high-quality magic contained in expensive high-grade magic stones must be drawn out to break through the stone-hardened magic. There was one more obstacle, and the help of a high-grade priest was also needed during the treatment process. She sold not only her store but also her original house to pay for the treatment. Her condition did not improve. She should have moved to a shantytown, but with the help of an acquaintance, she was barely able to find a shabby house to live in. No. It would not be appropriate to say she was living. Ethel was waiting for death. Jung Yu-shin rubbed his forehead. Masuk. There was one. ¡°Snort, are you thinking the same thing as me right now?¡± ¡°Ah... no.¡± ¡°Not really, you little brat. I can see your eyes rolling.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Tsk. Go and get some sleep. It¡¯s late, so let¡¯s talk again tomorrow.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Jung Yu-shin patted Snort¡¯s shoulder once and went up to the second floor. He changed his clothes and lay down on the bed. Lin was nowhere to be seen, as if she had gone somewhere. Jung Yu-shin looked up at the ceiling with his arm as a pillow. Luna. How could he smile like that in the face of his mother¡¯s death? Behind that smile, there must have been a desperate will to prevent his mother¡¯s death. If Jung Yu-shin had fought. Luna''s fight. "Yeah. I''ve earned it like a dog, so I''ll spend it like a prime minister." Jung Yu-shin made up his mind and closed his eyes. Then he opened his eyes again. It was because he had some uneasy feelings in his heart. "¡¤¡¤¡¤Isn''t it a child-loving imprint or something?" A night filled with worries. The next morning. Jung Yu-shin came down to the first floor of the inn. He saw Sloppy Nose. His eyes were wide open, as if he hadn''t slept well. "Let''s give it a try." It was a pointless statement, but Sloppy Nose understood it right away. "Jeong... Are you sure?" "Yeah." "But I need a high-ranking priest for the treatment. What are you going to do?" "I know someone." Jung Yu-shin thought of someone and smiled bitterly. Mi-on. Mi-on didn¡¯t come this morning. I don¡¯t know if she had a separate class or something to do, but I thought it was fortunate. ¡®Boljjangjjang.¡¯ My heart felt heavy as I thought about Mi-on¡¯s incomprehensible behavior. But I think she¡¯s a kind person at heart. If she heard the story of the poor fox Su-in, she would definitely roll up her sleeves and come to me. ¡®I have to check the seal anyway.¡¯ Jeong Yu-shin gathered his courage and left the inn. He walked down the street to the Earth Mother Shrine. He went to the reception desk and explained his business. The shrine receptionist made a troubled expression. ¡°Ska-sama, it¡¯s difficult right now. Priest Mi-on is in class right now. You have to wait a moment.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± He couldn¡¯t suddenly barge in during class and make a fuss. He decided to wait a moment in the garden. Jeong Yu-shin walked down the hallway of the shrine and arrived at the garden. The garden of the Earth Mother Temple was well-maintained. I walked among the colorful flowers and trees with green leaves. Suddenly, an old memory came to mind. I gave Anne a silver coin here. To be honest, I felt a little bad at that time. However, since our relationship continued in a circle, it wasn¡¯t a bad feeling. A faint smile appeared on Jung Yu-shin¡¯s lips. ¡°You¡¯re getting what you pay for.¡± Someone blurted out from behind him. Jung Yu-shin suddenly woke up from his thoughts. ¡®What kind of bastard.¡¯ Jung Yu-shin¡¯s head turned like lightning. A man was lying on a chair like a drying squid. Cain Randisher. Mion¡¯s older brother. The evil younger sister¡¯s panty hunter. Jung Yu-shin¡¯s eyes widened. Chapter 71: A Salvation Story That Starts with Panties Saaaaah. The hot summer wind swept through the garden and passed by the two men. Jung Yu-shin opened his mouth. ¡°Uh...hello.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t say hello.¡± Cain answered, brushing back his flowing blond hair. Judging from his casual shirt, he seemed to be on vacation. Cain¡¯s expensive-looking longsword was carelessly draped on the table. Cain looked Jung Yu-shin up and down. ¡°What are you here for?¡± ¡°I came to check the imprint.¡± ¡°Then why did you come all the way to the garden to check it?¡± ¡°Usually, Mion Shrine will do it. I have something to ask of you today.¡± Cain shook his head at Jung Yu-shin¡¯s answer. ¡°Not today.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°I¡¯m on vacation. Let¡¯s go to a nice restaurant with Mion and have dinner.¡± ¡°It¡¯s lunchtime now. Don¡¯t you still have time for dinner?¡± ¡°We should go on a date while walking around the shopping streets in the central area before dinner. Merchants from the Lionel Kingdom have been flocking here recently, so there are a lot of good items. There are a lot of fun things to see.¡± ¡®A crazy little sister lover.¡¯ Jung Yu-shin nodded and turned around. ¡°Where?¡± ¡°I think I¡¯m uncomfortable, so I¡¯m going somewhere else.¡± ¡°Me? You¡¯re being too self-conscious.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Jung Yu-shin sat down facing Cain. ¡°...¡± The two of them stared blankly at each other as if they had nothing to say. Jung Yu-shin felt awkward in this situation. Should I say it felt like meeting his girlfriend¡¯s older brother for the first time? Strictly speaking, it wasn¡¯t the first time. Cain opened his mouth. ¡°Were you the one who broke Hans¡¯ defense?¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Yes.¡± Cain clicked his tongue at Jung Yu-shin¡¯s answer. ¡°Tsk. This is the only time I¡¯ll check the imprint. Mion is busy.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°...¡± Another awkward silence passed between the two men. Jung Yu-shin turned his head to look at the flowers in the garden. Cain crossed his arms. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Thank you.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Because you stepped forward and broke Hans¡¯s defense barrier, there wasn¡¯t much damage to the city.¡± ¡°The defense barrier was so thick that it would break if you hit it anyway.¡± ¡°Even if you complimented me, it¡¯s a different story. I¡¯ll cancel it.¡± ¡®Does this person have a bit of a tsundere streak?¡¯ Jung Yu-shin scratched his head. ¡°Yes. But there¡¯s one thing I¡¯m curious about.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Do you know, Mion? That Cain is collecting Mion¡¯s panties?¡± ¡°When did you say I collected panties? Are you crazy?¡± ¡°Yes, yes.¡± ¡°Mion doesn¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Oh, yes.¡± ¡°I¡¯m saying this out of concern, so don¡¯t tell Mion.¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you have just not told me in the first place?¡± ¡°I think I drank too much back then and became mentally unstable. Forget it.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°No, now that I think about it, it¡¯s strange. Lately, Mion¡¯s panties...¡± My ears perked up. ¡°Yes, yes.¡± What are Mion¡¯s panties? Jung Yu-shin leaned a little closer to Cain. ¡°Ha...should I say it got thinner? Should I say the area got smaller? In the past, it used to be cute animal pictures, right? Bear, rabbit, cat. But these days...tsk. Anyway, that¡¯s it. And...¡± ¡®Bear, rabbit, cat? Check.¡¯ And...¡± Cain¡¯s face turned fierce. Crack. The sound of teeth grinding echoed through the quiet garden. ¡°Some random guy¡¯s panties were in Mion¡¯s closet. Does that make sense? What kind of crazy bastard put his panties in my sister¡¯s closet? I¡¯ll catch him right now and cut him to pieces!¡± Jung Yu-shin¡¯s expression also became serious. What kind of psychopath would do something like that? Indeed, Labyrinth City. There are too many crazy people. ¡°What kind of crazy bastard is that? Shouldn¡¯t we call the guards and throw him in jail?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. So I brought the evidence first.¡± ¡®What a great guy.¡¯ I don¡¯t know when he went into his sister¡¯s room. And I don¡¯t know how he got there. Right. If you¡¯re going to be called a lover of his sister, you have to do that much. Jung Yu-shin nodded inwardly, convinced. Cain took out a bundle of cloth from his bosom and placed it on the table, unwrapping it. ¡°Look. It looks like this. This is his panties.¡± ¡°This?!¡± Jung Yu-shin¡¯s eyes grew as wide as lanterns. Black square spandex panties. Very familiar shape. ¡®Uh... Isn¡¯t this mine?¡¯ His head felt dizzy as if he had been hit with a mace on the back of his head. Whether he knew Jung Yu-shin¡¯s feelings or not, Cain spoke with a serious expression. ¡°The material is unusual. I guess it¡¯s underwear made by the Arachne Altar Association in the Eastern District.¡± ¡°The front part is seriously stretched out. It¡¯s huge. It¡¯s extremely vicious and disgusting.¡± He was the commander of the knights, so his eyes were sharp. But. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Why is it vicious?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it because I¡¯m bragging about how big I am? It¡¯s unprecedented to harass an innocent woman like this.¡± ¡°I...I see.¡± Jung Yu-shin lowered his head again and observed the panties. He was sure. He couldn¡¯t deny it. The stretched and torn parts from rolling around were familiar. I¡¯m sure I put them in the laundry basket. ¡®Why on earth are they here?¡¯ No way. Mion? No way. Mion couldn¡¯t have done that. The Mother Earth Priestess sneaked in and licked her cheek and stole the panties she had put in the laundry basket? ¡®Is this right?¡¯ The devil whispered. ¡®If this isn¡¯t the green light, then what is it? Krrrrung! Just sleep tight!!!¡¯ ¡®No. There might be a special imprint on Mion that you can¡¯t tell others. You definitely have feelings for her, but you don¡¯t know what kind of feelings it is? Are you really sure? What if you make Mion cry again?¡¯ The angel refuted. The devil suggested a compromise. ¡®Let¡¯s hold hands first. We can only have three children.¡¯ ¡®No. We need to get stronger and get rid of Cain first. That¡¯s the natural order.¡¯ I don¡¯t know who¡¯s the angel and who¡¯s the devil anymore. Is this the magic spell in a martial arts novel? Jung Yu-shin closed his eyes tightly and put his inner conflict to rest. ¡°What are you thinking so deeply about?¡± Jung Yu-shin opened his eyes at Cain¡¯s question. ¡°Nothing much. I was just thinking about how to get rid of the owner of those panties. Do you plan on telling Mi-on about the panties?¡± ¡°No. No. How can I tell innocent Mi-on about such a dirty and shady scheme?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Slap. Slap. Someone approached where Jung Yu-shin and Cain were. Cain quickly took the panties back. It was the temple receptionist. ¡°Ska-sama, you can come.¡± Jung Yu-shin got up from his seat. Cain pointed to himself with his finger. ¡°Me?¡± ¡°Cain-sama said to come back later.¡± ¡°No. I¡¯ll go too.¡± ¡°Whew, okay.¡± The temple receptionist sighed and allowed Cain to accompany her. Jung Yu-shin and Cain walked down the hallway and went to a door deep inside the temple. ¡°This will be a secret until the investigation is over. Okay?¡± Cain stood in front of the door and said. ¡°Yes.¡± Jung Yu-shin nodded. Knock knock. ¡°Mion Priest, Ska and Cain are here.¡± ¡°Please come in.¡± ¡°Yes. You two, you may come in.¡± Jung Yu-shin and Cain opened the door and went into the room. Blonde hair with a sharp nose and kindly closed eyes. Mion, wearing a white priest¡¯s uniform, stood there with a kind smile. ¡°Mion!¡± Cain pushed Jung Yu-shin away and approached Mion without warning. ¡°Oh, brother.¡± Mion, flustered, took a step back slightly. ¡°Why are you so busy? This older brother found a good restaurant today. Let¡¯s go together. Let¡¯s have a date in the central area. Okay?¡± Jung stared blankly at Cain. He had been acting serious and solemn just a moment ago, but his expression changed completely and he was flirting with Mi-on. ¡°Brother, let¡¯s check the imprint of Ska first.¡± Mi-on cut off Cain¡¯s words. He really knew how to distinguish the order of things. Jung Yushin approached Mi-on and greeted her. ¡°It¡¯s been a while. Mi-on, priest.¡± ¡°Yes. You came to check the imprint, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Jung Yushin immediately knelt in front of Mi-on and bowed his head. What kind of imprint could it be? I hope it¡¯s a good imprint. No. I don¡¯t even want a cheat imprint. As long as it¡¯s not a strange imprint, that¡¯s fine. Mi-on¡¯s chanting filled the room. Jung Yushin closed his eyes and prayed earnestly. ¡®Please, don¡¯t let it be a negative imprint. Heavens.¡¯ About 5 minutes passed. Mion opened her mouth. ¡°I checked. Ska-nim¡¯s imprint is ¡®Venom Protection¡¯.¡± Venom Protection. Jung Yu-shin raised his head. ¡°Is it good?¡± It sounds like a good imprint just by the name. A troubled expression crossed Mion¡¯s face. ¡°Yes... It¡¯s not a bad imprint.¡± Cain snickered beside her. ¡°That¡¯s too bad. I¡¯ll just get an imprint that makes a snail come out of my mouth.¡± Jung Yu-shin ignored Cain¡¯s words. ¡°What¡¯s the effect?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a seal that has some degree of defense against poison. It¡¯s an activation seal, not a continuous seal. The duration varies from person to person. It¡¯s said to be 12 hours on average. Oh! And it also has some degree of disease resistance.¡± ¡°Oh! Isn¡¯t it a good seal?¡± It¡¯s a simple but good seal. You can save money on antidotes. You won¡¯t catch a cold either. Jung Yu-shin smiled brightly. It wasn¡¯t a seal that would kill you within 3 weeks if you didn¡¯t touch your chest. It wasn¡¯t an erectile dysfunction seal either. It wasn¡¯t a love for children seal either. You could say that you were incredibly lucky. Cain laughed at Jung Yu-shin¡¯s appearance. ¡°It might work to some extent on the lower floors, but it¡¯s impossible when you go down to the depths. All the monsters that appear in the depths use strange mixed poisons, so it¡¯s hard to endure with this seal.¡± ¡®Look at his personality.¡¯ Jung Yu-shin¡¯s face wrinkled. I heard there¡¯s a kid who always gets angry. Can¡¯t you just congratulate him? Mi-on made a stern expression. ¡°Brother, Ska-nim is still a beginner explorer.¡± ¡°Tsk. Okay.¡± Jung Yu-shin got up from his seat and faced Mi-on. ¡°Mr. Mi-on, I have a favor to ask.¡± ¡°Yes. What is it?¡± ¡°Hey! I told you I have an appointment!¡± ¡°Oh, please listen to me just this once. It¡¯s a matter of one person¡¯s life.¡± Cain shut his mouth after seeing Jung Yu-shin¡¯s serious eyes. Jung Yu-shin began to talk. The fox family. He explained Edel¡¯s current situation and Luna¡¯s efforts. He added his honest feelings about wanting to help. The talk ended after about 30 minutes. ¡°...¡± Silence settled in the room. Suddenly, Cain opened his mouth. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤I understand the situation, but let me ask you one thing.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Why on earth are you helping me like that? Putting aside where you got that magic stone, that amount of money would cost tens of gold coins. You could have good equipment, good magic tools, and a comfortable life, but you¡¯re giving this much for someone you¡¯ve only met once?¡± Cain pointed his finger at Jeong Yu-shin and continued. ¡°Are you in your right mind? Are you half-asleep over the beauty of that widow named Ethel, and half-asleep over sexual desire, and you¡¯re trying to do it once?¡± ¡®You bastard.¡¯ His anger rose to the top of his head. Jeong Yu-shin glared at Cain and opened his mouth. ¡°Cain Randish, don¡¯t cross the line.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤What?¡± Cain¡¯s mouth opened at the sudden outburst of informality. ¡°I know you¡¯re the Knight Commander of the Labyrinth City, but there are things you should and shouldn¡¯t say. Don¡¯t insult me.¡± ¡°Do you want to know why I¡¯m helping you? The good weapons, expensive magic tools, and comfortable housing you mentioned are things that will naturally follow when I become stronger. And I like money. But what I like more is the peace of the people around me. If you don¡¯t understand, don¡¯t do it. It¡¯s my heart.¡± It was also Darmon¡¯s heart. It was also Einhofer¡¯s stubbornness. He¡¯s not an adult. Everything. ¡®To protect my heart.¡¯ ¡°...¡± Cain and Jeong Yu-shin had a staring contest for a long time. Cain dropped his hands and shook his head as if he had lost. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Haa. I understand. And don¡¯t speak informally. You shameless brat. I¡¯ll let you off just this once. Tsk.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go! I¡¯ll help you!¡± Mi-on shouted. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Really? There¡¯s not much I can give you.¡± ¡°No. Didn¡¯t you give me enough, Ska-nim?¡± Jung Yu-shin tilted his head. What did I give you? Cain frowned. ¡°Then what about our date?¡± ¡°Brother, I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll take long. Just wait a little.¡± ¡°Really? Then I¡¯ll go with you.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to go with me.¡± Jung Yu-shin refused affectionately. Veins popped out on Cain¡¯s forehead. ¡°What are you counting on to entrust my little brother to you? You could drag him to a dark alley and do something bad to him!¡± ¡°Oh, Brother!¡± Mi-on¡¯s face turned bright red. Jung Yu-shin scratched his head. He had a lot to say, but he held back. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Jung Yu-shin and the Mi-on siblings left the temple. In front of the temple, Dulchang-ko was standing. He was carrying a small backpack, but his face wasn¡¯t very bright. ¡°Who are you?¡± Cain asked. ¡°He¡¯s my subordinate.¡± ¡®He¡¯s supposed to be my subordinate, though.¡¯ Cain, not knowing Jung Yu-shin¡¯s feelings, let out a hollow laugh. ¡°Oh, really. You have subordinates?¡± ¡°Yes. He¡¯s a friend who I get along with.¡± Jung Yu-shin approached Dulchang-ko. ¡°Your face /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ doesn¡¯t look good. Is something wrong?¡± ¡°S...Ska-nim.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Ma-seok¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± Dulchang-ko hesitated. ¡°Tell me honestly.¡± At Jung Yu-shin¡¯s urging, Dulchang-ko finally opened his mouth. ¡°I think I¡¯ve been scammed.¡± ¡°What...!¡± Jung Yu-shin¡¯s mouth fell open. Chapter 72: Salvation? Narrative The harsh sunlight blazed down on the temple¡¯s courtyard. Jeong Yushin stood silently. Fraud? How did the magic stone come to be? A treasure obtained through blood and sweat, and yet the situation had spiraled into this? ¡°...Tell me, in detail. Who took the magic stone? What¡¯s going on... what are you talking about?¡± Jeong Yushin stammered. ¡°Ah! It¡¯s not that the magic stone was stolen or anything.¡± Big-Nose answered. Not stolen? The confusion deepened. Big-Nose pulled the magic stone from his bag and showed it to Jeong Yushin. ¡°The appraisal results confirm it¡¯s a high-grade magic stone. However, about half of its magic has been used up, so the purity of the magic isn¡¯t very high.¡± What the hell did that mean? There was something about Big-Nose¡¯s words that Jeong Yushin couldn¡¯t quite grasp. He furrowed his brows. ¡°I understood that someone took half of the magic from the stone. But why does that affect the purity of the magic?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because the empty space in the stone has been filled with chaotic energy.¡± Mion stepped forward and explained the void. ¡°I see. Thank you, Priest Mion.¡± Jeong Yushin expressed his gratitude, while inwardly grinding his teeth. ¡®Oswald, you bastard, are you messing with me?¡¯ He had thought it was a bit too easy. Pretending to be the coolest guy in the world, and then pulling off a half-used magic stone trick? Not an easy guy to deal with. Jeong Yushin had thought he had gained some experience in the labyrinth city. Apparently, that was a misconception. This was the first time he¡¯d seen someone shamelessly spin a tale about a used magic stone. He was in a very foul mood. Cain interrupted. ¡°This is ridiculous. A moment ago, you were acting all heroic, like you were going to save the world, and now this? How embarrassing. I¡¯m embarrassed for you.¡± Jeong Yushin¡¯s face turned red with shame and anger. He couldn¡¯t argue. It was the truth. He had confidently declared he would pay for it, then took his girlfriend to a restaurant for a nice meal, only to leave without paying. It felt like that. He just wanted to crawl into a rat hole and disappear. ¡°Brother! Skah is doing everything he can to help those in need. Why criticize him instead of supporting him? This is disappointing.¡± Mion stepped forward, defending Jeong Yushin and speaking to Cain. Cain staggered back slightly. ¡°Sorry, little sister. I made a big mistake.¡± Jeong Yushin shook his head and spoke. ¡°No, it¡¯s my fault. Cain is right. It¡¯s all my fault.¡± Then he lowered his head and added, ¡°I apologize for taking your time. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Cain immediately changed his expression and waved his hand. ¡°Go ahead.¡± Just then, Mion spoke up. ¡°Skah! I have an idea.¡± An idea? At her hopeful voice, Jeong Yushin looked up. ¡°What¡¯s the idea?¡± ¡°If we use high-purity magic, it should work. Of course, there are other things we need to check first.¡± ¡°Little sister, where do you expect to get high-purity magic?¡± ¡°Skah¡¯s magic has high purity.¡± ¡°...¡± A moment of silence passed. ¡°...Little sister, how do you know that?¡± Cain finally opened his mouth. Mion froze for a moment, then fidgeted with her fingers before speaking. ¡°Well... when the monster mutation incident happened in front of the labyrinth, I treated Skah. That¡¯s when I realized.¡± ¡°Hmm... really?¡± Cain tilted his head. ¡°Ahem! I heard from Edell that she used her wealth to help with the treatment. If that¡¯s true, I think high-purity magic still resides in Edell¡¯s body. That¡¯s probably why she¡¯s still alive. It¡¯s something that can be done.¡± Mion explained. ¡°...Priest Mion!¡± Jeong Yushin¡¯s eyes filled with gratitude. ¡°Skah, let¡¯s try it.¡± Mion smiled softly as she spoke. ¡°Yes!¡± Jeong Yushin answered energetically, looking at Mion. If there was a saint in the world, it must be someone like her. Kind and generous. But. There was one small question left. Why, with such an angelic heart, had Mion stolen his underwear? The question couldn¡¯t continue. Cain urged. ¡°Let¡¯s go. We have a lot to do today.¡± ¡°Understood. Big-Nose, lead the way.¡± ¡°Yes, Skah!¡± Jeong Yushin and Mion followed Big-Nose as he led them through the streets. They soon reached a shabby house at the end of a narrow alley. Knock knock. Big-Nose knocked on the wooden door. ¡°...Who¡¯s there?¡± From behind the wooden door, a fox beastman¡¯s voice was heard. Luna¡¯s voice. It wasn¡¯t the lively voice she had when playing with the slimes in the inn hall. There was a mixture of wariness and fear in it. ¡°It¡¯s Luna. Skah and his friends have come to see Edell. Can you open the door?¡± ¡°...What?!¡± With a creak, the door opened, as if it were going to break. Luna was standing there. Her eyes were red, as if she had been crying until recently. ¡°Ugh...!¡± Luna rubbed her eyes and wiped away the remaining tears. Then she cautiously spoke. ¡°Who is the person with you?¡± ¡°Hello? It¡¯s Luna, right? This is Mion. She¡¯s a priest of the Earth Mother. And this next to her is Cain, a knight from the Labyrinth City.¡± ¡°Wh...what¡¯s this about?¡± Jeong Yushin stepped forward. ¡°Luna, we¡¯ve come to treat your mother. Can you take us to her?¡± Luna¡¯s eyes widened for a moment, but quickly sank. ¡°Really? But... all the doctors said they couldn¡¯t treat her. And she¡¯s asleep right now. She coughed all night and only just managed to fall asleep...¡± Luna answered hesitantly, her voice faintly laced with distrust. ¡°Luna.¡± Jeong Yushin knelt down and met Luna¡¯s gaze. ¡°Just trust me once.¡± At Jeong Yushin¡¯s words, Luna grabbed her skirt tightly. ¡°...Now you want me to trust you? When people came and lied to us when my mom was sick! They said it was a high-grade magic stone! That it was expensive! My mom even sold her store to buy it! Ugh! And they all pretended like they didn¡¯t care!¡± Luna¡¯s voice grew louder at the end. ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Adults are all liars!¡± Jeong Yushin quietly looked at Luna¡¯s face. She wasn¡¯t looking him in the eye, just staring down at the floor. Luna¡¯s words didn¡¯t have logic, but they were full of raw emotion. Calling him daddy but not being able to trust the help he offered. Now, it all made sense. She wanted to rely on someone, but couldn¡¯t fully trust them, struggling and suffering in the process. ¡°Luna, did you hear someone calling for you?¡± A voice came from beyond the door. It was Edell¡¯s voice. Luna stiffened. ¡°Please, follow me.¡± Luna lowered her shoulders and opened the door to Edell¡¯s room. Creeeak. The room inside was the same as before. The only difference was Edell¡¯s complexion. She looked even paler than yesterday. ¡°Cough... It seems like we have a lot of guests today. The captain of the knights and a priestess, huh.¡± Edell weakly smiled. Jeong Yushin approached Edell¡¯s bedside and knelt down on one knee. ¡°Edell, I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t accept your request regarding the godparent issue.¡± ¡°Ugh...!¡± Luna¡¯s soft gasp came from behind. ¡°...Is that so? I¡¯m sorry for asking such a difficult favor. Cough.¡± Disappointment colored her voice. Edell¡¯s face grew even paler. Jeong Yushin took out the magic stone. ¡°I¡¯ve come instead to treat you. I¡¯m not sure if it will work, but I¡¯ve brought trusted friends to help. Would you like to try it?¡± ¡°...Skah.¡± Jeong Yushin and Edell briefly locked eyes. Edell seemed like she wanted to say something, but in the end, she nodded without a word. Mion stepped forward and gently took Edell¡¯s hand. ¡°Then let¡¯s begin the examination.¡± About ten minutes later, Mion spoke. ¡°It seems possible. As expected, there is still high-purity magic in her body. The magic waves aren¡¯t much different from Skah¡¯s.¡± ¡°What should I do?¡± ¡°Please hand me the magic stone. After extracting the magic from the stone, I¡¯ll need to circulate it into Edell¡¯s body.¡± Jeong Yushin handed the magic stone over. Mion carefully stepped closer to Jeong Yushin and stood by him. Her round, soft bottom lightly tapped against his. ¡°Mion, don¡¯t get too close.¡± ¡°Edell, I¡¯ll need to remove the blanket for the treatment. It¡¯ll take a while¡ªabout six hours. Since we need to concentrate, can everyone but Skah leave the room?¡± Cain pointed out, but Mion completely ignored him and continued to explain the procedure. ¡°Understood.¡± ¡°Tch.¡± Big-Nose and Cain agreed, but Luna hesitated. Did she want to stay by her mother¡¯s side? Mion looked at Luna. ¡°Luna, can you promise to stay quiet?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Creeak. Big-Nose and Cain left the room. The treatment preparations were complete. Mion took a deep breath, holding the magic stone in one hand and Edell¡¯s hand in the other. The magic slowly began to flow into Edell¡¯s body. ¡°Ugh!¡± Edell trembled in pain. Luna covered her mouth and quietly watched her mother. Five hours passed. Edell bit her lip and twisted her body little by little. Mion¡¯s expression tightened. ¡°As expected, the magic is insufficient.¡± Mion set the magic stone down and reached out to Jeong Yushin. ¡°Skah, take my hand and relax.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Jeong Yushin extended his hand and took Mion¡¯s. Her soft hand. He felt a warm energy. It was a strange feeling. How should he describe it? It felt familiar. It was hard to explain in words. If he had to summarize it, it was just Mion¡¯s kind of magic. Jeong Yushin relaxed his mind as Mion instructed and let her magic guide his own. Jeong Yushin¡¯s magic, led by Mion¡¯s guidance, flowed into Edell¡¯s body. Then. Something unexpected happened. Edell, who had been silently holding back her moans, suddenly screamed. ¡°Eek!¡± Edell¡¯s body jerked. It was a voice of surprise at a sensation she had never felt before. ¡°Edell, just hold on a little longer. We¡¯re almost done!¡± Mion said urgently. ¡°Wha...what¡¯s this...?!¡± Edell¡¯s voice was slurred. Her body trembled. Her soft yellow fox ears twitched. ¡°Wait...wait! Priest Mion! This feels... weird...! Huh!¡± Edell cried out desperately. Jeong Yushin felt an uneasy emotion rising within him. Could it be that his magic wave didn¡¯t match Edell¡¯s? ¡°Hold on!¡± Mion said firmly. ¡°Mom!¡± Luna, who had been anxious, finally ran to Edell and took her other hand. ¡°Mom! Don¡¯t go!¡± Tears rolled down Luna¡¯s round eyes. ¡°Ho...hooo?!¡± Edell¡¯s frail body lifted slightly. Her lower half began to move aggressively, as if craving something, jerking back and forth. ¡°J...Janken?!¡± Edell stopped speaking and, with her lips curled, gasped for air. Tears welled up in Edell¡¯s eyes. Her loosened tongue couldn¡¯t pronounce words properly. Her face, once pale, had now turned red. As she twisted and turned, Edell¡¯s pajamas became disheveled. Jeong Yushin and Edell¡¯s eyes met. ¡°Edell, hang in there.¡± ¡°Skah! This...! Huh?!¡± Edell¡¯s eyes rolled back. ¡°Mom!¡± ¡°This...like this! Luna¡¯s watching! No...noooo!!!¡± Edell bit her lip with all her strength, but she couldn¡¯t resist. Jeong Yushin¡¯s weak magic surged through Edell¡¯s body, targeting only her weak spots and wreaking havoc. Thud. Jeong Yushin¡¯s pure magic pierced the hardened dam of magic. Everything collapsed. ¡°Wooohooooo!!!¡± Edell cried out as her hips lifted high into the air. ¡°Mom!!!¡± Luna screamed as well. Thud. Edell¡¯s body, drained of strength, collapsed back onto the bed. ¡°Huff...huff.¡± Breathing heavily, her red face still clenched in pain. Tears streamed down her cheeks from how much pain she had endured. Jeong Yushin¡¯s heart thumped as he watched Edell. Was the treatment finished? ¡°All done. The magic stagnation is completely gone.¡± Mion wiped the sweat from her brow as she spoke. ¡°Then...?!¡± ¡°Yes. Luna, your mother is fully cured.¡± ¡°Huh! Thank you!¡± Luna rushed forward and hugged both Mion and Jeong Yushin. Jeong Yushin looked at Mion. ¡°Priest Mion, thank you. I don¡¯t know how to repay you.¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m just happy to have helped you, Skah.¡± Mion smiled warmly. Jeong Yushin lowered his head and looked at Luna. ¡°Luna, from now on, you can call me uncle. No need to call me daddy. If you ever need help, I¡¯ll always be there.¡± Luna ? N§àv§ÖIight ? (Read more on our source) looked up at Jeong Yushin¡¯s face, then silently leaned into his chest, rubbing her face against him. Jeong Yushin smiled and gently patted her head. Creak. Big-Nose and Cain entered the room. ¡°Is it over?¡± Cain asked. ¡°Yes, brother.¡± Cain was about to say something but stopped himself and handed over a wooden cup. It was filled with strawberry juice. He must have gone to the market for it. ¡°Good job. Little one, have some too. Wipe your nose.¡± Cain took a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped Luna¡¯s face, then handed her the drink. ¡°Thank you.¡± Luna bowed her head toward Cain. Cain awkwardly scratched his cheek and handed the handkerchief to Mion. Jeong Yushin stood up, tidied up the room, and covered Edell with a blanket. Edell had quietly fallen asleep as if she had lost consciousness. ¡°Big-Nose, stay here and take care of Edell and Luna.¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to ask that of you, actually.¡± Big-Nose¡¯s eyes were red. Jeong Yushin gave Big-Nose a pat on the shoulder and left the room. The evening was growing darker. The three of them walked down the street. Cain spoke. ¡°Mion, good job.¡± ¡°Thank you. Brother.¡± ¡°Tonight, we should rest. Are you tired?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m sorry. You came out because of me...¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. Sometimes, these things happen.¡± Cain smiled and patted his chest. Jeong Yushin stopped in his tracks. It was getting late, and he was planning to return to Dalmong¡¯s inn. ¡°Thank you both for helping today. Because of you, Edell and Luna are safe.¡± Mion smiled silently. Cain cleared his throat, patted Jeong Yushin¡¯s shoulder, and spoke. ¡°You did a good job too.¡± ¡°Then, I¡¯ll go ahead.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Mion and Cain watched Jeong Yushin¡¯s back as he walked away. ¡°How is it? Skah¡¯s a good person, right?¡± ¡°Heh! He¡¯s not a bad guy. Though a little unsettling.¡± Cain cleared his throat and revised his opinion on Jeong Yushin. The siblings shared a small smile and began walking down the street again. Chapter 73: To the eastern district A week passed. Time passed quietly, unlike Jung Yu-shin''s worries. Jung Yu-shin visited Ethel''s house with food from the inn while visiting her. A quiet living room. Jung Yu-shin and Ethel sat across from each other with an old table between them. Luna was nowhere to be seen. Jung Yu-shin carefully opened his mouth. "I... are you okay?" "Yes, four." Ethel blushed. Judging from the way her body trembled, it seemed that she had not yet completely recovered her health. Still, just as Mi-on had diagnosed, Ethel''s body gradually improved. She gradually gained weight on her skinny body. Her warm yellow fox ears and tail gradually became plump and shiny. It would be right to say that she looked like a sickly lady. "Here is today''s meal. Is there anything uncomfortable?" ¡°Yes. It¡¯s okay. Thank you for your concern.¡± Jung Yu-shin looked around. It was a shabby house, but since Ethel had been cleaning it little by little, it felt like people lived there. ¡°...¡± An awkward silence passed between Ethel and Jung Yu-shin. Warm tea was steaming on the table. I don¡¯t know the name of the tea Ethel brought out, but it smelled good. Jung Yu-shin took a sip of the tea and opened his eyes wide. ¡°This is really good tea.¡± It tasted like black tea mixed with lemon and ginger? Ethel smiled softly. ¡°I¡¯m glad you like it.¡± In fact, the tea Jung Yu-shin drank was special. It was because Ethel¡¯s experience as a herbalist for a long time was contained in the tea. Jung Yu-shin coughed once. ¡°That... is nothing else. I came to see if you were okay because you were in a lot of pain last time.¡± ¡°Oh! Yes.¡± Edel¡¯s face turned bright red. Mion had come to visit a few days before Jeong Yu-shin¡¯s visit. ¡°Edel, how are you feeling?¡± Mion asked. ¡°Thanks to your concern, I¡¯ve gotten a lot better. But, priest, I have something to ask you.¡± Mion smiled softly and nodded at Edel¡¯s question. ¡°Yes. Feel free to tell me.¡± ¡°That¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± Edel hesitated and then carefully told her experience. ¡°At the end, I suddenly felt a sensation of pleasure as if an electric shock was running through my body. It was more like a sense of liberation. It¡¯s hard to explain in words. What do you think?¡± Edel asked Mion for her opinion with a bright red face. After listening for a while, Mion seemed to think about something for a moment and then opened her mouth. ¡°My guess is. Magical hardening is a rare disease, so the prognosis is not very good.¡± Mion continued. ¡°Masoa adaptation, I think it¡¯s a similar mechanism to what people call leveling up. When you level up, your magic and physical abilities improve, and you feel a pleasure close to omnipotence. In Edel¡¯s case, I think you felt a pleasure dozens of times greater than leveling up when your body, which had been blocked by magic, returned to its original state. I¡¯m not sure.¡± Edel thought about it carefully. ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you feel pleasure from the beginning?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it because you only feel omnipotence when your body transformation is at its final stages?¡± Edel nodded at Mion¡¯s answer. ¡°That¡¯s right. I also thought that Ska-nim had a ¡®special¡¯ imprint. Ah! It¡¯s not that I¡¯m not grateful. It¡¯s true that Ska-nim saved my life. I was just curious...¡± Edel ? N§àv§ÖIight ? (Original source) was embarrassed when she realized her mistake at the end. ¡°...¡± Cold sweat ran down Mion¡¯s forehead. Certainly. Ska-nim¡¯s magic power was a small amount, but it was strangely pure. It was the first time she had encountered Barbaroi¡¯s magic power. Nevertheless, Ska-nim¡¯s magic power was qualitatively different from that of a normal person. Should I say it was like the magic power of a newborn child? Mion stopped her thoughts. She had come to visit, not to reason. Moreover, it was not polite to Edel, who was sitting in front of her. Mion smiled and got up from her seat. ¡°Edel-nim, I¡¯ll be going now.¡± ¡°Yes. Thank you for listening.¡± Ethel bowed deeply. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Jung Yu-shin¡¯s worried voice was heard. Ethel snapped out of her thoughts. ¡°Yes.¡± Jung Yu-shin drank the remaining tea and stood up. ¡°Please rest comfortably and let me know if you need anything.¡± ¡°Thank you, Ska. If you need help with anything related to herbs, please consult me.¡± ¡°Understood. Okay.¡± Jung Yu-shin nodded and left Ethel¡¯s house. He walked through the deserted streets of noon and returned to Darmon¡¯s Inn. The inn was bustling with people. Most of them were merchants from the Kingdom of Lionel. Since he was busy dealing with explorers in the morning and evening, he only had time to eat properly during lunchtime. Jung Yu-shin sat down at the counter after seeing Tarman and Snood running around busily. The wind coming in through the window was mixed with sticky moisture. Jung Yu-shin closed his eyes and folded his arms. While he was thinking about this and that, he heard the merchants talking. ¡°Did you hear that news?¡± ¡°What news?¡± ¡°Someone said they saw the 5th prince¡¯s nanny in this city?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that just a rumor? How could the 5th prince¡¯s nanny come all that way?¡± ¡°Someone said they saw it in the eastern district?¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard to believe. Even if it¡¯s true, aren¡¯t there people who have turned into monsters living there? There¡¯s no reason for the 5th prince¡¯s nanny to go to that dangerous place.¡± ¡°But what if the 5th prince is there?¡± ¡°Shhh! Are you in big trouble? The city has been so tense these past few days. It¡¯s time to watch your mouth.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤I¡¯m sorry. Let¡¯s have a drink.¡± The merchants¡¯ conversation soon went in a different direction. Jung Yu-shin¡¯s eyebrows twitched. ¡®Fuck.¡¯ Was Oswald calling him? He quietly leaned back on his chair and waited until evening. How long had he waited? The sun had set and the explorers began to gather at the inn¡¯s dining room. The party decided to meet today. They should be here by now. Clank! The door opened and the party members entered the inn. Jung Yu-shin opened his closed eyes. Soline, Gallaheim, Pirion. ¡°Everyone, are you okay?¡± Jung Yu-shin asked the party members approaching. ¡°We had a nice rest.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a while since we had a nice rest.¡± Jung Yu-shin got up from his seat and led the party to a table near the counter. ¡°Tarman! Prepare something to eat!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Tarman ran to the kitchen. ¡°We have something to talk about today, so let¡¯s hold off on drinking.¡± Jung Yu-shin said as he sat down at the table. The party members, who noticed the ominous atmosphere, nodded. Tarman soon brought dinner on a tray. The dinner menu was baguette bread and tomato stew with lots of chickpeas, chicken, cabbage, potatoes, and carrots. The party members swallowed their saliva. ¡°The smell is amazing.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a lot. It¡¯s good that you didn¡¯t eat dinner.¡± The party members each said something and began to eat their food in a hurry. Jung Yu-shin looked at the party members and took a spoon. After the meal, fruit juice was served instead of alcohol to cleanse the palate. The party members sipped the juice and talked about what they did during their break. Jung Yu-shin was curious. ¡°Gallaheim, what have you been doing this past week?¡± Gallaheim shrugged. ¡°I spent my time reading books at the library and checking my weapons at the blacksmith shop. Self-development is trendy in the Labyrinth City these days. It was a meaningful time.¡± Hmm. Jung Yu-shin observed Gallaheim¡¯s nose mask closely. ¡°What...?¡± Gallaheim fiddled with the mask. ¡°Let¡¯s talk honestly. Party members. Without hiding anything.¡± ¡°Oh! Aren¡¯t we sharing our lives? Trust me!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s take the mask down first.¡± As Jung Yu-shin¡¯s hand slowly approached, Gallaheim jerked back in surprise. ¡°Ha, don¡¯t do that!¡± Soline laughed at the sight. ¡°Scar, aren¡¯t you bothering Gallaheim too much? How have you been this past week?¡± Jung Yu-shin shrugged. ¡°I¡¯ve been busy.¡± He woke up every morning and practiced swinging his sword. When he had time, he sometimes visited Ethel in the hospital. On days when Dulchangko was off, he served her. In the evening, he would discuss running the inn with Anne and Tarman. It was a fulfilling time. And it was a time that couldn¡¯t be expressed in one word. Soline opened her mouth with a smile. ¡°That¡¯s great. I went to see the western blacksmith street that Senior Gil-seon recommended. Since it was a labyrinth city, there were various weapons, and it was fun to see.¡± Jung Yu-shin and the party members spent time talking about this and that. They didn¡¯t talk about the 5th prince¡¯s nanny. As time passed and the night grew late, the guests left the inn one by one. Anne and Tarman were sent off. Dulchangko packed food and went to Ethel¡¯s house. Only Jeong Yu-shin¡¯s party remained at the inn. Jeong Yu-shin linked arms. Time for a full-fledged meeting. The future direction of the party must be clearly decided. ¡°There are rumors about the 5th prince in the city.¡± Firion, who had been keeping his mouth shut at Jeong Yu-shin¡¯s words, finally spoke. ¡°That¡¯s right. To be exact, it¡¯s a rumor about the 5th prince¡¯s nanny.¡± ¡°Apart from everything, I don¡¯t want to get involved with the 5th prince. It¡¯s too dangerous for our party to handle. That¡¯s my honest feeling.¡± All the party members nodded at Jeong Yu-shin¡¯s words. Soline opened her mouth with a serious expression. ¡°I don¡¯t want to admit it, but Oswald has the upper hand right now.¡± ¡°The problem is that we don¡¯t know what Oswald is thinking.¡± Jung Yu-shin added. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Soline agreed. ¡°Scar, are you going to go find the 5th prince¡¯s nanny?¡± Pirion asked. Jung Yu-shin crossed his arms and thought deeply. What should we do? Oswald said he would take the 5th prince¡¯s nanny as a ¡®hostage.¡¯ However, to him, the 5th prince¡¯s nanny was just a ¡®bomb¡¯ with no value. Oswald wasn¡¯t stupid. He probably didn¡¯t use the word ¡®hostage¡¯ for nothing. It was clear that he had some kind of plan. Present. The 5th prince was nowhere to be seen. Assassins from unknown places were targeting the 5th prince¡¯s nanny. In addition, merchants suddenly gathered from the Lionel Kingdom. Clues were given, but it was difficult to find a connection. More information was needed. Not groundless rumors, but direct and practical information. ¡®Is it true that to catch a tiger, you have to go to the tiger¡¯s den?¡¯ Jung Yu-shin made a decision. I should meet Oswald. He looked around at the party members and opened his mouth. ¡°It¡¯s too early to draw a conclusion. I should go to Oswald¡¯s clan in the eastern district.¡± Soline¡¯s expression hardened. ¡°Are you going alone? Let¡¯s go together.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Don¡¯t you know what might happen?¡± Jung Yu-shin shook his head. ¡°No, I should go alone.¡± ¡°Why? Is it because we¡¯re not good enough?¡± A hint of self-loathing appeared on Soline¡¯s stiff face. ¡°No. Let¡¯s say we all go together. If it¡¯s a trap, everyone will be in danger. It¡¯s inefficient.¡± ¡°Why are you trying to carry the heavy load alone?¡± Jung Yu-shin snickered. ¡°I¡¯m the leader of this party. And I won¡¯t carry it alone. I¡¯ll ask for help if I need it. And.¡± He added while looking at the party members. ¡°Don¡¯t be too gloomy. I don¡¯t want to die either. If Oswald had tried to harm us, he would have done it already. I think we¡¯ll be safe.¡± The party members¡¯ expressions were not bright, but they seemed to be slightly accepting. In particular, Gallaheim was nodding vigorously. ¡°Okay! Let¡¯s go back now and see you tomorrow. Gallaheim, let¡¯s have an interview with me.¡± ¡°Me? Why me?¡± Gallaheim blankly stared at Jung Yu-shin. ¡°It¡¯s nothing much, I just wanted to ask you something.¡± Soline and Pirion got up from their seats. ¡°Understood. If you feel like it¡¯s dangerous, definitely call me. I¡¯ll be there.¡± ¡°Okay. Get some rest.¡± Jung Yu-shin escorted the party members out of the inn and returned to his seat. ¡°So, what do you want to ask?¡± Galerheim asked. Jung Yu-shin tapped the table and brought up his business. ¡°Galerheim, from what you said in the labyrinth, I think you know a little about the Eastern District. Let¡¯s be honest. Where did you really go? Don¡¯t talk about the library or self-development. I¡¯m really awake.¡± ¡°Really...really. I went to the library!¡± Just as Galerheim was about to protest. Squeak. The inn door opened and Ddal-chan-ko came in. ¡°Ska-nim.¡± ¡°How¡¯s Edel?¡± ¡°She¡¯s gotten a lot better.¡± ¡°I see. Please contact Aldain. I¡¯m going to the Eastern District.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡± ¡°I might die?¡± Dulchangko smirked. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll die.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°But who is this person?¡± Dulchangko asked while looking at Gallaheim. ¡°We¡¯ll go together.¡± Jung Yushin smiled and put his arm around Gallaheim¡¯s shoulder. Jung Yushin¡¯s strong arm grabbed Gallaheim¡¯s shoulder tightly. The color drained from Gallaheim¡¯s face. ¡°Ugh...! Oh, you said you were going alone!¡± Jung Yushin smiled and whispered. ¡°I changed my mind. Let¡¯s go together. To the Eastern District.¡± Chapter 74: Why are you here? A dark inn with only a small light left. Jeong Yu-shin observed Gallaheim with his arm around his shoulder. He sent Dulchangko to the monster dismantling center. It was something worth reporting to Aldain. He had decided to wait at the inn until Dulchangko returned, so he had some time. ¡°Gallaheim, let¡¯s be honest. Didn¡¯t you go to the eastern district?¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Why do you think so?¡± ¡°I¡¯m guessing. Maybe you went to play slave?¡± ¡°...¡± Gallaheim was silent. Even then, he kept touching his nose. Did he hit the nail on the head? ¡®Gnomes are really hard to trust.¡¯ He was on the verge of PTSD because of Ditto. ¡°I¡¯m not asking you to question me. Play slave? I like it too. Yes, yes. Morally speaking, no problem? I think it¡¯s a healthy culture.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Gallaheim slowly raised his head. Jung Yu-shin leaned back against his chair, away from Gallaheim. ¡°Be honest. Did you go to the East District? I think that¡¯s the only place where slave play is done.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤That¡¯s right.¡± Then that¡¯s right. I expected it when I heard that the brothel was in the East District. If there¡¯s a suspicious place in the future, wouldn¡¯t it be mostly right if I took a picture of the East District? Jung Yu-shin crossed his arms and opened his mouth. ¡°Did Oswald approach you?¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤That¡¯s right.¡± Somehow, I thought the timing of Oswald¡¯s signal was exquisite. I guessed that information had leaked out somewhere. Then. Who would be the one who could tell me about his current situation? Simple. Excluding Soline and Pirion, who were in the priesthood, the only one left was Gallaheim. ¡°What did you say to Oswald?¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤I didn¡¯t say much. All I did was ask if you were busy these days.¡± ¡°Whew.¡± Jung Yu-shin leaned back a little deeper in his chair. ¡°...¡± Jung Yu-shin silently looked at Gallaheim. Gallaheim twisted his body here and there as if he was feeling uneasy. Should I kill him? Or not? Jung Yu-shin knocked on the table. Knock. Knock. Knock. Finally, Jung Yu-shin opened his mouth. ¡°Gallaheim, it would be better to take off your mask.¡± A calm voice flowed out. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Why?¡± Gallaheim asked. Jung Yu-shin laughed a little in disbelief. ¡°Do you want to die?¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤I understand.¡± Gallaheim took off his nose mask. Jung Yu-shin pushed his face in. He met Gallaheim¡¯s eyes at close range. ¡°I¡¯ll ask again. Did Oswald only ask about my current situation? Are you busy or not?¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤That¡¯s right. He really only asked that.¡± Gallaheim answered. His nose had not grown long. ¡®Just this once.¡¯ I¡¯ll spare you. He didn¡¯t believe that a low-level explorer could resist the underworld¡¯s executives. ¡°I understand. Is something happening in the eastern district these days?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know the details, but I heard that people who have turned into monsters or animals have been disappearing these days. That¡¯s why there¡¯s a chaotic atmosphere in the eastern district.¡± ¡°What about the red-light district? I heard that Barbaroi is there.¡± Gallaheim¡¯s face turned pale. On top of that, his body was trembling. ¡°It¡¯s a den now. No one can go in. The smell of semen has been filling the red-light district and sewers for a long time.¡± ¡®Fuck.¡¯ Jung Yu-shin got up from his seat. ¡°Please wait a moment.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± He went up to the second floor. He went into his room, put on his sword belt, and fastened his arming sword to his waist. ¡°Rin?¡± There was no sound. I thought she was sleeping, so I lifted the blanket slightly, but Rin wasn¡¯t there. I hadn¡¯t seen Rin in the past week. She was such a free spirit that I thought it would be okay if she didn¡¯t return to the inn for a few days, but she had been out for a long time. ¡®No way?¡¯ The rumor that Gallaheim had just mentioned flashed through his mind. Even if Ingrid had cast a secret spell, he couldn¡¯t stop his anxious heart from slowly rising. ¡®It¡¯s a needless worry.¡¯ Rin was Ingrid¡¯s servant at the Labyrinth Committee. I pressed my worries and left the room, going down to the first floor. Suddenly, Dulchangko was standing there, holding clothes in his hand. ¡°Here is the coat. Aldain-sama told me to take it.¡± Jung Yu-shin shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s summer now, what kind of monster leather coat is this? I¡¯m going to die from the heat. Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it dangerous?¡± ¡°You said I wouldn¡¯t die?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, but I¡¯m worried about Ska-sama.¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Jung Yu-shin looked at his outfit. A white linen shirt with the sleeves rolled up. Brown cotton pants. Walkers with iron soles. An arming sword hanging loosely from his sword belt. Jung Yu-shin opened the door to the inn. ¡°Gallahheim probably knows where it is. Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The three men left the inn and went out into the night. After walking for about two hours, they arrived at the East District checkpoint. ¡°Curfew.¡± The guard stopped them. Dulchanko approached the guard and whispered. The guard¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°I... really? Let¡¯s go.¡± Gallaheim looked at Jung Yushin and Dulchanko with surprised eyes. ¡°Did you think we couldn¡¯t go?¡± Jung Yushin asked. ¡°I didn¡¯t know the method was a frontal assault.¡± ¡°What¡¯s so great about a frontal assault? If you hit someone in the head, it¡¯s all frontal assault. Let¡¯s go.¡± They passed the checkpoint and entered the East District. It was a place they hadn¡¯t been to in a long time. It was completely different from the quiet South District. The dazzling streets were chaotic with monsters and people. They walked the streets with Gallaheim in the lead. Passing through the street of stores selling suspicious items. Passing through the street of bars with colorful lights. We walked for about 3 hours. The number of monsters and people gradually increased. ¡°Is this really the right way?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The street that Jung Yu-shin and his party were currently on was clearly different from the gloomy shantytown deep in the outskirts. The buildings were getting taller and taller, and the lively music, laughter, and shouting were also getting louder. Jung Yu-shin looked around. A harpy was flying in the sky, throwing out flyers. A female rabbit, Suin, was wearing masculine clothes and soliciting customers from passersby. Elves with blank eyes and smoking something were scattered in the alleys between the tall buildings. Jung Yu-shin /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ clicked his tongue. ¡®The red-light district I saw at the entrance was just a taste.¡¯ Another street deep in this eastern district was filled with souls seeking pleasure. The strange thing was. No one approached him. A crocodile man who was soliciting customers approached, but when he saw Jung Yu-shin, he quickly changed direction and grabbed another customer. Another orc with long molars approached him from the front, making a noise, and when he saw Jung Yu-shin, he was startled and dodged to the side. Jung Yu-shin frowned. He hadn¡¯t been treated this badly in the southern street or even at the eastern checkpoint. ¡°Why don¡¯t they only stick to us? It¡¯s strange.¡± ¡°Well. Isn¡¯t Ska-nim Barbaro?¡± The snarling nose scratched his head and answered. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤I have nothing to say, but isn¡¯t this too much? It¡¯s like treating him like a plague.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been through a lot. You need to understand with a ¡®broad¡¯ mind.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± It wasn¡¯t me who widened their hole. Isn¡¯t it like avoiding innocent people after being slapped by a strict person? ¡®Tsk. Let¡¯s understand. You might be surprised to see a pot lid that looks like it¡¯s grown up. Is the red-light district a little close from here?¡¯ Jung Yu-shin clicked his tongue inwardly and passed the crowd that was gradually parting. After walking a little further, an empty lot came into view. A huge tent with colorful colors came into view. It was easily big enough to fit hundreds of people. ¡°There it is.¡± Gallaheim pointed with his finger. ¡°It¡¯s just like a circus.¡± ¡°Circus performances are mainly done by the Shadow Clowns Clan.¡± There was a long line at the entrance to the tent. It didn¡¯t matter if it was a monster, human, or animal. ¡°Dalchangko, I¡¯ve been there once?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been there two or three times.¡± ¡°How is it?¡± Dulchangko tilted his head. ¡°If you¡¯re talking about a circus show, I think it¡¯s worth seeing.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± The three men waited in a long line. The line quickly shortened, and soon it was Jung Yu-shin¡¯s turn. ¡°One silver coin.¡± A human man with white makeup on his face said. Jung Yu-shin took three silver coins out of his pocket and handed them over. The man took the money and handed over a bracelet. ¡°This is a bracelet that confirms you are a customer. Please don¡¯t lose it.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± As soon as he entered the tent, he felt the heat. The show hadn¡¯t even started yet, but the excitement of the people was palpable. Finding a seat wasn¡¯t hard. When Jung Yu-shin approached, he was startled and gave up. ¡°Uh... this seat?¡± ¡°Huh...! Sit down!¡± The pig Suin sitting in front of him suddenly got up from his seat and ran away. ¡°Huh, really. This is too much?¡± Jung Yushin muttered while looking at the pig Suin¡¯s squirming butt. ¡°...¡± Jung Yushin crossed his arms and looked at the empty stage. He had come for work, but he had high hopes. At that moment. A pot-bellied human walked onto the stage. He had white makeup on his face and was wearing a funny hat. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen! Thank you for coming today!¡± The man took off his hat and bowed his head deeply. ¡°Waaaaaaaaaah!!!¡± ¡°Show me quickly!!!¡± The audience screamed in unison. Jung Yushin looked around at the people without uncrossing his arms. Gallaheim and Snood, sitting on either side of him, were pretending not to be, but were excited. ¡°Okay! First up is... Slime Top!¡± A lion with powdered face walked out. About 10 slimes followed him. ¡®What is this?¡¯ The slimes slowly climbed up the high stairs. The lion Suin put his feet on the unicycle and started riding. Doo doo doo doo doo doo!!! One of the performance staff members beat the drum. The tension was rising. And then. The slime jumped off the high pole. Hug. The lion Suin skillfully caught the slime while riding the unicycle. ¡°Wow!!!¡± People cheered. The slimes fell from the high pole one by one. The amazing thing was that they changed into various shapes as they fell. Star. Heart. Dragon. Pig. Cow. They were all different shapes. Judging from the details, it wasn¡¯t something he had done only once or twice. ¡°Wow!!! Amazing!!!¡± The slime stuck to the lion''s head and arms, changing into different shapes. The cheers grew louder as one slime covered the lion''s eyes. The last one fell into the shape of a teddy bear. Clang. The last one landed safely on the lion''s head. "Waaaaaaaaaaaa!!!" Clap clap clap clap!!! People stood up from their seats and clapped and whistled enthusiastically. Jung Yu-shin also jumped up from his seat and clapped his hands. "A teddy bear is coming out of here?! Wow! This house is really going to suck!!!" I felt the gaze of Dulchangko and Gallaheim and sat back down. The performance continued after that. A hunchbacked goblin and a beautiful elf swinging precariously in the air. A blue-skinned troll wizard came out on stage and manipulated flames to create all sorts of illusions. Shaped flames flew freely over the audience. A dragon, a wyvern, an eagle, a sparrow, a swallow. Jeong Yu-shin stared blankly at the illusions floating in the air. The others were the same. When the troll wizard swung his staff once, the flapping flames disappeared. ¡°Wow!!!¡± As the troll wizard''s performance ended, thunderous applause filled the circus arena. As time passed, the cheers and applause of the audience grew louder. Finally. Axe throwing was left. The performance staff set up a thick board on the stage. An orc with his eyes covered with a cloth stood on the stage holding an axe. A fat man came out in front of the stage and opened his mouth. ¡°Finally, the fearsome warrior! The orc''s axe throwing performance is left!!! Just a touch will split it in half!!! Who will be the courageous challenger?! Right here!!!¡± Dudududududu. The sound of drums rang through the concert hall. The fat man pointed to a place. Jung Yu-shin jumped up from his seat again. ¡°Rin?!¡± A white mouse wearing a small hat stood proudly on two feet. ¡°Click!¡± ¡°Waaaaaaaaaaaa!!!¡± The audience''s cheers echoed through the circus. ''Why are you out there?!'' Jung Yu-shin''s mouth fell open. Chapter 75: An unexpected reunion "Amidst the loud cheers, a white rat stood on two legs. Its belly puffed out proudly, an unshakable stance. Could it be Ingrid''s familiar? ''Click!'' Jung Yu-shin snapped out of his daze and immediately jumped up from his seat, rushing to the stage. A sudden movement. There was no time for the people around him to stop him. Jung Yu-shin knelt in front of Rin on stage. "Rin, what exactly are you doing here?" ''Click?'' Rin, standing on two feet, tilted her head. The hat fixed to her chin swayed slightly. "Let''s go home." Jung Yu-shin extended his hand. Rin glanced at the fat clown, then wiggled her body and moved toward Jung Yu-shin''s hand. "Wait. Wait. Wait!!!" The fat man panicked and stopped Jung Yu-shin. Ignoring him, Jung Yu-shin stuffed Rin into his shirt''s front pocket and stood up. It was clear from his shirt sagging how well she had been fed. Jung Yu-shin glared at the fat clown. "Did you kidnap Rin? You bastards are about to die." The fat clown whispered in panic. "No! I¡¯ll explain later, just calm down and help me!" "Why should I?" Jung Yu-shin''s sudden intrusion caused chaos among the audience. The murmurs grew louder, and the sweat on the fat man''s face also increased. "Hey! Aren¡¯t you Skah? The half-blood barbarian that Oswald talked about? You barely got into the performance hall, and now you¡¯re doing this to us?" "You idiot. Do you even know whose familiar Rin is?" "Skah-nim!" Suddenly, the big-nosed man yelled. Looking back, the big-nosed man was shaking his head vigorously. It was a sign not to reveal the familiar''s identity. Jung Yu-shin frowned. Though he didn''t understand why it was forbidden to speak, he decided to trust the big-nosed man. "Skah-nim, it¡¯s best if we finish the performance well. Let me take over for now." The big-nosed man said, and Gallahaim, who looked pale, also nodded vigorously. "No. I¡¯ll do it." Jung Yu-shin took Rin out of his pocket and placed her on the ground. "Go to the big-nosed man. Later, we¡¯ll have a talk. Where have you been wandering off to?" ''Click.'' Rin nodded and scampered over to the big-nosed man. "I¡¯ll take Rin¡¯s place." At Jung Yu-shin''s words, the fat man clapped his hands. "Thank you! No. Why should I thank you? Isn¡¯t this strange?" Suddenly, it seemed like the fat man was having a split personality and started muttering to himself. "Hurry up." Jung Yu-shin urged him. The fat man cleared his throat and then shouted loudly again. "Ladies and gentlemen!!! We have brought a special guest for your enjoyment!!! The white rat must go!!! The half-blood barbarian has arrived!!!" "Waaah!!!" A different kind of heat filled the performance hall. However, among the cheers, some voices weren¡¯t supportive. "Kill him!!!" "Cut off his dick!!!" "My little brother¡¯s enemy!!!" Was this what a joyless responsibility felt like? Looking at the angry crowd, Jung Yu-shin thought the barbarian''s karma was indeed deep. But still, he was unshaken. Jung Yu-shin casually scratched his ear, looked around the audience, and then threw the arming sword, scabbard and all, to the big-nosed man. He leaned against a thick wooden board. The staff came and tied Jung Yu-shin''s hands and feet with ropes. The fat man whispered something into the ears of an orc, who had its eyes covered. The orc''s body trembled slightly. Jung Yu-shin calmly watched the orc. "Alright!!! Let''s begin!!!" The orc threw an axe. Whoooosh!!! Clang!!! The axe buried itself into the thick wooden board. The location was to the left of Jung Yu-shin''s neck. The axe handle was trembling. ''Shit.'' He had stepped up boldly, but now, feeling the vibrations of the axe, his chest quivered. "Kill him!!!" "Fucker!!! Rape him!!!" "My grandfather!!! Because of scumbags like you...!" Anger was mixed with the cheers. Jung Yu-shin stared blankly at the audience. "Grandfather is..." Bang!!! This time, it hit his right side at the waist. Bang!!! This time... Jung Yu-shin¡¯s expression froze. It hit just below his privates, between his legs. Cold sweat dripped down his forehead. Of all places, the axe almost hit the worst spot. A disabled barbarian in another world. It wasn¡¯t a joke that could be laughed at. "Hey, do you want to die?" Jung Yu-shin growled. The orc''s body trembled like a reed. "U-uh. Sorry. Don¡¯t shake. Calm down." Jung Yu-shin lowered his voice and tried to soothe the orc. But the orc, trembling, didn¡¯t respond to his attempt. "S-sorry. The practice opponent changed suddenly. I¡¯m sorry!" Swoosh!!! Bang!!! The axe blade grazed Jung Yu-shin''s cheek and stuck into the board. Drip. Blood dripped from his cheek. [Revenger] Jung Yu-shin''s eyes blazed with blue fury. "Calm down and listen to me. A bit higher. Yes, throw it like that." Jung Yu-shin guided the orc¡¯s posture, and the orc threw the axe again. Swoosh!!! Bang!!! This time, the axe hit above his head. His chopped hair fluttered down. ''F...ck.'' There was only one axe left. "A bit to the left. Yes, right there." Swoosh!!! Unfortunately, the target of the axe was Jung Yu-shin¡¯s head. "Shit!" His eyes widened. If he wasn¡¯t careful, he¡¯d die. He slightly tilted his head. A subtle movement, unnoticed by anyone. Bang!!! Fortunately, the axe landed where his head had been, and it trembled. He had almost died. "Phew." Jung Yu-shin exhaled deeply. The clueless people cheered loudly. "Waaah!!!" "Ah, fuck!!! Why won¡¯t you die?! Die!!!" The fat man hurriedly walked onto the stage, took off his hat, and bowed. "Thank you!!! Thank you!!! This concludes the performance!!! See you again at this time next time!!!" As the fat man finished speaking, the band in the corner started playing their instruments. The joyful music shook the circus hall. People, seemingly disappointed, chattered and slowly began leaving the performance hall. After the performance ended and the music quieted down, the staff came and untied Jung Yu-shin. "Call the orc." Jung Yu-shin pointed at the orc. The orc, having taken off its blindfold, staggered over. Jung Yu-shin punched the orc in the pit of its stomach. Gwooo!!! "Kuuh!!!" The orc knelt down, its head hitting the ground. The staff gathered and murmured. "You should be thankful I ended it here. You know it better than anyone, right?" "K-kgh. Yes..." The orc replied, barely able to speak. The wound on its cheek slowly began to heal. Jung Yu-shin crossed his arms and stared at the audience. The big-nosed man and Gallahaim stood up and walked over. "Skah-nim! You have great courage!" The big-nosed man said, his eyes sparkling. "Impressive. As expected of a barbarian." Gallahaim nodded in agreement. "It was nothing. I could handle it." Jung Yu-shin shrugged and replied. ''That was close.'' As he wiped his sweat, the fat man came over. "I have something to tell you about that white rat." Jung Yu-shin studied the fat man''s face carefully and then shook his head. "I already heard everything from Oswald. Where is he?" No need to hear any more, it would only make his mind more unsettled. The performance had been ? N§àv§ÖIight ? (Read more on our source) fun, but also creepy, but he hadn¡¯t forgotten his goal. "Follow me." He followed the fat man deep into the tent. With each tent they passed, strange sights appeared. Animals and monsters that had been performing in the circus were sitting around, resting freely. Curiously, the monsters and animals were not in cages. ''Were they humans?'' Jung Yu-shin swallowed his curiosity and kept walking. In another tent, clowns who had finished performing were gathered, drinking and chatting. Jung Yu-shin passed through them and entered another section. Inside a small tent, people with painted faces were gathered. And in the center, a man stood. A man with a white-painted face, his hair completely pushed back. Oswald. A high-ranking member of the Shadow Clowns. "Did you come? Skah, you¡¯ve been waiting a long time. How was the performance?" "It was nerve-wracking. Why did you call me?" "Let¡¯s talk business." Sudden talk of business? Wasn¡¯t it supposed to be about the 5th prince''s nanny? Jung Yu-shin scratched the back of his neck and opened his mouth. "It seems like there are too many people for that kind of talk?" "Is that so? Everyone else, go rest, just the two of us." "Yes." The people scattered quickly. "Sit down." Oswald pulled out a folding chair and offered it to Jung Yu-shin. Jung Yu-shin sat, and Gallahaim and the big-nosed man stood behind him. "Guest''s here, should we offer some tea?" "Will you drink it?" "No." "Right." Oswald sat down, crossed his legs, and examined Jung Yu-shin. "Skah, did you use the magic stone I gave you well?" "Yeah. I used it for something good. But it seems kind of stingy." "What?" "The magic stone only had half the magic in it." "Is that so? Must have been someone else who used it. I didn¡¯t know, since I just received it." Oswald shrugged, seeming unconcerned by the matter. Jung Yu-shin frowned. "So, what¡¯s this ''business'' talk?" "I wanted to talk about the 5th prince''s nanny." "Do I really need to know?" "True. But listen. It¡¯s something that concerns you to some extent." Oswald continued. "Originally, I was going to hand the 5th prince¡¯s nanny over to assassins. But I¡¯ve changed my mind." "Why the change?" "I found out these guys aren¡¯t just after the 5th prince. They¡¯ve allied with some merchants from the Lionel Kingdom." Assassins teamed up with some merchants? "So?" "Keep listening. Some of the Lionel merchants have been found collaborating with slave hunters." Slave hunters? "Crimson Hunters. Are they the ones you mean?" "Right. You recognize the name?" Assassins, merchants, and slave hunters all united? A bad smell filled the air. "What the hell are they up to now?" "They¡¯re short on humans, so they¡¯re capturing monsters and animals too. Do you know why they¡¯re doing that?" "Why?" "Workers. Toys. Decorative furniture. Various reasons." Oswald added. "And for sacrifices to level up." Jung Yu-shin¡¯s face twisted with disgust. Nausea rose within him. ¡®These people are something else.¡¯ "I crushed them last time, and they¡¯re back again?" The big-nosed man interjected. "It¡¯s definitely strange. This is an organization that just disappeared from Labyrinth City not long ago." Oswald scratched his head. "I don¡¯t know either. What I want to say is simple. Help me kill these assassins. We need to rescue our people who¡¯ve been captured." Jung Yu-shin crossed his arms. "It¡¯s a difficult job. And putting everything else aside, why should I help you?" "Didn¡¯t you wipe out the slave hunters in the slums last time? I dug a bit into it. The reason they killed the Gnomes'' family was because of that. Right? You risked your life for some insignificant people. I thought this was something you might care about." It felt strange. He¡¯s begging a rookie explorer like this? And Oswald¡¯s reason didn¡¯t make sense either. His gut told him. Oswald was hiding something. "..." Oswald''s face became serious. "You saw our performance, right? Because of the mark, they appear as monsters or animals, but deep down, they¡¯re human. They¡¯re people who don¡¯t have any special abilities and are starving. They live by earning a little each day from the performance. Do you want them to just lie under the bottom, struggling, only to be captured and sold off?" "Can¡¯t they just leave Labyrinth City?" Jung Yu-shin asked, and Oswald scoffed. "Ha! Anyone who tries is hunted and killed. Talking monsters? They¡¯re fascinating, but that¡¯s not a reason to spare them. Even if they leave Labyrinth City and walk for just a month, they¡¯ll be on the brink of death. This is the safest place." Jung Yu-shin crossed his legs and fell into deep thought. Oswald¡¯s growing story was uncomfortable. He had always run forward, struggling with a body that was hard to maintain. He had the time to care for those around him, but that was all. Did he need to know more about this issue? He raised his head and stared at the ceiling of the tent. He instinctively felt it was more complicated than it seemed. Fights always meant risking lives. There was no obvious reason for him to get involved in this mess. Plus, this guy. Wasn¡¯t he the one who tried to kill me? The sound of the lute he tore apart in the labyrinth still echoed in his ears. Jung Yu-shin spoke up. "Honestly, this is ridiculous. A guy who took assassin jobs and killed people now suddenly talks about justice? What the hell are you trying to pull? Are you out of your mind?" Oswald¡¯s expression darkened. "Skah, you¡¯re right. I don¡¯t care much about the lives of those outside the eastern district. I admit it. I¡¯m a piece of trash. But I still want to protect the people around me. You don¡¯t understand. The people in the eastern district are waiting for the day they die." Oswald pointed at Jung Yu-shin as he continued. "And those slave hunters will keep coming into Labyrinth City. They¡¯ve been capturing people from other places, making astronomical profits. They have enough resources. Do you really think they¡¯ll leave you alone? No. Just because it¡¯s quiet now doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s over. That¡¯s naive thinking." "I¡¯ll deal with it myself. It¡¯s none of your business." Jung Yu-shin replied coolly. "Fuck! You¡¯re making it impossible to talk." Oswald grumbled. "Let¡¯s not curse. It lowers your dignity." "Do you want me to bend over and help you?" "This crazy bastard has lost it?!" Oswald¡¯s words sent Jung Yu-shin into a rage. "What the hell are you talking about? Other people can die, but your friends in the east can live? You took assassin jobs, now you¡¯re whining about them? What¡¯s your deal? Why are you flip-flopping like this? Are you out of your mind?" "Because I¡¯m human." Oswald spat out, his voice sharp. "I just learned about this not long ago. I accepted the assassin¡¯s job to confirm things. Now that I know, I¡¯ve been acting out this nonsense." Jung Yu-shin glared at Oswald. He stood up. "Enough with the bullshit. If you want to save them, you go. Big-nosed man, Gallahaim. Let¡¯s go." ¡®I¡¯ll have to talk to Aldein about the 5th prince¡¯s nanny matter.¡¯ Just then, someone stepped into the tent. "Skah, wait a moment." Maya stood there. Jung Yu-shin¡¯s eyes widened. Maya? The disciple of Ahiman he met in the Karin party. He thought she had taken the lizard-turned Ahiman somewhere. ¡®What are you doing here...?¡¯ Chapter 76: Negotiation Maya. A disciple of Ahiman whom I met at the Karin party. Why is this woman here? Jung Yu-shin''s eyes widened. Maya approached Jung Yu-shin with a jerk. Her eyes were covered with dark circles, as if she hadn''t slept well. "Scar, please help me." Maya brought up her business without even saying hello. She looked uneasy. "What...?" "The Master was kidnapped by slave hunters." Damn. Why are my ominous feelings always right? "What happened?" "I heard there was a rare magic material that was only sold in the eastern district, so I visited with the Master, but when I blinked for a moment... they. Sob." Maya couldn''t forget her words and shed tears. Her face was distorted with guilt. "..." Jung Yu-shin had no choice but to remain silent. A complete slap in the face. There was no way to avoid it anymore. Jung Yu-shin patted Maya on the shoulder once and sat back down to look at Oswald. ¡°How did Maya know and come here?¡± ¡°Did you see the troll wizard during the performance? He¡¯s Maya¡¯s teacher and classmate. I heard we went to the same school.¡± ¡°Cough. That¡¯s right. This is the only place I know in the eastern district...¡± ¡®Sigh.¡¯ Jung Yu-shin wiped his forehead. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on. How did such a small relationship become so entangled? He held back a sigh that was about to burst out. Ahiman, who had turned into a lizard, was kidnapped. He gave his life in the labyrinth. He couldn¡¯t ignore it. And he couldn¡¯t leave those noisy slave hunters alive. ¡°Oswald, tell me more.¡± ¡°I see. The incident started¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± The story took about 30 minutes. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤That¡¯s the end.¡± Oswald kept his mouth shut. Jung Yu-shin looked at Oswald, resting his arms on the folding chair. ¡®It¡¯s really complicated.¡¯ He tapped the chair handle and opened his mouth. ¡°To summarize, the assassins don¡¯t have information about the labyrinth city. The Lionel merchants who want more money have information, but they don¡¯t have any secret forces to transport slaves. So the slave hunters are intervening to mediate between the assassins and the merchants?¡± ¡°That¡¯s roughly correct.¡± ¡°That¡¯s strange. Aren¡¯t these guys just rocks that rolled in from outside? Their people are being kidnapped, and the underworld is just leaving them alone?¡± ¡°Of course we made a deal. With the underworld.¡± ¡°You just said you care about the people in the eastern district?¡± ¡°There are some who aren¡¯t. They¡¯re the Arena guys.¡± Jung Yu-shin patted his head. Arena? ¡°Scar, don¡¯t you know anything about the eastern district?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t. I¡¯m a child of light.¡± ¡°...¡± An eerie silence passed over the tent. Everyone stared at Jung Yu-shin¡¯s face in silence. Oswald came to his senses and coughed. ¡°Big! Anyway. This slave hunter association not only bought the Arena guys, but also kidnapped people on the streets. Of course, some of the Arena guys helped.¡± ¡°Then we should protest.¡± ¡°We protested and a few were released. The rest were ignored.¡± ¡°Are those Arena guys big?¡± ¡°Big. They can¡¯t compare to us.¡± ¡°Are the other underworld clans just leaving the Arena guys alone?¡± ¡°On the surface, inter-clan conflict is prohibited within the Eastern District. Besides, the other clans aren¡¯t really interested in this incident.¡± On the surface, conflict is prohibited. In other words, conflict is possible behind the scenes. Jung Yu-shin sighed deeply. ¡°It¡¯s complicated. Let¡¯s sort it out.¡± Jung Yu-shin patted his head and continued. ¡°The Arena guys are dealing with guys who came from outside. I want to interfere, but I can¡¯t because of the conflict prohibition treaty. The other clans don¡¯t care about me. Besides, the Shadow Clowns clan lacks the power to come out behind the scenes. Is that why you called me? To help me?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t there many people in the Labyrinth City who are better than me? Just hire them.¡± ¡°Among the people living in the underworld, the ones with the most sanity are reluctant to engage in such underhanded conflicts. It¡¯s even worse when they¡¯re fighting on the weak side. People living in other areas would probably applaud and rejoice, saying that the dirty guys are gone.¡± Oswald continued. ¡°Besides, as I said before, you¡¯re related to slave hunters. And.¡± ¡°Ha.¡± Jung Yu-shin sighed, looking at the ceiling. Oswald stopped talking and glanced at his snub nose. Jung Yu-shin didn¡¯t see Oswald¡¯s glance because he was rubbing his eyes with his palm. ¡°No. Scar, let¡¯s stop here.¡± ¡°Oswald, I¡¯m a beginner explorer.¡± ¡°A wolf wearing sheep¡¯s clothing doesn¡¯t make him a sheep. That¡¯s all.¡± Jung Yu-shin regained his composure and thought for a while before nodding. They are the ones who buy and sell people who have turned into monsters and animals. They are not like people. Plus, there are slave hunters, so I couldn¡¯t just sit by and watch. Tragedy is prevented in advance. I needed to respond proactively. If I lose my mind, only the heavens know what /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ I¡¯ll get myself into. ¡°Understood. There are a few conditions.¡± Oswald¡¯s face brightened. ¡°Really?! Tell me!¡± ¡°Oswald, let¡¯s talk about what you can give me first.¡± Still, I couldn¡¯t be dragged around by Oswald¡¯s will like a fool. ¡°What do you want?¡± ¡°First, 50 gold coins.¡± Oswald¡¯s eyes widened as if they were going to pop out. ¡°What...?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not over yet. Solve a few simple requests I can do in the city under my name. I have to go up to intermediate explorer.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°There¡¯s more. If you have good weapons, give them to me. Good steel is fine. Herbs, poisons, anything that seems rare, give them to me. And buy me some clothes that I can wear. In particular, prepare plenty of underwear. The Arachnes are so good at making clothes, right? Bring plenty of recovery potions. If possible, magic scrolls.¡± Oswald¡¯s eyes rolled back. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤You crazy bastard!!! Damn greed! Don¡¯t you have a human heart?! I told you! We live from hand to mouth!¡± Oswald exploded in anger. ¡°Hey...so. You¡¯re not going to do it?¡± Jung Yu-shin asked, crossing his legs. Oswald trembled. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Let¡¯s do it for 30 gold coins.¡± Jung Yu-shin¡¯s head spun quickly. I thought you were a big-hearted clown who readily gave me the high-grade magic stone. ¡®That high-grade magic stone. Did the assassins give it to you?¡¯ Since it was easy to get, it must have been easy to use. Since it was a magic stone that wasn¡¯t even properly confirmed where it was obtained, there was a possibility that it would get caught up in something strange and be used as a scapegoat while disposing of it in the city. Conclusion. Was it a quick fix? ¡®Not an easy kid.¡¯ Jung Yu-shin¡¯s eyes sharpened. ¡°You¡¯re trying to eat me raw. No. 50 gold coins.¡± Oswald waved his hand as he watched Jung Yu-shin cut him off. ¡°Let¡¯s live while making concessions. 30 coins.¡± ¡°50 coins. Is the price of a human life ridiculous?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll all starve to death. Let¡¯s do 30 coins. Sorry. I think I lost my mind in the labyrinth.¡± ¡°50 coins.¡± ¡°Ha...fuck.¡± Oswald glared at Jung Yu-shin with a face that had lost all smiles. Jung Yu-shin opened his mouth while leaning back on his chair leisurely. ¡°Look at your eyes. It¡¯s annoying that you¡¯re trying to avoid losses at all costs. I¡¯m telling you to devote yourself. If you want to save it.¡± ¡°What kind of dog is 50 gold coins? Please just look at it once. 30 coins.¡± ¡°Whew. Okay. Let¡¯s do 40 coins out of kindness.¡± ¡°30 coins! We¡¯re all going to die!¡± Jung Yu-shin observed Oswald¡¯s expression. He was the guy who played the lute and laughed happily in the labyrinth. I thought he was a crazy underworld talent. Now that I look at him. ¡®He¡¯s just a crazy miserable clown, right?¡¯ I felt bad for him and didn¡¯t want to negotiate any further. ¡°Okay. 30 coins. Send all the items I asked for to the Ttulchangko side.¡± ¡°Whew. Okay. Then let¡¯s plan a plan.¡± ¡°Why should I do that?¡± ¡°What...?¡± Oswald¡¯s mouth dropped open at Jung Yu-shin¡¯s words. ¡°You plan it. What help would I be?" If you plan, you will be able to do it. This is the first time that you have lived! I''ll review it. ¡± Oswald, who had lost his mind from the k-gapjil, slumped down on his seat and let out an empty laugh. ¡°Let¡¯s go. Maya, are you going to stay here? Let¡¯s go together.¡± Jung Yu-shin said as he got up from his seat. ¡°Yes...yes.¡± Maya answered stammeringly and followed Jung Yu-shin. They left the tent and walked along the eastern street. It was late at night, but the entertainment district was still crowded with people. Maya asked as she walked. ¡°Scar, if Oswald had refused to negotiate, were you thinking of giving up?¡± ¡°No. Whether Oswald refused or accepted the negotiation, I was going to beat up those slave hunters. I was also going to save Ahiman.¡± ¡°I...I see.¡± ¡°Young lady, we¡¯ve been treated a lot by that guy. Please understand.¡± Gallaheim defended Jung Yushin. ¡°That¡¯s right. Gallaheim, are you saying something right this time?¡± ¡°I always say the truth.¡± Gallaheim¡¯s nose grew longer. ¡°Scar, do you believe everything Oswald says?¡± Dwarf Nose asked. ¡°No. I don¡¯t believe him. Dwarf Nose, I have to check if Oswald¡¯s words are credible. Please give me a hard time.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Jung Yushin and Maya passed the eastern checkpoint and returned to the inn. On the way back to the inn. I gave Gallaheim a strict warning and sent him back home, and sent Dwarf Nose to the monster dismantling center. They entered the inn and sat at the counter. ¡°Lastly, Rin.¡± The reason Maya was brought here. It was because Maya had an animal communication imprint. ¡°Squeak squeak!¡± Lin was still wearing his hat. The shape of the hat was a top hat that only British gentlemen wore. He thought it was cute inside, but he gritted his teeth and endured it. ¡°Lin, should we have an interview?¡± ¡°Squeak.¡± Lin shrank. ¡°Maya, please help me.¡± ¡°Yes. I understand.¡± Maya reached out and grabbed Lin¡¯s front paw. She grabbed Jung Yu-shin¡¯s wrist with her other hand. A strange magic began to flow through Jung Yu-shin¡¯s body. A calm and intelligent feeling. It was Maya¡¯s magic. ¡°Lin, you little brat. How on earth did you get there?¡± ¡°Squeak squeak.¡± ¡°He said he was walking around the eastern street and saw some interesting people and followed them.¡± ¡°Oh, really.¡± ¡°Squeak squeak. Squeak squeak.¡± ¡°He said it was nice that the people with powdered faces gave him food and played with him.¡± ¡®You did target practice?¡¯ He was a really strong white rat. ¡°So. You did a good job now? Shouldn¡¯t you show your face? You suddenly showed up today and made people sick? You want to get your butt kicked?!¡± ¡°Tick.¡± Lin shyly turned around and stuck out her plump butt. ¡°...¡± ¡®Ingrid, your servant horse is a bit strange.¡¯ There was no normality in the labyrinth city. Was he the only man with a clear mind? Jeong Yu-shin sighed and snapped his fingers, hitting Lin¡¯s butt. ¡°Tick!¡± ¡°Heek.¡± He grabbed Lin¡¯s neck, who was lying down, and lifted her up, putting her in his shirt pocket. ¡°Let¡¯s do this. Maya, go up to the second floor and rest. You can use the sixth room from the left.¡± ¡°How about the accommodation fee?¡± ¡°It¡¯s free.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Thank you.¡± Tears welled up in Maya¡¯s eyes. Jung Yu-shin turned his head and pretended not to see her and went up to the second floor. He came into the room, took off his sweaty shirt, and wiped his entire body with a wet towel. He changed his clothes and lay down on the bed. Lin climbed onto Jung Yu-shin¡¯s stomach and fell on his chest. He must have been quite tired because he closed his eyes right away. Jung Yu-shin also closed his eyes. ¡°Tsk. I thought I could tear more.¡± ¡°Tsk?¡± ¡°No. Let¡¯s go.¡± Soon, only the quiet sound of breathing filled the dark room. Chapter 77: Shhh! Three days passed. A quiet evening. Jung Yu-shin was sitting on the chair at the inn counter. Strangely, there weren¡¯t many guests today. Squeak. The inn door opened and Deulchangko came in and sat across from Jung Yu-shin. Jung Yu-shin took out a bottle of liquor and a glass from the cupboard and placed it in front of Deulchangko. ¡°Deulchangko, what happened?¡± ¡°Most of the compensation that Lord Ska requested has arrived at the monster dismantling center. I brought the poisonous plant here as you said.¡± Deulchangko placed a pouch on the counter. ¡°It¡¯s not a poisonous plant that takes your life. It¡¯s the kind that causes paralysis when you squeeze the juice and ingest it. It¡¯s also said to cause dulled senses.¡± Jung Yu-shin took the pouch and put it under the counter. ¡°Thank you for your hard work. And did you find out how credible Oswald¡¯s words are?¡± ¡°That¡¯ll probably take a little longer.¡± Is that so? ¡°Why doesn¡¯t Oswald come forward himself?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t Oswald tell you last time? There is an unspoken rule throughout the Eastern Sector. Inter-clan conflict is prohibited. The biggest reason is that conflicts that are apparent on the surface cause chaos in the Eastern Sector.¡± ¡°Even if your clan was harmed?¡± ¡°You have to prove that you were harmed, but that¡¯s hard for a powerless clan. Even if you prove it and get compensation, there could be retaliation behind the scenes.¡± ¡°It sounds like a powerful guy is acting out atrocities openly.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Jung Yu-shin scratched his head. He thought he was beating around the bush. The beginning of all this. ¡°But is there a rumor that you¡¯ve seen the Fifth Prince?¡± Jung Yu-shin looked around and asked quietly. The stray nose poked its head in and opened its mouth slightly. ¡°We haven¡¯t gotten any clues so far. It¡¯s strange.¡± He thought of the two people who came to the inn. He thought they were high-ranking officials. ¡°Is the boy and knight I saw last time still here? I haven¡¯t seen them recently.¡± ¡°They stayed until Ska-nim was in a coma for a week and then left for somewhere.¡± ¡°Could they be the Fifth Prince and his escort knights?¡± ¡°I had that thought when I observed them, but they were a little different.¡± ¡°In what way?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t royals usually picky about their food and clothing? But they ate the inn food without hesitation. They didn¡¯t really care about their clothes getting dirty. They even spoke politely.¡± ¡°How do they look? Do they look alike?¡± Sca-nim shook his head. ¡°I confirmed it because Aldain showed me the portrait. The fifth prince¡¯s hair color was dark blond. The boy we saw had brown hair, right? The shape of his face was different, too. In fact, this is the decisive reason.¡± Certainly. The escort knight had green hair and wore old plate armor. The boy had brown hair and wore a robe. In fact, there are cases where a person¡¯s dignity is revealed through unconscious actions even when their appearance changes. There are also cases where it is the opposite. I didn¡¯t think that someone of high status would be that thorough. I trusted the eyes of the saddle nose. Besides, I heard that he had left quite a while ago, so there was no point in asking any more. Jeong Yu-shin sighed deeply. ¡®This is a total dud.¡¯ The heavens are so indifferent. If we work this hard, shouldn¡¯t they at least give us a clue to be fair? No. I shook my head to suppress my discontent. Even if I think about it now, there is no answer to the problem. He made a conclusion and changed direction. ¡°Dulchangko, send all but 5 gold coins to Edel. I don¡¯t know if he can buy back the pharmacy he sold for 25 gold coins.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°And send all the herbs to Edel.¡± Dulchangko¡¯s face hardened. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Ska-nim, you don¡¯t have to go this far.¡± Jeong Yu-shin grinned. ¡°This time, it¡¯s not free.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°We need good potions and herbs for this fight. I feel like we won¡¯t be easy opponents like last time. We should go in a direction that minimizes damage as much as possible.¡± ¡°Oh, I understand. Edel-nim¡¯s health has improved a lot.¡± ¡°Good. This time, it¡¯s more about trading than helping. Dulchangko, you tell Edel well.¡± ¡°Yes. I understand. But.¡± Deulchanko hesitated as if he still had something to say. ¡°Tell me more comfortably.¡± ¡°Is Ska-nim¡¯s party also going to join this fight?¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s the East District¡¯s dark district. I have to handle it alone.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it hard to do this alone? I¡¯ll help you.¡± ¡°I have an idea, but I don¡¯t know what will happen. Let¡¯s just wait and see. Leave the items Oswald sent at the monster dismantling center for a while.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± It was night and the deadline had arrived. I sent Deulchanko back to the monster dismantling center and helped Tarman and Anne clean up the inn hall and kitchen. I sent Anne and Tarman back to their lodgings and Jeong Yu-shin was left alone at the inn counter. I stared blankly at the ceiling while pouring a glass of wine. The dark ceiling didn¡¯t tell me anything. Thinking about it, it was truly a strange fate. I fell into another world. Somehow, he ended up acting as the innkeeper. In martial arts terms, he was a janitor who ran the inn instead of me. Clap!!! He slapped me and stopped thinking. ¡°You¡¯re laughing alone and then slapped me? What are you doing?¡± At that moment. Oswald showed his body in the darkness. Veil of Darkness¡¯s imprint ability. Jung Yu-shin pointed to the counter without blinking. Oswald walked over and sat down across from Jung Yu-shin. ¡°Master, what about the alcohol?¡± Oswald asked. ¡°Let¡¯s hear the plan first.¡± Oswald explained the plan. It was a unique plan, perhaps because his friend was crazy. Jung Yu-shin got up from his seat, took out a bottle and a glass, placed them in front of Oswald, and poured them. Slurp. Jung Yu-shin opened his mouth as he filled the glass. ¡°Using the 5th Prince¡¯s nanny as bait to lure the assassins out of the labyrinth city? Will the other party be fooled that easily?¡± ¡°If they don¡¯t? Isn¡¯t there no other way?¡± ¡°By the way, how many assassins are there?¡± ¡°25.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a lot. Do you want me to kill them all by myself?¡± ¡°Whew. We have a few mercenaries that we paid a lot of money to hire. They are tight-lipped. But they can¡¯t come out directly. All we do is hide our identities from afar and shoot bolts.¡± ¡°The captain?¡± ¡°Quelin Kalheid. Dark elf race. Known for getting involved in underworld conflicts and getting a piece of the action. Not a very good personality, but he¡¯s as clean as I am at getting things done. His imprint is Fast Weapon. Crow Sight. Hyper Sensitivity.¡± ¡°More details.¡± Oswald tilted his glass to Jung Yu-shin¡¯s request and explained. Fast Weapon. A engraving that allows you to swing your weapon quickly. The characteristic of this engraving is that the speed increases as the number of times you swing your weapon increases during battle. Crow Sight. An engraving that sharpens your vision like a crow. Hyper Sensitivity is an engraving of hypersensitive senses. An engraving that amplifies the five senses coming from the outside. A double-edged sword with clear advantages and disadvantages that can be detrimental if misused. ¡®Is this a quick swordsman in martial arts?¡¯ He slapped me again today because I thought I was comparing myself to martial arts too much. Zaaaaaaak!!! Oswald stared blankly, but he didn¡¯t care. The poor clown had no way of knowing his suffering. Jeong Yu-shin stroked his flushed cheek and fell into thought. Even if the heavens helped him get all those assassins out, there was one more obstacle. Dark elf with crazy dog ??imprint. And 25 assassins. If they spread out and fired bolts in all directions, there was no chance of survival. Can you handle it? You have to finish it off cleanly to avoid retaliation. You have to kill it. ¡°This dark elf. Can I really kill him?¡± ¡°Whew. I¡¯m dying from that headache. I don¡¯t see a way out.¡± Oswald, with a pale complexion, scratched his head and took a cigarette out of his pocket and put it in his mouth. ¡°Can¡¯t you kill him?¡± ¡°There was already friction once. If we get attacked, won¡¯t people suspect me first? You buddy. Where are you going with my imprint like this? And that dark elf, with his hypersensitive imprint, he¡¯ll get caught right away.¡± ¡°Take care of yourself" "Look at that.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t put my family in danger just to save myself.¡± ¡°Are you a clown who loves his family?¡± He really is a pitiful guy. Wasn¡¯t the crazy laughter he showed in the labyrinth actually the boiling cry of a father who lost his mind while trying to feed his family? ¡°I understand. But why is the plan so full of holes?¡± ¡°Hoooooo.¡± Oswald blew out cigarette smoke without answering. ¡°Our inn is non-smoking. Get out.¡± Oswald emptied his glass and stood up. ¡°See you later.¡± ¡°Hold on.¡± Jung Yoo-shin stopped Oswald as he was leaving. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Leave one cigarette behind.¡± ¡°This is expensive.¡± ¡°Really? Then two.¡± Oswald glared at Jung Yu-shin as if he was going to kill him, then sighed and put down two cigarettes from his arms. ¡°Go. Come back after you¡¯ve come up with a plan.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Fuck.¡± Oswald swore and left the inn. Jung Yu-shin sat down alone again and racked his brain. He couldn¡¯t see any way out. If I had just one cheat code, I could wipe everything out. He stopped thinking. His head was hot. Jung Yu-shin went into the kitchen and brought out a late-night snack. Roast chicken that Anne had made before she left work. It was a whole chicken that had been well-massaged with herbs and olive oil and fried to a crispy exterior. Jung Yu-shin tore off a leg and put it in his mouth, chewing. The salty, well-seasoned chicken exterior and the juicy, tender meat danced in his mouth. ¡°Hmm. This is sex.¡± It tasted even better because I ate it late at night. They say that if you eat something late at night, it¡¯s poison. Poison? I forgot. I deliberately received poison from Dulchangko to test the imprint I got this time, but I was so busy that I couldn¡¯t think. I wiped the chicken fat off my lips and tilted the bottle to fill my glass. Gulp. The clear dwarf liquor poured into the glass. Jung Yu-shin took the poison from under the counter and tore it into small pieces and put it in the glass. And. [Venom Protection] Imprint activated. Jung Yu-shin looked around his body. He felt his magic power being consumed, but there was no noticeable change. He picked up the glass and took a sip. ¡°Hmm.¡± Don''t you feel anything? Should I wait a little longer? He brought one more glass and placed it on the counter. There were three glasses on the counter. He tore up the poisonous plant into small pieces and put them in the glasses and poured the alcohol. At that moment. Creak. The inn door opened and two people came in. A boy and a knight. Their appearances were shabby, as if they had rolled over somewhere. Did they enter a labyrinth? The two approached the counter as if possessed. "Master, can I stay for one night?" The knight said. "Yes." "Can I have a meal?" "That might be a bit difficult. I''m sorry." "I see..." The boy was staring at the whole chicken. "I ate one leg, but would you like this?" "I won''t refuse. How much is it?" "No problem. Just eat it." ¡°Is that okay?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The boy and the knight began to eat the chicken in ? N§àv§Öl?§Ôht ? (Don¡¯t copy, read here) a hurry. They looked like they had starved for a long time. The knight and the boy, who had been eating for a long time, thumped their chests as if their throats were choking. ¡°M...master, something to drink.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Jeong Yu-shin went into the kitchen. There must be some fruit juice left somewhere here. Since the fox Luna often came to perform, Anne and Tarman had prepared some left. ¡°Where is it?¡± While rummaging through the kitchen. A voice whispered outside. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤It¡¯s still early.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m all grown up. Just pay the price. The owner is very kind, so I understand generously¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°But¡¤¡¤¡¤this grass.¡± The boy¡¯s voice, heard occasionally, was clear. ¡°I found it.¡± As he left the kitchen with two wooden cups filled with fruit juice, the boy and the knight were sitting there. ¡°Here they are. Huh?¡± The glasses were empty. The knight scratched his head and said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I drank a little because I was in a hurry. What¡¯s the price?¡± The knight¡¯s body stiffened and he fell off the chair. Crap!!! The boy looked at him and stared blankly at Jung Yu-shin. ¡°Ah... Uh-huh.¡± Soon, the boy fell over the chair as well. Crap!!! ¡°Why?!¡± Jung Yu-shin panicked and approached the other side of the counter. The boy and the knight were trembling. ¡°I... are you okay?¡± ¡°Your Majesty!¡± The knight shouted. Prince? Jung Yu-shin¡¯s body stiffened. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤A prince?¡± Jung Yu-shin asked with a blank expression. The knight''s face turned pale. He realized his mistake. He couldn''t deny it. "Fifth Prince?" Jung Yu-shin asked while looking at the boy. The boy''s eyes grew as big as lanterns. "¡¤¡¤¡¤Did Newga Shaju? Second brother? How did you do it?" The boy''s pronunciation became slurred as if his tongue was stiffening due to the paralyzing poison. A sudden situation. Jung Yu-shin grabbed his head, unable to do anything. At that moment. An inspiration flashed through his mind. Poison and the fifth prince. "Ah!" How to overcome this predicament. As expected, the heavens do not abandon those who try? A way to drag 25 assassins and the Dark Elf leader out of the labyrinth city and send them all at once. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s possible. But it was worth a try. Jeong Yu-shin quietly unbuckled his belt. The knight¡¯s eyes grew fierce. ¡°What the heck.. yuck!!! yuck!!!¡± Jeong Yu-shin gagged the knight¡¯s mouth with his belt. Looking to the side, the boy was trembling. He couldn¡¯t tell if it was from the paralyzing poison or fear. ¡°Hhhhhh!!!¡± When Jung Yu-shin looked at him, the fifth prince let out a strange scream. Jung Yu-shin looked around. There was nothing to cover the fifth prince¡¯s mouth. At that moment. He saw a whole chicken left over on the counter. Almost all of it was eaten, and only the chicken breast remained. He ripped off the chicken breast on the counter and stuffed a handful into the boy¡¯s mouth. ¡°Ugh!!! Ugh!!!¡± ¡°If you spit out the chicken breast, I¡¯ll put something harder in it.¡± The boy¡¯s body convulsed. Fortunately, he didn¡¯t spit out the chicken breast. Jung Yu-shin looked into the boy¡¯s face. His pupils were dilated as much as they could because of fear. ¡°Prince.¡± Prince. It¡¯s a good sound. Jung Yu-shin snickered, stroking the boy¡¯s head. His brown hair flowed through his fingers. ¡°Shh!¡± Jung Yoo-shin put his finger to his lips. The boy''s eyes grew wide with fear. And. Shhhhhh. The 5th prince''s pants were soaking wet. Chapter 78: I saw Barbaroi Jeong Yushin lifted Prince 5 and the knight with ease. "Ugh!!" The knight struggled, but Jeong Yushin''s arms tightly restrained him, rendering him unable to move. Prince 5 seemed to have fainted, as there was no response from him. Carrying both of them, Jeong Yushin passed through the kitchen and out into the yard. He stopped in the yard and looked around. A quiet night. Only the moonlight illuminated the yard. ¡®Good.¡¯ He felt no eyes on him from around the area. Quickly passing through the yard, he entered the warehouse. Thanks to Tarman''s thorough cleaning, the inside of the warehouse was neat. He placed both of them on the floor. "Prince, please wake up." "Ugh!!! Ugh!!!" As Jeong Yushin placed his hand on Prince 5''s shoulder, the knight started to scream in fury. Jeong Yushin ignored him, grabbed the prince''s shoulder, and shook him. "Ugh... ugh." The fainted Prince 5 slowly opened his eyes. Upon seeing Jeong Yushin in front of him, he immediately trembled in fear, shaking violently. "Calm down. Whether you spit out the chicken breast or eat it, you decide." "Ugh!!" Prince 5 spat out the chicken breast. "..." Jeong Yushin made eye contact with the prince. "I won¡¯t ask why you¡¯re here. Let¡¯s skip the pleasantries and get to the point. Do you know that your nanny has come to this city?" "...What?" The prince mumbled incoherently. Jeong Yushin nodded. "Yes. And your nanny''s life is in danger. Assassins are following her. Haven''t you heard the news?" "..." The prince fell silent. Judging by his expression, it seemed like he hadn''t heard anything about it. "Ugh!!! Ugh!!!" The knight began to struggle again. Jeong Yushin sighed and removed the belt that had been gagging the knight. "Prince! You shouldn¡¯t believe this person! He poisoned your drink!" Jeong Yushin chuckled at the absurdity of the statement. "I left it there to drink myself. Why are you messing with someone else¡¯s stuff?" "...Why on earth would you drink poisoned wine?" "I gained a new ability in the labyrinth. I was trying it out when you and he showed up." Jeong Yushin shook his head and looked at the prince. "Seems like that¡¯s not important right now. To be honest, I don¡¯t really know much about kingdoms or politics. This situation seems sudden to me. But that¡¯s how life goes, so I¡¯m trying to clear my mind." Jeong Yushin propped the prince against a pillar inside the warehouse. "Regardless of my situation, you have two choices, Prince. First, you can abandon your nanny and leave the labyrinth city." "...And the second?" "You can save your nanny and kill all the assassins that are following her." ¡®Strictly speaking, the nanny is already in our hands.¡¯ But since she¡¯s being chased by assassins, her life is still at risk. "You might be lying. Why should we trust you?" Jeong Yushin looked at the knight. ¡®He¡¯s been making trouble from the start.¡¯ "Don¡¯t trust me. But aren¡¯t you the bodyguard? You don¡¯t even know that the prince¡¯s nanny came to the labyrinth city? You didn¡¯t know that assassins are following her either? Danger is all around, and you know nothing? Why are you ¡ô N§àv§Öl?g?t ¡ô (Only on N§àv§Öl?g?t) even getting paid? Can you even eat? If I were a bodyguard, I would have resigned out of shame. Useless fool." "Ugh!!!" The knight trembled, clearly shaken by Jeong Yushin¡¯s harsh words. He seemed to have suffered a serious blow to his mental state. "...Don¡¯t be too hard on him. Cecilia is a loyal knight." Prince 5 defended the knight. So her name is Cecilia. ¡®Confirmed.¡¯ "Make your decision. Will you help me save the nanny and take care of the assassins, or will you leave?" "...Tell me more. I don¡¯t have enough information to make a conclusion." "Understood." Jeong Yushin took his time explaining everything that had happened so far. About 30 minutes passed. Prince 5 nodded. "...I see. This has become quite complicated. I believe the assassins were sent by my second older brother. My first older brother stepped down from the crown prince position, leaving the succession vacant. My second older brother has always been very greedy, so this turn of events isn¡¯t that surprising." "Prince! That¡¯s!!!" Knight Cecilia exclaimed, raising her voice. The news of the first prince stepping down was public knowledge, but the subsequent power struggle was a royal secret. "This seems irrelevant to me. Let¡¯s pretend I didn¡¯t hear that." Jeong Yushin shrugged and said. "I was just saying it. So, do you have a plan?" The prince smiled, looking much more relaxed now. He was still wearing the same pants, though. "Yes." Jeong Yushin opened his mouth and explained the plan. "...I plan to lure them out of the labyrinth city and kill them, while rescuing the captives." "No! This means using the prince as bait! Is there no way to ask for help? I heard there are merchants from the Lionell Kingdom here." The knight asked. "I just told you. A few merchants from the Lionell Kingdom have colluded with the assassins. And who knows what else is going on? They might all be working together behind the scenes." "..." Knight Cecilia clamped her mouth shut. Jeong Yushin turned his gaze to Prince 5. "Prince, if you don¡¯t like this plan, you can opt out." "No. My nanny is in danger, and I can¡¯t just leave her. I¡¯ll punish those slave hunters and the merchants blinded by profit." Prince 5¡¯s eyes were clearer than ever. Even though he was still wearing soiled pants. "Understood. Then let¡¯s meet here tomorrow night. We should be able to meet the nanny then." "I understand. But what¡¯s your name?" "Ska." "Arnoa Lionell. I look forward to working with you." Jeong Yushin nodded. Arnoa and Cecilia. A strange connection. To his surprise, he liked the 5th prince¡¯s laid-back attitude more than expected. He seemed like a pure-hearted boy. Despite being caught up in something like a kidnapping, it was impressive how readily he trusted Jeong Yushin¡¯s words. ¡®Did I say something somewhere that inspired such trust?¡¯ He thought about it for a while but couldn¡¯t come up with a clear answer. Strangely enough. Even without any concrete reason. Jeong Yushin found himself trusting the 5th prince. If he had to compare, he felt a similar vibe to the iron-masked man. Jeong Yushin stood up. "That¡¯s enough for today. You can rest. The 7th room on the right is yours. Can you get up?" Surprisingly, Arnoa staggered up on his own. Just as Jeong Yushin was about to leave the warehouse. "Ska." Arnoa called Jeong Yushin. "What is it?" "...Do you have any spare pants?" Arnoa asked, his face reddening. "..." That night, Jeong Yushin lost a pair of pants. The next night. Everyone gathered. The ogre, Oswald, the nanny, Prince 5, and the knight Cecilia were all in the warehouse. Prince 5 had returned to his original form. How on earth did he disguise himself? Jeong Yushin, curious, casually asked about it when handing over the pants, but the prince didn¡¯t answer. "Prince!!!" The nanny, whose face had turned pale, hurriedly approached Prince 5, kneeling before him. Tears were streaming down the elderly woman¡¯s face. "Nanny, you¡¯ve worked hard." Arnoa approached the nanny without hesitation and hugged her. "Why did you secretly leave the palace?!" The nanny asked, looking distressed. Arnoa looked troubled. "Nanny... It¡¯s a shameful matter. I cannot reveal it here." "Ugh! Understood." The 5th prince¡¯s nanny stood up and bowed her head to Jeong Yushin. "Barbaroi, thank you." "No need to mention it." "I have a lot to say, but this old woman will remain silent." The nanny glared sharply at Oswald before turning away. It seemed there was quite a bit of animosity there. Oswald wore an innocent expression. "I didn¡¯t even lay a finger on the nanny¡¯s party!" "You were at fault, weren¡¯t you? Useless fool." Jeong Yushin shot back. "No. Uh, I¡¯ve got nothing to say." Oswald scratched his head. Knight Cecilia grabbed her sword and glared at Oswald. "You! You¡¯ve got some nerve! I¡¯ll deal with you right now!" "Alright, alright. Stop. I¡¯ll explain the plan. We¡¯re running out of time." Jeong Yushin clapped his hands to gather everyone¡¯s attention. About 20 minutes later, the briefing was over. The nanny was furious. "How dare you! How could you use the prince like that?!" "Nanny, please stop." Arnoa stepped in and stopped the nanny. "Prince, this is too dangerous. Shouldn¡¯t we think of another way?" Arnoa shook his head. "It has to be done. We can¡¯t reach the kingdom with assassins on our tail. Plus, we¡¯ll be rescuing the innocent people who¡¯ve been wrongfully imprisoned. But if you¡¯re too worried, you don¡¯t have to participate, Nanny." "...Prince." The nanny couldn¡¯t speak any further. Her face was full of worry and concern. "..." Oswald had a similar expression. "Oswald, why the long face? Cheer up." "...Shit. What if this plan goes wrong?" "Plans always go awry. If problems arise, we¡¯ll deal with them then." "Ha." Oswald sighed deeply. "Let¡¯s take it easy. The operation will be in three days. For now, we rest. Oswald, you work hard. Dismissed." Everyone left the warehouse. Jeong Yushin and the ogre remained behind. "Og... Ogre." Jeong Yushin quietly called out the ogre¡¯s name. "I¡¯m sorry." The ogre bowed deeply. "I haven¡¯t been in the labyrinth city long, and I haven¡¯t even entered the labyrinth, so I jumped to conclusions about people based only on appearances and actions. I shouldn¡¯t have done that." "You must have had your reasons for jumping to that conclusion. I don¡¯t know where Prince 5 got his education, but it seems he¡¯s adapted to commoner life rather quickly. It¡¯s not your fault. He did seem a bit like a newbie in the labyrinth city, after all. Considering the circumstances, I think it was a reasonable judgment." "..." The ogre looked up and silently stared at Jeong Yushin. "Without the marking, and with his behavior and appearance being completely different, how could anyone keep suspecting him until the end? You¡¯re not an overthinking paranoid psycho, are you?" Jeong Yushin patted the ogre¡¯s shoulder and continued. "Don¡¯t worry about it. Everyone makes mistakes." "...Yes!" "Let¡¯s just sleep." Jeong Yushin and the ogre left the warehouse. Three days later, around lunchtime. At the entrance of the Eastern District Circus Tent. Jeong Yushin stood at the edge, staring blankly at the falling raindrops. The humidity that had been sticking to his skin for days had grown heavier, and eventually, the rain started to fall. Plop. Plop. Plop. As he watched the rain fall, Oswald approached and handed him a mirror. "Final check." Jeong Yushin looked at his reflection in the mirror. He had dyed his hair green with magic and applied white theatrical makeup to his face. He looked like a clown, no doubt. He looked away from the mirror and glanced down at himself. He wore a monster leather coat that the ogre had given him and carried two poisoned daggers and an arming sword. He also had high-quality potions and magic scrolls. "Ready?" Oswald asked, and Jeong Yushin silently nodded. Clop clop. Clop clop. A carriage drawn by five horses arrived. Two more carriages stopped behind it. Three carriages in total. Creeeeak. The carriage door opened, and a short, plump middle-aged man stuck his face out. "Ha ha ha!!! Oswald! It¡¯s been a while!" "Yeah. Kundal." Oswald answered with a smile. "This is a bit embarrassing, though. Sorry for making us both red-faced over unpleasant matters." The middle-aged man, called Kundal, spoke. "Ha ha ha!!! Well, that¡¯s how it is. Honestly, we have a lot of beggars in our circus troupe. Just take some of them and make good use of them." "Of course. Even though I may look this way, I¡¯m a merchant with some influence in the Lionell Kingdom. Don¡¯t worry. No one in the troupe will starve to death." The merchant Kundal suddenly hardened his face. "By the way, is it really true?" "Yes. ¡®He¡¯ is currently staying in the village of Dreadville to the south of the labyrinth city. Our touring troupe passed by and saw him. Since it¡¯s raining, he¡¯ll probably be resting somewhere in the village." "Then who saw ¡®him¡¯?" "That¡¯s right. One of our troupe members who returned today. He¡¯s my most trusted friend." Oswald said, patting Jeong Yushin on the shoulder. Kundal smiled brightly as he looked at Jeong Yushin. "I see. This is interesting. Can I take him along? I don¡¯t mean anything by it, just some conversation." Oswald¡¯s expression hardened. "...Do you really have to do that? There are other people in the troupe." Kundal¡¯s eyes gleamed ominously. "No, this one will do. He looks decent enough." Oswald¡¯s expression cracked. Kundal enjoyed watching it. "Why that look? No matter how much it¡¯s because of Eldritch, you¡¯ve killed all the ¡®helpers,¡¯ haven¡¯t you? Thanks to my mediation, Oswald is still alive. Tsk. I¡¯ll go first. By the way, what¡¯s your name?" Kundal asked, looking at Jeong Yushin. Jeong Yushin smiled and opened his mouth. "Mmmhmhmhm." Kundal¡¯s eyes widened. "Huh. A mute. But the skill is..." "Ha ha ha!!! What a total idiot!!!" Kundal burst out laughing. "Ah, sorry, Oswald. He was just so ridiculous." Creak. Oswald¡¯s teeth gritted. Kundal laughed and poked Jeong Yushin¡¯s belly. "Oswald, you¡¯re treating such a clown! Thanks a lot. I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll see each other often. I¡¯m looking forward to it. Well, I¡¯ll go now. Heh heh." Kundal entered the carriage. Jeong Yushin glanced at Oswald and then followed Kundal inside. Creeek. Boom. The carriage door closed. Clop clop. Clop clop. The horses began walking down the road. Oswald watched the departing carriages, sighed heavily, and muttered. "Huh. Why the sudden mute act? Crazy bastard." Jeong Yushin looked around the inside of the carriage. It seemed like they used some sort of spatial expansion magic, as the inside of the carriage was spacious. Including Kundal, there were 10 men sitting in the carriage. Their eyes were familiar. They were just like the assassins Jeong Yushin had seen in the labyrinth. Unfortunately, the Dark Elf wasn¡¯t there; he must be in another carriage. "Sit here." Kundal patted the seat next to him. "Mmhmhm." Jeong Yushin nodded and sat down. Clop clop. Clop clop. The rain from the sky tapped on the roof of the carriage. The carriage passed through the eastern district and easily left the city. With all the money they must¡¯ve paid, there was no inspection at all. Jeong Yushin closed his eyes and listened to the sound of the rain. They were outside the labyrinth city now. He hadn¡¯t thought about the outside world while rolling around in the labyrinth city. To think he¡¯d leave the labyrinth city like this. It was a strange feeling. He suddenly remembered the pilgrimage road he had walked with his spirit teacher Shimus, and then it vanished. Would the plan succeed? He didn¡¯t know. Unless he were Zhuge Liang, it was hard to be sure of the plan¡¯s success. Still. He¡¯d just do what he could. Jeong Yushin closed his eyes. Suddenly, a loud sound. Jeong Yushin¡¯s eyes snapped open. His right cheek stung. Kundal wiped his palm. "Where the hell are you sleeping? I¡¯m awake too!" "Udayda. Dudada." Jeong Yushin muttered, bowing his head. "Ha, bastard. Tsk." Kundal clicked his tongue and wiped the dry spit off his mouth. Kundal got up and opened the carriage window. "Hey! Where are we?!" "We¡¯re almost there! The forest near Dreadville!" The coachman answered from outside. Kundal closed the window and sat back down. "Heh! Lucky day. I¡¯m transporting slaves, catching the 5th prince." "Hey, Kundal, watch your mouth." A man sitting across from Jeong Yushin frowned and called out Kundal¡¯s name. A warning not to speak carelessly when Jeong Yushin was around. "Understood. But still, think about it. Aren¡¯t the ¡®helpers¡¯ lucky too? This situation is all falling into place. We caught ¡®him¡¯ and are transporting slaves. Hahaha!!!" "Cough! Is the information reliable?" The man coughed and asked. Kundal nodded confidently. "Yes! The guard at the southern checkpoint said he saw ¡®him.¡¯ After comparing the descriptions, it¡¯s certain. Now we just need to drag this mute along and pinpoint his exact location." The chatter filled the carriage. "Today must be some kind of lucky day. We¡¯re really lucky!" Once again, Kundal said. At that moment. Jeong Yushin took a cigarette from his pocket and put it in his mouth. Before anyone could say anything, he took a flint and lit the cigarette. Sizzle! Sizzle! The cigarette began to burn. "Ahh... Haa." He inhaled the smoke and exhaled it slowly. The man sitting across from him frowned. Everyone in the carriage looked confused by his sudden actions. "Hey, clown!!! What the hell are you doing?!" Kundal shouted. "Yick!!!" Jeong Yush in burst into laughter. A strangely high-pitched laugh. A chilling silence fell over the people. Jeong Yushin looked down at Kundal. "You said today was your lucky day, right?" Kundal¡¯s eyes grew wide. The assassins¡¯ eyes were just like his. "...Uh. Uhh?" Kundal stammered, clearly startled by Jeong Yushin speaking. "As I see it." Jeong Yushin swept his green hair aside and continued. "Seems like you¡¯re having a very unlucky day today." "..." The carriage rumbled. A suffocating silence. Plop. Plop. Plop. The summer rain pounded on the carriage roof. Chapter 79: Self-introduction Inside the quiet carriage. Not even a sound of breathing could be heard. Everyone was looking at Jeong Yu-shin¡¯s face without exception. Kundal looked up at Jeong Yu-shin and slowly turned his head to look straight ahead. The middle-aged merchant sat calmly, but his face was trembling. ¡°...¡± The silence continued in the tense tension. Jeong Yu-shin reached out and placed his hand on Kundal¡¯s head. ¡°Tseueueueu. Haaaaah.¡± He inhaled the smoke deeply and spit it on Kundal¡¯s face. ¡°Keluk. Kuluk.¡± ¡°Kundal.¡± Jeong Yu-shin stroked Kundal¡¯s head and called his name. ¡°...¡± ¡°Look carefully.¡± Jeong Yu-shin let go of the cigarette. The cigarette fell to the floor of the carriage. People¡¯s eyes were focused on the cigarette for a moment. A split second. Boom!!! Jung Yu-shin took out a dagger and stabbed the man opposite him. The long dagger tore through the man''s carotid artery. Pwaaaaaaaaaah!!!! Blood gushed out from his neck like a fountain, soaking the carriage ceiling and the people. The great assassins. Jung Yu-shin didn''t stop there. He would definitely kill him. Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! He stabbed the man''s stomach, neck, eyes, head, and chest without covering them, blocking his carotid artery. In an instant, the man''s body became tattered. The assassins only then came to their senses. Blood spurted out and shock mixed in. "Fuck!!! Kill him!!!" The nine men took out their weapons from their arms. However, their bodies did not move as they wanted. ¡°What the heck?!¡± Jung Yu-shin chuckled. It¡¯s as planned. I mixed paralysis herb into the cigarette. I used venom protection beforehand, so there¡¯s no need to worry. However, judging from the way they move, it seemed less effective than just eating them. Jung Yu-shin grabbed the hair of the man next to him and stabbed the dagger deep into him. The long blade dug into the man¡¯s heart. ¡°Fuck!!!¡± The man let out a final gasp. Next guy. When Jung Yu-shin turned his head. The dagger pierced through his coat and dug deep into his stomach. The sharp blade stirred his intestines. Crazy pain. His brain was boiling. [Revenger] Imprint activated. Instead of screaming, Jung Yu-shin smiled and looked at the guy who stabbed him in the stomach. The goat-beard man''s face convulsed. Jung Yu-shin pulled out a knife from his abdomen and stabbed it into the goat-beard''s stomach. "Keueuk!!!" The goat-beard screamed. All kinds of weapons flew from all directions. Swords, daggers, maces, hammers. Fortunately, he didn''t have much strength because he had inhaled the paralytic smoke. Jung ? N§àv§Öl¦Éght ? (Read the full story) Yu-shin stabbed the dagger while getting hit. Thud!!! Thud!!! Thud!!! Thud!!! I don''t even know where I''m stabbing. Neck, chest, stomach, legs, eyes, head, heart. I stabbed the dagger wherever I could see. "Keuheu ... Jung Yu-shin also became one with them and stabbed with a dagger. He screamed without knowing who was hitting or stabbing whom. ¡°F*ck!!!¡± ¡°Kyaaak!!! My leg!!!¡± ¡°My eye!!!¡± Thump!! Thump!! Thump!! He fell to the floor, hit the wall, and tried to punch again before screaming. A fight without any rules. There wasn¡¯t even room to swing his sword stylishly. The carriage, entangled with blood and screams, was like a jar of loneliness that gathered poison and let only the most poisonous ones survive. In a bloody hell. Jung Yu-shin stabbed and stabbed with a dagger in a state of ecstasy. How long? Until the guy in front of him stopped moving. ¡°Whaaaak!!! Save me!!!¡± A man who could no longer endure the hell of Sura opened the carriage door. Are you trying to run away? No. Jung Yu-shin ran over and grabbed the man by the hair. ¡°Ugh!!!¡± The man screamed in shock. Boom!!! Boom!!! Boom!!! Jung Yu-shin grabbed the man by the hair and vigorously poked the back of his neck. As if possessed by a god, Jung Yu-shin persistently poked the back of his neck without blinking even though the assassins around him were stabbing him with daggers and punching him. He dragged the man who was spitting out blood back into the carriage and closed the door again. The carriage shook violently once. Clang bang bang!!! Jung Yu-shin fell to the floor. It was because the floor covered in blood was slippery. The leather coat was already covered in blood. In an instant, three men rushed toward Jung Yu-shin and pressed him down. It seemed like they were trying to subdue him with their weight. ¡°Wh-what is going on?!!!¡± The coachman¡¯s window opened and the coachman shouted. ¡°Stop!!!¡± The men shouted together. ¡°Run!!! The assassins have betrayed us!!!¡± Jung Yu-shin, who was lying on the ground, shouted. The coachman made a confused expression. Kundal, who was supposed to give orders, was covered in blood and shivering in the corner. ¡®The bastards are attacking people?¡¯ Jung Yu-shin opened his mouth and bit the man¡¯s nose. ¡°Kkaaaak!!!¡± The man flailed his hands in terror, but it was too late. Jung Yu-shin¡¯s teeth ripped the man¡¯s nose off, bone by bone. Jung Yu-shin chewed and spat it out on his face. ¡°Whew!!!¡± ¡°Whew!!!¡± Another assassin, whose eyes were filled with well-cut flesh and blood, screamed while covering his own eyes. ¡°Hurry up and kill me!!!¡± The man who was still healthy swung his mace. His target was Jung Yu-shin¡¯s head. Jung Yu-shin quickly turned his head. Kwaaang!!! Wooden fragments flew everywhere and the floor of the carriage caved in. Jung Yu-shin threw his dagger. Ssueeeeek!!! Kwaaak!!! ¡°Snap!¡± The dagger dug deep into the chest of the Mace man and was embedded in his heart. The man let out a final cry and died. He was completely bare-handed, but it didn¡¯t matter. Jung Yu-shin raised his finger and poked the man in the eye. ¡°Fuck!!!¡± The man who had been covering Jung Yu-shin with his arm pulled back and swore. His body felt light for a moment. Opportunity. Jung Yu-shin swung his fist and hit the man in the face. Paaaaaaak!!! Jung Yu-shin¡¯s right hook hit the man¡¯s jaw cleanly. His lower jaw was shattered. ¡°Aeeeeee!!!¡± The man grabbed his jaw and screamed. Jung Yu-shin locked eyes with the last man who was covering him. The man was shedding tears and stabbing Jung Yu-shin in the chest with his dagger over and over again. ¡°Die!! You¡¯re dead!! Why aren¡¯t you dead!!¡± Thump! Jung Yu-shin reached out and snatched the man¡¯s dagger. ¡°Stop it. I ate too much. How many times is that fucking kid going to stab me?¡± ¡°Huh... Huh!!!¡± The man¡¯s face turned pale. Phew!!! Whether he was shocked or not, Jung Yu-shin stabbed the dagger into the man¡¯s abdomen. ¡°Huh!!!¡± The man¡¯s eyes flew open. The expression he made when the blade stabbed his intestines. Was he anticipating death? The man blankly stared at Jung Yu-shin¡¯s face. Jung Yu-shin met the man¡¯s eyes and smiled once. In an instant. Paaaaaaak!!! Jung Yu-shin¡¯s head hit the carriage floor. The man, whose jaw was shattered, used all his strength to hit Jung Yu-shin¡¯s head with the club. ¡°Huh. Huh.¡± The man grabbed his shattered jaw and gasped for breath. Jung Yu-shin raised his head. A stream of bright red blood flowed down his forehead. ¡°Huh.¡± Jung Yu-shin smiled at the man. The shocked man swung his club again. Thump! Jung Yu-shin reached out and blocked the club. He swung his fist and shattered the man¡¯s cheekbone. The man staggered back to his seat. Jung Yu-shin pulled a dagger out of the corpse and stabbed the man. Poke!!! Poke!!! Poke!!! Poke!!! ¡°Keuuuk! Keuuuk!¡± He stabbed and stabbed and stabbed. Every time the dagger dug into the man¡¯s body, the man flailed like a fish in water. Did he stab Mana? Jung Yu-shin, who was in a daze, stopped his hands. The man leaning on the chair didn¡¯t move. The carriage had also stopped. He looked around. The carriage covered in blood was so horrible that it was hard to describe. And it was quiet. They were all dead. No. Only one was alive. Jung Yu-shin turned his head and looked at Kundal. Crack crack!!! Kundal¡¯s teeth clacked incessantly. Tears flowed from his wide-open eyes. Jung Yu-shin looked at the floor that had become a sea of ??blood. He picked up the paralysis cigarette. It was soaked in blood and soaked in it. He put it back in his arms and sat down next to Kundal. Crack. Jung Yu-shin stretched out his arms and put his arms around Kundal¡¯s shoulders. The body was slowly healing due to the effects of the Revenger imprint. Jung Yu-shin opened his mouth. ¡°Kundal.¡± ¡°...¡± Kundal¡¯s body began to convulse. Regardless, Jung Yu-shin blurted out what he wanted to say. ¡°Why do you buy and sell people? Do you like money that much?¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤I, I, I only transport...¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that it? Even if they received the imprint and their appearance changed, they are still people inside. Why on earth do they have to be sold, used as playthings, and die as sacrifices for leveling up? Wake me up.¡± ¡°...¡± Kundal couldn¡¯t say anything. Jung Yu-shin looked up at the carriage ceiling. You damned bastards. The more I looked at you, the more I wanted to kill you. Jung Yu-shin picked up the Arming Sword that had fallen on the floor. ¡°Goodbye.¡± ¡°Huh!¡± Kundal screamed. At that moment. ¡°Oswald, come out quickly.¡± Someone spoke from outside the carriage. Jung Yu-shin¡¯s head snapped up. ¡°Oswald, come out quickly.¡± Kundal, open the door.¡± Kundal barely managed to open the carriage door while holding Jung Yu-shin¡¯s arm around his shoulder. Creak. Jung Yu-shin poked his head out. Thump. Thump. Thump. A quiet forest clearing where summer rain was falling. Ten men were standing there, holding crossbows. And a male dark elf was standing in the center. He was armed with black leather armor and a rapier. ¡®Quelin Kalheid.¡¯ The leader of this transport and kidnapping operation. The imprints are Fast Weapon, Crow Sight, and Hyper Sensitivity. He¡¯s not easy. Jung Yu-shin waved his hand. ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard. It¡¯s raining. Sit down and rest.¡± ¡°...¡± The assassins looked at Jung Yu-shin in a daze. Dark Elf¡¯s expression frowned. ¡°Are you in your right mind? Has Oswald gone mad? Or are you trying to get a piece of the action?¡± ¡°Dark Elf, your thoughts are not good at all. Does your heart become darker when your skin turns dark?¡± Veins bulged out on Dark Elf¡¯s face. ¡°You¡¯re a clown with makeup on. Look at your face. It¡¯s covered in blood. Is your heart like that too?¡± ¡®You¡¯re a little bit of a brat.¡¯ Jung Yu-shin looked down at Kundal, not having anything to say back. A poor middle-aged man trembling like a baby bird with his arm around his shoulder. ¡°Kundal, that black elf is making ridiculous accusations. What should I do?¡± Jung Yu-shin asked, but Kundal remained silent. His body just trembled more. ¡°How did you kill so many assassins?¡± The dark elf asked. ¡°By using poison.¡± Jung Yu-shin answered honestly. The dark elf looked at Kundal. ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. This guy used some strange poison, so people¡¯s bodies didn¡¯t move properly!¡± ¡°You¡¯re crazy. Come out.¡± Jung Yu-shin dragged Kundal out. Kundal was still tightly held onto Jung Yu-shin¡¯s shoulder. Knock. The bloody walker stepped onto the empty space. Jung Yu-shin looked around, brushing his hair back. ¡°Is Kundal a hostage?¡± ¡°...¡± Jung Yu-shin looked around without answering the dark elf¡¯s question. It was a new feeling. It was a similar situation to when he first fell into another world. It was an empty lot. There were people who were captured. At that time, he was almost killed by slave hunters without knowing what was going on. How much stronger would he have become compared to the first time? I don¡¯t know. But he didn¡¯t think it was necessary to pretend to be calm by cutting out his heart like before. Has he changed? People will change after coming to a new world and rolling around. New alcohol should be put in a new pouch. Jung Yu-shin smiled at the dark elf. The dark elf¡¯s face hardened seriously. His hand gripped the handle of his rapier. ¡°Are you laughing in this situation? You¡¯re not Oswald¡¯s subordinate. Who are you?!¡± Jung Yu-shin released Kundal''s arm around his shoulder and bowed his head. "Hello? Your love, my love, children''s love, this is Karl." Rainy forest. Strange self-introduction. The people surrounding Jung Yu-shin trembled. Chapter 80: The Final Battle Rainy open space. Dark elf, Quelin Kalheid frowned. It was frustrating. No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn''t think of anything specific about that clown''s name. But I knew one thing. He was a bad guy. Quelin drew his rapier. "Kaal, hand Kundal over here. I''ll let you have one arm." "Damn it." "Fine. Leave Kundal there. I''ll spare you." "No." "What do you want?" "Your necks." Jeong Yu-shin took out a magic scroll from his bosom. The assassins immediately placed their fingers on the triggers of their crossbows. The dark elf shouted. "Kaal, what are you doing?! Stop fooling around and either get out or surrender!" "Fireball!!!" Jung Yu-shin shouted as he tore the scroll. In an instant, all eyes in the empty space were focused on Jung Yu-shin¡¯s scroll. ¡®I¡¯m getting this.¡¯ The scroll magic was completely different from the magic Jung Yu-shin shouted. [Light] A tremendous light burst out and filled the empty space. The assassins who were hit directly by the light tightly shut their eyes. ¡°Kuaaak!!! It¡¯s light magic!¡± ¡°Shoot! Shoot!!¡± Thump!! Thump!! Thump!! The bolts fired by the assassins flew at once. Jung Yu-shin hid behind Kundal. Pubububuk!!! ¡°Keuuuk!!!¡± Five or six bolts pierced Kundal¡¯s body. Jung Yu-shin escaped from behind Kundal and ran toward the assassins. The assassins who were momentarily blinded were confused. ¡®Okay.¡¯ He ran towards the assassins, holding the arming sword in one hand. One of the assassins threw his crossbow on the ground, drew his sword, and swung it wildly. Jung Yu-shin went behind him and whispered in his ear. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Huh-huh!!!¡± The man screamed. Phew. The arming sword pierced the man¡¯s back and protruded out of his chest. ¡°Bam!!!¡± The man¡¯s dying words. He was already dead since his heart had been pierced. He quickly moved to find the next one. The one who shouted while swinging his mace. Jung Yu-shin ran and swung his sword. From top to bottom. Phew-ha-ah-ah!!! The severed hand fell to the ground. Blood spurted out from the cross-section of the arm. ¡°Kkaaa-ah!!!¡± The assassin screamed, clutching his severed arm. Tsk tsk!!! Jung Yu-shin swung his sword horizontally and cut off the assassin''s neck. The sword light shone and the assassin''s heads flew into the sky. Boom! The sound of the crossbow string. Jung Yu-shin reacted immediately. Taaaaang!!! He swung his arming sword and struck the bolt. The number of those who could see was increasing. Jung Yu-shin moved faster. He aimed for the vital points as much as possible. ¡°Kuaaaaak!!!¡± ¡°Keuheuk!!!¡± Even as the assassins screamed, the dark elf stood quietly with his eyes closed and his rapier raised. Regardless, Jung Yu-shin circled the dark elf and slaughtered the remaining ones. ¡°Kuaaaaak!!!¡± ¡°Keuheuk!!!¡± ¡°Sal, save me!!!¡± Jung Yu-shin swung his sword as he ran through ¡ï Novelight ¡ï the assassins. Screams and begs filled the empty space. He cut off their wrists and stabbed their hearts. He cut open their stomachs, tore out their intestines, and stuck his sword under their chins to rip out their brains. Jung Yu-shin was a heartless butcher, and the blind assassins were squealing pigs. He killed each and every one of them with care. Tsk tsk!!! Jung Yu-shin¡¯s sword flashed as it cut through the wind. Thud. The assassin¡¯s body, decapitated, fell to the ground. This was the last assassin. The head that had been blown away rolled and landed at the dark elf¡¯s feet. ¡°...¡± The dark elf didn¡¯t move. Jung Yu-shin swung his Arming Sword and brushed away the blood stuck to his sword. Thud. The red blood mixed with the rainwater on the ground. Jung Yu-shin slung his Arming Sword over his shoulder and circled around the dark elf. He wasn¡¯t trying to take advantage of an opening. He walked slowly, as if he was taking a leisurely stroll. He looked around, enjoying the smell of blood and grass in the summer rain. Jung Yu-shin stopped walking and looked at the carriage. There were three carriages in total, and the middle carriage was the largest. Jung Yu-shin approached the largest carriage. There was a huge lock on the carriage door. Knock. Jung Yu-shin knocked on the carriage door. He heard someone swallowing inside. ¡®There you are.¡¯ Jung Yu-shin turned around and looked at the dark elf. ¡°Enough with your meditation, Blackie.¡± The dark elf opened his eyes at Jung Yu-shin''s words. "Kundal...is dead." Jung Yu-shin turned his head to look at Kundal at Dark Elf''s words. Kundal, who had been hit by six or seven bolts, fell to the ground and did not move an inch. Jung Yu-shin opened his mouth. "Quelin Kalheid, you killed him." "Did you know my name?" "It''s a name that will soon be forgotten." Jung Yu-shin lowered the arming sword on his shoulder and took a lower stance. One of the stances he learned while getting hit by Ashur in the swordsmanship association. It was also called Alber in the original world, but it was still good. The essence of the stance is to confuse or distract the opponent. In short, it was a stance to engage in psychological warfare against the opponent. It also has its drawbacks. If someone is good at psychological warfare, their head will be smashed or blown away. But what does it matter? As he tap-danced on the threshold of the underworld, the threshold was worn away. ¡®It¡¯s going up and down.¡¯ Jung Yu-shin took a deep breath as he took a stance. ¡°Whew. Come.¡± ¡°Were you a prosecutor?¡± The dark elf¡¯s eyes widened slightly. ¡°Yeah. Let¡¯s fight properly.¡± Jung Yu-shin answered. The dark elf made a face as if he was dumbfounded. ¡°Didn¡¯t you just use poison and magic? You¡¯re crazy.¡± ¡°A prosecutor speaks with his sword.¡± Jung Yu-shin straightened his back and proudly stepped on the floor as he replied. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤You¡¯re shamelessly crazy.¡± The dark elf quickly ran towards him as if he didn¡¯t want to talk anymore. SHAAAAAH!!! The extended rapier blade pierced through the rainwater and stabbed in. Target: shoulder. Jung Yu-shin remained motionless and calmly stared at the rapier. Just before the rapier hit his shoulder. ¡®Now.¡¯ Jung Yu-shin quickly turned his body to avoid the rapier and stabbed it in. The stabbing came up from below. The dark elf slightly stepped back and dodged the sword. Jung Yu-shin clicked his tongue inwardly. Indeed, crow sight. The field of vision widened, so there were no blind spots. Swish!!! The rapier became a little faster. The target was the head. Jung Yu-shin quickly turned his head. The blade passed by his cheek by a paper-thin margin. Blood flowed from his thinly cut cheek. [Revenger] Engraving activated. Jung Yu-shin''s eyes burned with blue flames. ''He''s a guy who doesn''t respond to psychological warfare.'' He immediately discarded the first plan. Because of the fast weapon imprint that Quelin had, a long-term war was extremely disadvantageous. A short-term war was forced. ''I have no choice but to give flesh and take bones.'' Chaeng! Chaeng! Jung Yu-shin took a stance and swung his sword. The dark elf''s rapier began to gain speed. Ssaeeeeek!!! The rapier tore through the air and stabbed in. Phu! The sword dug into Jung Yu-shin''s shoulder. "Fuck!" Jung Yu-shin took another step closer. However, the sword was quickly pulled out of Jung Yu-shin''s shoulder. The dark elf took a step back and laughed. "Give flesh and take bones? You can see your ability." ¡°...¡± Then came the one-sided attack of the dark elf. He kept his distance and stabbed with his rapier. Thud! Thud! Thud! Shoulder, ribs, thigh. Blood flowed out from every place the rapier pierced. Along with that, Jeong Yu-shin¡¯s naturalization became darker. The dark elf, Quelin, stuck out his tongue inwardly. ¡®Crazy bastard." ¡®I¡¯ll probably fall over by then.¡¯ That crazy clown swung his sword without blinking an eye. Jung Yu-shin, who didn¡¯t know the dark elf¡¯s intentions, swung his sword like crazy. ¡®Bolt. Think of it as a bolt.¡¯ Jung Yu-shin¡¯s eyes became increasingly hazy. Moments of suffering. Small things like the hand axes flying from the circus stage. Large things like the dozens of bolts flying from the labyrinth. It had already become a trauma, but he didn¡¯t relieve it with alcohol. He didn¡¯t relieve it with conversation. However. Every morning at dawn, he swung his sword persistently, reminiscing about that painful moment alone. And this moment. The hardships he had endured had become fertilizer through training, allowing Jung Yu-shin¡¯s abilities to blossom. Earth!!! The dark elf¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°What?!¡± Did this clown just slash his rapier? The swordsmanship that had been sped up by Fast Weapon would have been difficult even for him to control. A chill ran down his spine. Impatience surged. Swish, wow!!! The rapier cut through the wind and sank deep into Jeong Yu-shin''s chest. "Huh!!!" Jeong Yu-shin gritted his teeth. ''Here it is.'' He dodged his heart. He took a step closer. The dark elf''s eyes widened. The sword. The sword stuck in the clown''s chest didn''t move. ''What the hell?!'' At that moment. Kwak!!! He felt an excruciating pain in his right shin. The pain amplified by the Hyper Sensitivity imprint shook the dark elf, Quelin''s head. "Keuu ... The jack knife was lit up in the last three days. I pulled out the blood on the floor. I opened my eyes to shout again. Jung Yu-shin''s green hair turned black. "You, you were a half-blood Barbarian?! It wasn''t Karl!!! Butcher Scar!!!" Jung Yu-shin swept his hair. ''You''re back. Back to black hair.'' It seemed that the magic dye Oswald had given him had run out of time. By the way, I recognized him at a glance. He licked his lips in regret. He didn''t like the ominous nickname of Butcher, but he couldn''t help it. It was better than a nickname like a child-lover. He tried to sneakily give the dead Karl a good nickname, but his plan went awry. Jung Yu-shin sighed and raised his sword. "Virtue, skill, and wisdom. You ordinary black elf who is inferior to me in every way. I will put an end to your miserable life." "S...stop talking nonsense!!!" ¡°Go gently.¡± Jung Yu-shin raised his sword and stabbed the dark elf in the stomach. Phuuuk!!! The arming sword pierced his intestines and stuck in the ground. ¡°Khuuuuuk!!!¡± Jung Yu-shin stared at the dark elf¡¯s face, which was spitting out blood, for a while before getting up and walking around the empty space. All 10 assassins were dead. Dark elf, Quelin Kalheid, half-dead. He walked among the scattered corpses, picked up his mace, and approached the middle carriage. Kaaaang!!! Kaaaang!!! After striking it a few times, the lock broke. Knock knock. ¡°Are you there?¡± Squeak. When he opened the door, a foul smell filled his nose. Here and there, monsters, animals, and people with severed limbs were gathered in the corners, shivering. The animals were fine. Some people fainted and peed themselves when they saw Jung Yu-shin¡¯s face and hair. ¡°Ahiman, I¡¯ve come to meet you.¡± ¡°Chirup!¡± A small lizard quickly crawled over. Jung Yu-shin held out his hand and caught Ahiman and observed him. He didn¡¯t seem to be hurt. ¡°Ahiman, you¡¯ve worked hard.¡± ¡°Chirup!¡± ¡°I¡¯m the best? I know that too. Thank you.¡± ¡°Chirup.¡± Jung Yu-shin turned his head again and observed the people. ¡°Ha, damn it.¡± The people who were caught had one thing in common: the bandages wrapped around their ankles were soaked in blood. Jung Yu-shin handed a potion to the kobold sitting closest to him. ¡°Try treating people with this for now.¡± ¡°Yes...yes. Kingking.¡± The kobold approached him cautiously and received Jung Yu-shin¡¯s potion. Jung Yu-shin got out of the carriage and quickly approached the dark elf. The dark elf was spitting out blood. ¡°You bastard who doesn¡¯t even look human. You really should die.¡± Jung Yu-shin pulled out his sword and stabbed the dark elf in the heart. ¡°Bam!¡± The dark elf¡¯s breath stopped. Jung Yu-shin got up from his seat and walked a little to sit on the steps of the carriage. After waiting blankly for a while, two people came through the bushes. Swallowtail and Maya. ¡°Master!¡± Maya ran to Ahiman, shedding tears. ¡°Chirup!¡± Maya carefully grabbed Ahiman from Jung Yu-shin¡¯s shoulder and hugged him tightly. ¡°Sniff. I¡¯m sorry. Master, you suffered a lot because of me, right? From now on, I will never let you go.¡± Maya rubbed her cheek against Ahiman¡¯s face with tears in her eyes. ¡°Chirooup.¡± The lizard flicked its tongue. Maya, who had come to her senses, bowed deeply to Jung Yu-shin. ¡°Thank you, Ska-nim.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. We help each other and live together.¡± Jung Yu-shin waved his hand. With Maya¡¯s help, the female virgin¡¯s corruption imprint was safely sealed. The one who should be thanking him was himself. ¡°Ska-nim.¡± Swinging his waist at a right angle, he handed over a towel. ¡°Thank you.¡± Just as Jung Yu-shin was about to wipe his face with the towel. Phusususus. Five masked men walked out of the bushes. Jung Yu-shin looked at the masked men. ¡®Those guys are Oswald¡¯s men.¡¯ He could tell at a glance. It was because Oswald had a silver bracelet on his left wrist, as he had previously mentioned. The masked men were dragging five corpses. I wondered where five of the 25 assassins had gone, but they were here. The mercenaries hired by Oswald approached and bowed to Scar. ¡°Thank you for your hard work, Scar.¡± Jeong Yu-shin, sitting on the carriage, looked around at the mercenaries. Why are you suddenly being polite? That¡¯s strange. He asked cautiously. ¡°Who are you to suddenly be speaking to me politely?¡± ¡°My subordinate.¡± One person walked out of the bushes into the open space. An elf with an eye patch over one eye. Aldane Ashwood. He was the head of the monster dismantling center. Chapter 81: Think, think, think A drizzle fell in the open field. Aldein, looking around, casually spoke. "Impressive." The wet ground was littered with corpses lying haphazardly, but a satisfied smile lingered on Aldein''s face. Jeong Yusin glanced at Aldein. "What¡¯s going on here?" "I came to help since you look like you''re struggling." "As you can see, I did all the killing myself." "True enough. Weren¡¯t you supposed to be at the Dreadville village forest? I came here after waiting for you, and it turns out you were here dancing with your sword." "..." Jeong Yusin leaned against the carriage steps. Aldein spoke to his subordinates. "Clear the bodies and tidy up. Neatly. Those captured should be put on another carriage and sent back to the Labyrinth City." "Yes." With the response, Aldein¡¯s subordinates began to move busily. Aldein approached and leaned against the carriage wall. "Got any questions?" Jeong Yusin absentmindedly stared at the open field. "Oswald, is he one of Aldein¡¯s subordinates?" "No. I helped him out because of his situation." "Without any compensation?" "There is compensation, but I can¡¯t tell you what it is." "Pfft." Jeong Yusin sighed deeply. His body and mind were too tired to think clearly. How did he end up in this mess? Oswald, that guy. He seemed different when I met him in the Labyrinth and when we met outside. There was a deal. What a clown. Was his helpless appearance an act? The Labyrinth City was really a tough place. "What happened to the 5th Prince and the nanny?" Jeong Yusin asked. "I¡¯m taking good care of them." "It would¡¯ve been nice if you had done that sooner." "The Royal Family of Lionel contacted me unofficially. They said the 5th Prince is likely in the Labyrinth City and asked me to escort him back." "Couldn''t you have moved earlier?" "Why? Do I look like someone who¡¯d blink an eye because some prince ran away from the palace?" Jeong Yusin gave a dry smile. A crazy Elf. I already knew he was someone who saw the world crookedly because he only had one eye, but I didn¡¯t expect him to be this bad. Aldein continued. "I was originally just going to leave him. The Lionel Kingdom is part of the Eastern Alliance, so I just closed my eyes and helped out. I haven¡¯t even registered as an explorer yet." The Eastern Alliance. The Eastern Alliance. I feel like I¡¯ve heard of it before, but I can¡¯t quite recall. "What is the Eastern Alliance?" "..." Aldein¡¯s sharp gaze was felt. But Jeong Yusin maintained an unflinching expression. "What? Never seen someone ignorant before?" "...You do know that this is the Eastern part of the continent, right?" "Yes." "In the East, there are many different races. In the West, there are a few empires and kingdoms, but as far as I know, there are only humans." "So?" "There were several invasions from the West. The people of the East had to band together. That¡¯s how the Eastern Alliance was formed. The Eastern Alliance includes the Beastmen Alliance, the Dwarven Kingdom, the Elf Kingdom, and the Lionel Kingdom. There are others, but let¡¯s move on." "I see. Then isn¡¯t it right to help? Isn¡¯t Labyrinth City part of the Eastern Alliance?" "No." "Eh? No? What does that mean?" "It¡¯s a neutral city. The Eastern Alliance does have control, but it¡¯s more like a proxy rule. You could call it a regency. Anyway, that¡¯s how it is." "A regency? Sounds like there¡¯s someone else who owns the city." Suddenly, Aldein¡¯s face contorted. "Let¡¯s stop talking about that. I don¡¯t want to discuss it further. The point is, royalty and nobles from other countries also come here. The Labyrinth is the only place where they can obtain the Mark. As for a prince low in the succession line, no one¡¯s bothered enough to care about him. That¡¯s all." Jeong Yusin tilted his head. What a strange governance structure. I couldn¡¯t help but be impressed by how it had lasted this long. From what Aldein said, it sounded like the higher-ups treated Labyrinth City like a bomb waiting to go off. ¡®Complicated.¡¯ Jeong Yusin shook his head. It had nothing to do with him. For now, he had saved the captured people. He had even saved Ahiman¡¯s life. That was enough for now. Jeong Yusin stood up. "Where is the 5th Prince?" Aldein raised his hand and pointed towards the bushes. Jeong Yusin walked through the field and passed the bushes. There was a small carriage. He approached and knocked on the carriage door. Knock, knock. The carriage door opened, and the 5th Prince, his nanny, and a female knight appeared. "Ska, are you alright?" The 5th Prince asked cautiously. A prince who uses honorifics, huh. Jeong Yusin gave a wry smile. "Yes. I heard you¡¯re leaving soon, so I came to see you." The female knight frowned at Jeong Yusin¡¯s casual tone. In contrast, the prince smiled faintly. "I see. My actions have caused a lot of trouble for many people. I apologize." "No, it¡¯s all about helping each other. Well, farewell." Just as Jeong Yusin was about to close the door. "Wait, wait a moment!" The 5th Prince called out. "Do you have something to say?" "I¡¯m looking for ? N§àv§ÖIight ? (Read more on our source) my older brother." A sudden statement. The nanny and female knight were shocked. "Your Highness!" "How can you talk about the royal family¡¯s secrets like this?!" Jeong Yusin crossed his arms. "Your older brother?" "There is an eldest brother. He left the palace after falling gravely ill. He was someone who led with kindness... but he disappeared without a word." The young prince¡¯s eyes reddened. So, he had run away from the palace because he missed his older brother. I thought he was a bold and innocent boy. "What disease did he have?" "Ska!" The nanny¡¯s eyes sharpened. "It¡¯s a disease where the flesh rots. It¡¯s called the Curse of the Spirit God." "He must be hiding his appearance." "Yes." "The smell of rotting flesh must be present too." "Yes." "I know someone. Would you like to meet him?" The 5th Prince¡¯s eyes wavered. "R-Really?" "Yes." The 5th Prince opened his mouth to say something but closed it again. After thinking for a moment, his voice was low and hesitant. "I¡¯ve thought about it deeply. While wandering in the Labyrinth City, I wondered why my older brother left everything behind without a word. I¡¯m still young, so I haven¡¯t thought much about death. But..." The young prince sniffled, then continued. "I believe there must be a reason for my older brother¡¯s actions. I won¡¯t meet him." ¡®He really likes his older brother.¡¯ It seemed the youngest was deeply attached to his eldest brother. "I understand." "But please tell him something." "Yes, what should I tell him?" "Tell him that I will wait. I hope to see him again, healthy, at the palace." "I will." Jeong Yusin nodded. ¡®As expected, he¡¯s a king¡¯s child. What a sharp boy.¡¯ Seeing him sniffling made me feel a little sorry for him. "Then, see you later, Your Highness." The 5th Prince bowed, and the female knight closed the carriage door. Screech. Thud. Clop, clop, clop. The 5th Prince¡¯s carriage disappeared into the forest path. Aldein walked over with his hands behind his back, slowly. "I thought he was a naive boy, but he¡¯s quite sharp. He¡¯ll die young." Jeong Yusin¡¯s expression scrunched up. "Aldein, can¡¯t you speak more kindly?" "I¡¯m just speaking the truth. The youngest is the last in the line of succession, but the 2nd Prince is watching him with burning eyes. Talented ones die quickly. Let¡¯s go." Aldein got into the carriage he had prepared. The others, including Darchunko, Maya, and Ahiman, got into a different carriage. The remaining subordinates stayed behind to clean up the field. The carriage clattered along, running through the summer rain. Jeong Yusin crossed his arms and looked out at the scenery. As they passed through the forest, a vast plain came into view. Watching the blue reeds sway in the rain, fatigue washed over him. Jeong Yusin spoke. "Aldein." "Yeah?" "What do you do? You don¡¯t seem like just a monster disposal officer." "Curious? Take this sword. Then I¡¯ll tell you." Jeong Yusin observed the red single-edged sword. What could this mean? It didn¡¯t seem like just a simple matter of receiving the sword. "Can¡¯t you just tell me directly?" "Everything comes with a price. If you want to gain something, you have to give something in return. You know that, right? It¡¯s a cruel law of the world." "Fine. I¡¯ll just sleep then." Jeong Yusin closed his eyes. Soon, darkness took over. Aldein, stroking the red single-edged sword, gazed at Jeong Yusin¡¯s sleeping face. "The more I look, the more interesting you are." In fact, he had been watching Ska¡¯s battles from a distance. Without experience, it would be hard to gain an advantage, so he had replaced it with madness. He created opportunities for himself, killing the 2nd Prince¡¯s assassins and even killing the dark elf mercenary Kuellen Calhyde, a wandering mercenary in the underworld. Thanks to the Hyper Sensitivity Mark, his pain threshold had been lowered, forcing him to retire early, but the dark elf had been a mid-level explorer. Of course, compared to the other prominent mid-level explorers, his level was low. But it had meaning that he had killed a mid-level explorer by any means necessary. Aldein smiled with confidence. Ska didn¡¯t realize it, but... In the midst of all the continuous battles, Ska¡¯s latent madness, which he had suppressed, was slowly awakening. "Ska, this is truly delightful." Aldein muttered while stroking the single-edged sword. The sun set in the evening. The carriage continued across the plain. Three days passed after returning to Labyrinth City. The 5th Prince and his nanny left for the Lionel Kingdom. The captured people returned to Labyrinth City. Everyone who had been with Jeong Yusin either took care of their own business or quietly rested. On the 4th morning. Jeong Yusin yawned as he rummaged through the food. His appetite was gone. He had been quite active recently, so the fatigue hadn¡¯t worn off easily. Screech. The inn door opened, and Ahiman and Maya entered. Ahiman had returned to his human form. Maya looked strangely down. "Ska." Ahiman approached and sat down. Jeong Yusin smiled. "Ahiman, you¡¯ve turned back into a human." "Lizards are fine, but being in human form is more comfortable. It¡¯s a bit late, but I came to thank you." "No. I didn¡¯t do anything. Your disciple did everything. Anyway, I¡¯m glad to see you¡¯re okay." At Jeong Yusin¡¯s response, a faint smile appeared on Ahiman¡¯s face. "I want to repay you. Is there anything you want?" Jeong Yusin thought for a moment before speaking. "I have one thing to ask." "What is it?" "Where do mid-level explorers get their information about the Labyrinth?" "Does that mean you¡¯re about to rank up?" "Yes. Something like that." He had asked Oswald to find a simple, quick task for him. He had requested it be done under his name if possible, but it had been a bit of a stretch, and he didn¡¯t expect much. He hadn¡¯t gone to the Eastern region. He was tired, and Oswald was busy dealing with the captured people. Ahiman cleared his throat and spoke. "There are three ways. The first is to take lessons at the Labyrinth Academy." "That¡¯s a bit." "The second is to learn from senior explorers. The third is to go to the library." "The library is in Labyrinth City?" "In the central area." A library, huh. If I can just read, I can access a treasure trove of information. "The second and third options sound best. The Labyrinth Academy would take too long, right?" "Exactly. It¡¯s a long process. But you seem good at reading." "...I¡¯m doing my best to learn." Jeong Yusin scratched his head in response. He hadn¡¯t been able to attend the orphan academy for a while due to various issues. He needed to keep learning, but with all the events happening, he hadn¡¯t had time. "Is that so? Well, it¡¯d be a shame to leave without saying something. It¡¯s not much, but this is my way of repaying you. Take it." Ahiman pulled out a small stone from his pocket and handed it to Jeong Yusin. "What is this?" "It¡¯s a mid-grade mana stone. It¡¯s not enough to pay for your life, but it¡¯s all I have. Sorry." "It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll use it well." Ahiman and Maya stood up. "Then, see you later." "Ska, thank you." "Take care, both of you." Jeong Yusin escorted Ahiman and Maya out of the inn and returned to his seat. Just as he was about to eat his food. Screech. The inn door opened, and someone entered. Jeong Yusin looked up and his eyes went wide. A teddy bear wearing a white chef¡¯s hat waddled in. "Is...is this the barbarian who doesn¡¯t rape?" Jeong Yusin stared at the teddy bear blankly. All his plans spinning in his head evaporated like blank paper. My god. Can there really be such a small bear beastman in this world? This crazy otherworld. "I...I..." Jeong Yusin¡¯s voice trembled. The teddy bear flinched and shook, but bravely took a step forward and spoke. "I...I have a request!" Jeong Yusin stared at the teddy bear for a long time before softly replying. "Let¡¯s hear this request. Come here." At Jeong Yusin''s gesture, the teddy bear¡¯s body stiffened. Chapter 82: Summer night Jung Yu-shin''s eyes lit up even more as he looked at the teddy bear. "I told you to come here." "¡¤¡¤¡¤Ugh. I forgot something! I''ll tell you later." The teddy bear stepped back and said. Jung Yu-shin jumped up from his seat and strode over to him. The teddy bear looked up at Jung Yu-shin and trembled. "Why...Why are you doing this, Bear!" Jung Yu-shin quickly put his arm into the teddy bear''s armpit. "Bear!" The captivated teddy bear flailed in shock. It was disgusting to see the teddy bear pounding its chest with its cotton-like fist. To see such a cute friend in the crazy labyrinth city. ''I''m going crazy.'' Jung Yu-shin made a face to keep himself from showing it. He immediately picked up the teddy bear and sat it down on the chair opposite him. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤I helped you get up because you were worried it would be uncomfortable. Tell me. What do you want me to help you with?¡± ¡°Hoo. Hoo.¡± The teddy bear gasped and held his chest tightly. ¡°Tarman!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Tarman quickly ran over. ¡°Bring this guy some fruit juice.¡± ¡°Yes! Huh?! Mr. Bampring!¡± Tarman shouted at the teddy bear. The teddy bear seemed to come to his senses and raised his head. ¡°Clothes! Isn¡¯t that Tarman?¡± ¡°Tarman, did you know this little bear friend?¡± ¡°Yes. And Mr. Bampring is a bit old to be called a friend.¡± ¡°How old are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m 33 this year.¡± ¡°I... I see. I apologize for being rude.¡± Jeong Yu-shin bowed his head and apologized. ¡°I understand. Our honeypot race has been around for a while.¡± The honeypot race. ¡®There were many races in the bear people.¡¯ Was this what Aldain meant by the many races of the Eastern Federation a few days ago? ¡°Mr. Bampring, please wait a moment. I¡¯ll bring some fruit juice.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll just talk and go.¡± Tarman quietly sat down next to Jung Yu-shin. ¡°Big. What¡¯s the request?¡± Jung Yu-shin asked. ¡°I¡¯d like you to move the goods.¡± Goods. ¡°What kind of goods are you talking about?¡± ¡°I bought wheat, and I¡¯d like you to move it to the warehouse.¡± Wheat? ¡°Do you run a bakery?¡± ¡°Of course! Because I have the Bang Bang Hand imprint!¡± Teddy Bear spread out his hands. Soft meatball. Jung Yu-shin carefully observed the teddy bear''s hand and opened his mouth. "What is the Bang Bang Hand Imprint?" "It''s an imprint that makes bread taste better!" The Bang Bang Hand Imprint that makes bread taste better. A crazy labyrinth. "Did you go exploring?" "That''s right! He''s retired now, though." Jung Yu-shin scratched his head. I thought he was just a small and cute bear, but does he have some hidden power? Teddy Bear, Bampring took out a piece of paper from his bosom. "I submitted a request to the Explorers'' Guild, but no one accepted. I came here because they said there''s a strong and kind Barbaroi." A strong and kind Barbaroi? Jung Yu-shin turned his head and looked at Tarman sitting next to him. "Tarman, is that you? Isn''t it too gold-plated?" ¡°I just told you the truth.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Jung Yu-shin turned his head again and looked at Bampring. ¡°How much is the compensation?¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Bread.¡± Bread? Jung Yu-shin crossed his arms. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°The Lionel merchants sold good quality wheat, so we ended up spending too much of our budget. We don¡¯t have any money.¡± There was a reason why the explorers didn¡¯t accept it. Who would give bread instead of money? Jung Yu-shin put his hand on his chin and thought. In order to be promoted to Lieutenant Explorer, it was essential to solve a request within the Labyrinth City. In short, a request that had to be done. It also seemed easy. Jung Yu-shin nodded. ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like it will take that long, so I will accept it.¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± Teddy bear raised both arms high in the sky and danced around. Jung Yu-shin clenched his teeth. ''Kreurung!'' ''You crazy bastard. Control yourself.'' In an instant, the conflict between the devil and the angel inside him crossed. "It''s decided, so there''s no need to delay. Let''s go." "I understand!" Jung Yu-shin and Teddy bear got up from their seats and left the inn. "Ah! Mister!" Luna found Jung Yu-shin and ran over. He kept calling him daddy and tried to assassinate him, so Jung Yu-shin begged and asked to be called uncle, and he was glad that he listened. Luna and Teddy bear started talking as if they knew each other. "Mister Bampring is fine too." "Luna, how is your mother?" "Mom is fine. Uncle Ska helped her so that she wouldn''t go far away." ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Where is Mr. Bampring going?¡± ¡°He¡¯s going to work.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going with him!¡± Luna chimed in. Jung Yu-shin walked with a small fox named Su-in and a teddy bear on either side of him. A strange march. People on the street kept looking at him and whispering. It didn¡¯t take long. But it was a place he had never seen before. It was a refreshing sight for Jung Yu-shin, who always walked the same route. In a word, should we call it a bakery street? The delicious smell of bread filled the street. A large crowd of people gathered around to look at the bread on the stalls. Jung Yu-shin scratched his head. He was worried that he had been so focused on the labyrinth that he had been indifferent to the life around him. ¡°Let¡¯s hurry up and go!¡± ¡°Yes.¡± At Teddy Bear¡¯s urging, Jung Yu-shin passed the crowd and arrived at a bakery. It was a building made of wood and bricks with a large honey pot drawn on the sign. Teddy Bear raised his short arm and pointed to the honey pot. ¡°Honey pot! It¡¯s the pride of our honeypot race.¡± ¡°I see.¡± In front of the bakery, there were a huge number of wheat sacks piled up. ¡®There¡¯s a lot.¡¯ Jung Yu-shin looked down at Teddy Bear. Was his name Popuring or Mumuring? ¡°Is it okay to buy this much?¡± ¡°It feels a bit excessive. But Lionel Kingdom wheat has a wonderfully fragrant aroma!¡± The fact that the wheat was transported during the summer season like now means that it was sown in the fall of last year. Since winter wheat usually has a high protein content, it made sense why they bought a large quantity of wheat at this time. ¡°I understand.¡± ¡°Luna is here to cheer!¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Jung Yu-shin rolled up his sleeves and went to the pile of wheat sacks. He sighed as he looked at the wheat sacks stacked higher than his height. He guessed that there were about 300 of them. He shook his head and gathered his courage. ¡®This is about it.¡¯ As always. One by one from the beginning. Jung Yu-shin lifted the wheat sacks, put them on his shoulder, and carried them to the warehouse of Gom Su-in¡¯s bakery. ¡®This is no joke.¡¯ Sweat formed on the tip of his chin and dripped down. It was too much work to call it honey, and too easy to call it hell, like exploring a maze. It felt like one sack weighed about 40kg. It was a hot summer, so sweat poured down like rain. People on the street were staring at him. But he couldn¡¯t pay attention. He moved about 150 bags diligently. His back and knees were aching. Jung Yu-shin sat down in the shade of the bakery building. ¡°Whew. I¡¯ll take a break.¡± ¡°Here, take a break while you eat this.¡± The teddy bear came over and handed him some bread. ¡°Please give me some water. Not bread.¡± He choked on it and felt like he was going to die. ¡°You must have worked hard!¡± Luna came over and fanned him with her hand. The three slime brothers who had been summoned came closer and shook their soft bodies. He didn¡¯t feel a single breath of wind, but he felt a strange sense of joy. Is this what it feels like to be a father? For some reason, he felt a surge of strength. Jung Yu-shin smiled, got up from his seat, and moved the wheat bags again. By the time the sun above his head set in the west, he had finished all his work. His whole body was drenched in sweat. Jung Yu-shin sat down at the entrance of the bakery, sobbing. Luna was not there. Since it was getting dark, he sent her home first. ¡°Whew. There is nothing easy in the world.¡± ¡°You worked hard.¡± Teddy Bear came over and offered him water. Jung Yu-shin drank the water and got up from his seat. ¡°Wait a minute, Bear.¡± Teddy Bear went into the bakery and came back out. In his cute hands were a bag containing various types of bread and a piece of paper. The document that he had been waiting for, the request completion document. It was a difficult task, but his fatigue disappeared when he saw the document. ¡°Take this paper and go to the Explorers¡¯ Guild.¡± ¡°Understood. Sell lots of bread.¡± ¡°We will continue to supply delicious bread.¡± They said they would supply it. Jung Yu-shin tilted his head. ¡°Were you supplying bread to our inn?¡± ¡°Yes. I thought you were the agent of the innkeeper, Darmon, but you weren¡¯t?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t look into it in detail. Now that I think about it, it¡¯s embarrassing.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to blame yourself. Tarman and Anne praised you so much. You¡¯re honest and dependable. You¡¯re like a giant tree, someone you can trust and rely on.¡± ¡°You¡¯re putting honey on my face.¡± Jung Yu-shin laughed and joked. ¡°Huh... Huh! How could you say such obscene things! Get out of my way!¡± ¡°...¡± He asked why he said such obscene things, but Teddy Bear refused to answer. Jung Yu-shin returned to the inn, leaving Teddy Bear behind, who was angry. As he entered the inn, he noticed some familiar faces. All of his party members were sitting in one place. However, the grandmother-loving elf was nowhere to be seen. ¡°Scar.¡± The knight, Soline, called Jung Yushin. ¡°It¡¯s been a while.¡± Jung Yushin smiled and approached him and sat down. The atmosphere in the party was strangely subdued. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Soline suddenly bowed his head and apologized. ¡°Why? What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°I think I should leave the party. There was a call from the temple. I have to leave the labyrinth city.¡± He swallowed his bitter taste. ¡°I understand. But where is Pirion?¡± ¡°Priest Pirion was dispatched to a small village temple in the southern Lionel Kingdom territory. I heard that the priest who was serving there passed away, leaving a vacancy. He asked me to tell you that he was sorry.¡± Is that so? He swallowed the sigh rising inside him. ¡°I...I¡¯ll fall for it too.¡± Galahheim said. ¡°Is something wrong?¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤I¡¯ll be honest. Scar, you¡¯re scary.¡± What does that mean? ¡°Please tell me more.¡± ¡°You¡¯re too deeply entangled with the underworld. Explorers usually don¡¯t get involved to this extent. This is my feeling, but I think you¡¯ll get even deeper. It¡¯s too much for me to handle.¡± The guide. He had a good feeling. ¡°Understood. You can leave.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s my karma.¡± Jung Yu-shin smiled bitterly. ¡°But Oswald has captured the 5th prince¡¯s nanny, so I¡¯ll stay until the case is solved.¡± Soline said. A faint smile appeared on Jung Yu-shin¡¯s lips. As expected, he¡¯s Gil-seon¡¯s junior knight. He¡¯s loyal. Jung Yu-shin shook his head. ¡°The 5th Prince¡¯s Yumogun has already been resolved. You can leave comfortably.¡± ¡°Really?! How did you resolve it?¡± Soline asked in a surprised voice. ¡°It¡¯s a secret. I can¡¯t say it lightly either. Please understand.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤I see. I understand.¡± Soline had a look on her face that she had guessed something, but she didn¡¯t dare open her mouth to ask more questions. Jung Yu-shin saw off the party members who were leaving. The evening was getting darker. She sighed as she watched the backs of Soline and Gallaheim leaving. I thought it would last longer this time. It wasn¡¯t. I understand because it¡¯s a temporary party. Everyone had their own circumstances, so it wasn¡¯t something that could be forced. The world was full of difficult things. The most difficult thing of all was people. The backs of the party members disappeared into the crowd. Jung Yu-shin returned to the inn restaurant and helped Anne and Tarman clean the store. As time passed, Anne and Tarman left work. Late at night. The first floor of the inn was empty. He sat alone at the counter and poured himself a drink. Creak. The inn door opened and the cat Su-in suddenly came in. He occasionally stopped by the inn to eat and leave, so his face looked familiar. His job was a letter deliveryman. ¡°Scar, here¡¯s a letter.¡± The cat Su-in took a piece of paper out of his bag and handed it to him. ¡°At this late hour?¡± ¡°I was going to give you a letter and take a nap before I go.¡± ¡°Who is it from? I don¡¯t think anyone would write to me?¡± ¡°Darmong sent it.¡± Jung Yu-shin¡¯s eyes widened. About two and a half months had passed since Darman left. ¡°Hurry up and give it to me!¡± Jung Yu-shin snatched the letter like a hawk catching a mouse. The cat Su-in shook his hand and frowned. ¡°Where¡¯s the room?¡± ¡°The fourth from the right on the second floor.¡± ¡°Here¡¯s the accommodation fee.¡± Jung Yu-shin shook his head. ¡°The accommodation fee is free. You only pay when you eat breakfast.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± The cat Su-in went up to the second floor, wagging his tail. Jung Yu-shin took a deep breath and carefully opened the letter. Darmon was asking after his well-being in simple words. Jung Yu-shin¡¯s eyes widened as he quietly read the letter. ¡°What?!¡± The shocking content. The hand holding the letter trembled. He racked his brain to organize the contents of the letter. Darmon¡¯s wife had not committed adultery. She had simply lied because she wanted to see Darmon. And it said that his wife was really pregnant. ¡®Go and ask if she was pregnant.¡¯ There was also talk of staying until the new baby was born. There was also talk of leaving the inn to someone else if it was difficult. At the end of the letter, there was a phrase expressing Darmon¡¯s deep gratitude and concern, and wishing for her happiness and peace. Jung Yu-shin stared at the letter for a long time, then folded it neatly and put it in his arms. Suddenly, Aldain¡¯s words came to mind. ¡®If you lose one, you gain one.¡¯ The party was disbanded. It was okay to think of it as losing one. I heard about my friend¡¯s well-being. I gained one. ¡®Isn¡¯t the world always full of bitter things?¡¯ Jung Yu-shin took out a pen and paper from the counter and began to write a reply. He stuttered and wrote out loud because he was still not very educated. ¡°Darmon... ~N§àv§Ölight~ I¡¯m doing well. And congratulations on your wife¡¯s pregnancy¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± A small smile appeared on Jung Yu-shin''s face as he wrote the letter. In the dark inn hall. Only one small light remained, illuminating Jung Yu-shin''s bedside. It was summer. Chapter 83: Knock knock A bustling inn morning. Jeong Yu-shin sat at the counter, closed his eyes, and organized his thoughts. He felt like he had cleared his mind of his busy mind and returned to the starting point. It was thanks to the encouragement Darmon sent. He had almost completed all the requests for promotion. However, the party was disbanded. Since it had come to this, he decided to relax and take his time to train himself. It was something he absolutely had to do in order to advance to a deeper level. In that sense, the most important thing right now was information. Information about the labyrinth. He had already taken the beginner explorer class to learn the information from the first to the fifth floor. And the knowledge he had learned in the explorer class had saved his life. It couldn''t be underestimated. In order to advance to the next stage, he absolutely had to do some preliminary research on the next labyrinth. The problem was that good information was available at the city center library. What was needed to obtain good information was the ability to read smoothly. ''Okay.'' He decided. He believed in the proverb that even a bull''s horn should be pulled out in one go. Jung Yu-shin opened his eyes and jumped up from his seat. ''I have to go to the orphanage academy.'' Jung Yu-shin approached Tarman, who was delivering food. "Tarman, I will attend the orphanage class for the time being. You don''t need to prepare lunch separately. And when the cat Suin wakes up, give him this letter." Jung Yu-shin handed Tarman a small letter and silver coins. The letter was a reply to the letter Darmon had sent. He had a lot to write, so he racked his brain, but he wrote it briefly because he knew the words and didn''t have enough space. "Understood. I will definitely deliver it." Tarman politely answered and took the letter. Jung Yu-shin went up to the second floor, grabbed his bag, and ran to the temple of the Earth Mother. He went to the temple receptionist to check attendance and went into the orphanage. "Goodbye, kids." When Jung Yu-shin suddenly came in and greeted them with a smile, the children were shocked. ¡°Wow! It¡¯s that black-haired old man!¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤It¡¯s scary.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you go missing in the labyrinth?¡± ¡®Whew. You should learn to write quickly or something.¡¯ I greeted them pleasantly since it had been a long time since I saw them, but the children were too exclusive. Jung Yu-shin sat down in his seat and took out his writing utensils from his teddy bear bag. Knock knock. After waiting for a while, Mi-on came into the classroom with her blond hair fluttering. ¡°Wow! Teacher Mi-on is here!¡± ¡°Hehehe, it¡¯s Teacher Mi-on.¡± Mi-on smiled brightly and stood at the podium. ¡°Everyone, please take your seats and be quiet. I will begin the class.¡± ¡°¡°Yes.¡±¡± The children answered at the same time and sat down. When the class started, Jung Yu-shin opened his eyes wide and focused. He tried his best to build a foundation to move forward. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Then the water spirit said to the ? N§àv§ÖIight ? (Original source) greedy fisherman, ¡®Why do you take children? Your greed has reached the bottom of the sea, so I will make you a child.¡¯¡± Mi-on read the fairy tale in a soft voice. The children listened to the story as if they were possessed, but Jeong Yu-shin diligently moved his pen. He wrote down all the words he didn¡¯t know. Fortunately, thanks to his continuous study in his spare time, there were more words that caught his eye. He memorized the meanings of the words during break time. Time passed, it was lunchtime, and all classes were over. Mi-on opened his mouth with a smile. ¡°You all worked hard. Today¡¯s class is over. Please write your appreciation by tomorrow.¡± ¡°¡°Mr. Mi-on, you worked hard too!¡±¡± The children bowed their heads in greeting and rushed out of the classroom. And then, a quiet classroom. Only Jeong Yu-shin and Mi-on remained. ¡°Ska-nim.¡± ¡°Mion Priest.¡± Mi-on left the podium and came closer. ¡°Ska-nim, how have you been?¡± ¡°There were a few things that happened, but I got through it without any problems. How has Mi-on Priest been?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been doing well.¡± I see. She thought it was fortunate that she was doing well. When Jeong Yu-shin¡¯s eyes became serious, Mi-on swallowed hard. ¡°Mion Priest.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I have one thing I want to ask you.¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± ¡°I heard that Mi-on Priest went exploring before. I know that anything above the 6th floor is called the upper floor, but I don¡¯t know the details. Can I ask you about that?¡± ¡°Yes...yes.¡± Mi-on¡¯s voice became strangely low. Should I say she lost her energy? Jung Yu-shin was anxious. He knew a lot about engravings and was a job that often met explorers, so he thought he would have some information about the labyrinth. Was that a wrong judgment? Mion opened his mouth. ¡°As you know, Ska-nim, the path splits starting from the 5th floor of the labyrinth. There are three transfer stones.¡± He knew this. ¡°On the 5th floor of the labyrinth, at the end of the ruined city of Engrav, there is a place that leads to the ¡®Forest¡¯ floor. In the central area, there is a transfer stone that leads to the ¡®Corridor¡¯ floor. Lastly, there is a transfer stone that leads to the ¡®Sewer¡¯ floor in the basement.¡± Jung Yu-shin stroked his chin and thought deeply. Forest. Corridor. Sewer. Which floor would be the most beneficial to go to in this situation? ¡°Is there a floor that Priest Mion recommends?¡± Mion crossed her arms and remained silent. She seemed to be quietly thinking about something. ¡®Huh?¡¯ Jung Yu-shin¡¯s body, which was looking at Mi-on, stiffened. The plump breasts hidden in the white priest¡¯s uniform were held in his arms and spread out like pudding. Perhaps because it was summer, the smell of momma wafted into his nose. ¡°Ugh.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Mi-on came to her senses and tilted her head. ¡°Ah...no.¡± Jung Yu-shin shook his head and looked out the window. ¡®To be shaken by something like this. Yu-shin, you are a failure to be a momma.¡¯ ¡®But you liked the thick milky smell that pooled in your chest during the summer, didn¡¯t you?¡¯ ¡®...¡¯ The angel and devil inside him were on the same page for the first time in a long while. ¡®Ah. The darkness of the labyrinth again.¡¯ He straightened his posture after calming himself down. Mi-on also put his hands down and straightened his back. ¡°Let me tell you first. My advice is just advice, so take it with a grain of salt. The labyrinth is a place where you risk your life to explore. You shouldn¡¯t leave the choices up to others.¡± ¡°I trust you, Priestess Mion.¡± ¡°...¡± Mion¡¯s face turned slightly red. ¡°Wait a minute. Hmm. What was it?¡± Mion hesitated slightly and continued. ¡°Ahem! I¡¯d like to recommend the forest area to you, Ska.¡± ¡°Is there a reason?¡± ¡°As far as I know, Ska uses a sword. He¡¯s also lightly armed.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°The monsters that live there are generally weak. Of course, there are some that aren¡¯t, but it¡¯s not a bad floor for an explorer who uses a sword as their main weapon.¡± ¡°There¡¯s another reason. There¡¯s a chance of obtaining various valuable herbs and leather. They¡¯re in high demand, so they¡¯re highly profitable.¡± ¡°Lastly, it¡¯s because of Skarnim¡¯s imprint. The monsters living in the forest area mostly have poison and disease. With Skarnim¡¯s venom protection, I think it¡¯ll be relatively easy to explore. Of course, you shouldn¡¯t let your guard down.¡± Mion¡¯s words ended. Jung Yu-shin nodded. A natural and reasonable reason. The explanation felt like a stretch. To summarize. There were two reasons to go to the ¡®forest¡¯ layer. You could gain an advantage in the matchup. You could make more money. There was no reason not to go since it would make exploration easier. It was worth a try. Of course, you had to prepare thoroughly. ¡°Where should I go to find out more information about the forest area?¡± ¡°You can go to the library in the central area. But you¡¯ll need to learn a little more, right?¡± Jung Yu-shin was troubled by Mion¡¯s answer. What should I do? I wanted to run to the library right away. ¡®No. Don¡¯t be impatient. Come to your senses.¡¯ ¡°I¡¯ll learn slowly.¡± Mi-on wiggled her fingers at Jung Yu-shin¡¯s words. ¡°Ska-nim, if it¡¯s okay with you, would you like me to tutor you? Just the two of us.¡± Jung Yu-shin¡¯s eyes widened. This kind of luck came all of a sudden? ¡°Really? Thank you!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll schedule the tutoring after lunch. Is that okay?¡± ¡°Yes! Please!¡± ¡®Actually, isn¡¯t Shin-gwan Mi-on an angel?¡¯ Mi-on tells you, Isn¡¯t that a lot? Suddenly, he felt sorry. ¡°Mion, I¡¯m sorry for only receiving like this.¡± ¡°No. Ska-sama has given me a lot.¡± Mion¡¯s face, which had been smiling brightly, darkened slightly. ¡°Why is that?¡± ¡°Ah... no. One of my precious ¡®things¡¯ disappeared.¡± Things. Things. ¡°Shall I find them for you?¡± ¡°Oh, no!¡± Mion waved her arms. As the Mamma Tong that suddenly popped out shook violently, Jeong Yu-shin¡¯s head turned white. All thoughts disappeared as if he had been hit on the back of his head. I think he said something about things. He couldn¡¯t remember. ¡°Uh... uh. Yes. I understand.¡± ¡°Yes, yes.¡± The hot summer wind blew into the classroom, caressing the hair of the two men and women. ¡°Then I¡¯ll go first.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll prepare enough textbooks. Just come with your body, Ska.¡± ¡°Yes. Thank you as always.¡± ¡°It¡¯s my pleasure.¡± Jung Yu-shin left the classroom with an awkward smile. He felt full even though he hadn¡¯t eaten. His steps felt strangely light. He returned to the inn. ¡°I¡¯m home.¡± Tarman, who was wiping the table, raised his head. ¡°Ska, did something good happen to you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad that I¡¯ve gained knowledge. How could I not be glad to learn and learn again?¡± Tarman tilted his head at Jung Yu-shin¡¯s strange answer. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Yes. But Ska, we have a guest.¡± ¡°Who is it?¡± ¡°They say they¡¯re from the Swordsmanship Guild.¡± Tarman pointed to a table in the corner. A boy with messy hair was sitting there. I remember. It was the trainee I saw last time. ¡°Hello, Ska-nim.¡± The boy stood up and greeted him politely. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°The union leader asked me to come.¡± ¡°Tell him I¡¯m busy filling up my mind.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤He asked if I could feed him.¡± ¡°I¡¯m busy right now, so tell him I¡¯ll stop by soon.¡± ¡°He asked me to give him the exact date.¡± ¡°Tell him I¡¯ll be there in three days.¡± ¡°Yes. Please come.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± The boy stood up, bowed again, and left the inn. Jung Yu-shin watched the boy leaving and suddenly had a thought. ¡®No way.¡¯ Did he get caught fighting outside the labyrinth city? His spine gave him goosebumps. To be honest, they fought like dogs. It was more like a psychological warfare and guerrilla warfare using poison rather than a battle utilizing swordsmanship and sacred weapons. If Ashur knew, it was a fight that would make him foam at the mouth and go crazy. ¡®Ah. I should have fought more gracefully.¡¯ But in the end, I won fairly with swordsmanship, so it was okay, right? I didn¡¯t want to go to the swordsmanship association anymore. I sighed and walked to the counter. At that moment. Squeak. ¡°Mister! Hello!¡± The inn door opened and the fox beast Luna came in and greeted him. ¡°Are you here to perform today?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Jeong Yu-shin sat down on the counter chair and opened a book. It was the book Mion had given him before leaving the classroom. A children¡¯s storybook. It was a story about a water spirit and a fisherman. Jeong Yu-shin read the book intently. The sun set and Luna''s performance began. People gathered around the table and cheered. "Ta-da!!! Slime transformation!" "Wow!!! So cute!" "Ugh! Look at that soft slime. If only I were a little younger, what?!" "Squeak! Squeak!" Linda burst in from somewhere and danced with the slime. "Look at that white mouse wearing a hat!" "This is crazy. I don''t know who the missionary is, but he must know something cute!" Jung Yu-shin, who was reading a book, snickered. That icy Ingrid knows cuteness. It was something that even the dog Su-in, who was passing by, would laugh at. He closed the book he was reading and approached where Luna was performing. Luna sweated and diligently directed the slimes. Lindo danced hard to the squelching movements of the slime. Moment. ¡°Oops!¡± Luna, whose legs gave out, slipped off the chair. ¡°Luna!¡± Jung Yu-shin blew through the crowd like the wind and hugged Luna. ¡°Hui?¡± Luna let out a weak voice. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°It¡¯s...it¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°Okay. Be careful.¡± ¡°I understand. But, sir?¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re holding me.¡± Luna pointed to her belly button with her finger. ¡°The bottom of Luna¡¯s belly is swollen.¡± A sudden bombshell announcement. Jung Yu-shin¡¯s eyes grew as wide as a door. ¡°What?!¡± A silence colder than the winter wind descended on the inn hall. Chapter 84: Imprint suppression ring "It''s cold." A knife seems to fly straight into my heart. The crisis to my reputation has returned. The guests who had recently been treating me casually started to show strange expressions. Gulp. Jeong Yushin swallowed dryly. His mind was racing, generating various hypotheses. It could just be that she''s hungry. Maybe the juice she drank went bad. Or it could be that her abdominal muscles contracted because of the intense movement. But. ¡®Could it be the Female Virgin Corruption Mark?¡¯ He considered the worst-case scenario. He gently set Luna down and shouted towards the kitchen. ¡°Ann!¡± ¡°Yes!!¡± Ann quickly rushed out from the kitchen. ¡°Take Luna to the kitchen and check her stomach!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Ann gave a puzzled look but didn''t speak further and immediately took Luna into the kitchen. As Luna disappeared, the guests began murmuring. ¡°...What exactly happened?¡± ¡°Is Luna¡¯s stomach hurting?¡± ¡°Owner, explain it to us.¡± Several people came over to ask. ¡°Luna seems to have been very tired after dancing so much today. Please, head home now.¡± ¡°...Is that so? Alright. Give Luna my regards.¡± ¡°She''s been coming often lately. She needs to take care of her body.¡± The guests spoke with concern, each in their own voice. Jeong Yushin watched them leave before heading to the kitchen. ¡°Ann? Luna?¡± ¡°Ah! Master!¡± Ann stood up from where she was examining Luna¡¯s clothes. Jeong Yushin¡¯s face hardened with worry. ¡°Was there any sign of a mark on her stomach or anything?¡± ¡°No. There was nothing.¡± Nothing? What was going on? Jeong Yushin knelt beside Luna and looked at her. ¡°Luna, could you hold my pinky finger for me?¡± ¡°Is something wrong?¡± Luna''s eyes trembled with anxiety. ¡°No, Luna, you trust me, right? It¡¯s just a little checkup, nothing serious.¡± ¡°...I...I understand.¡± Luna raised her tiny hand and grabbed Jeong Yushin¡¯s pinky finger. Grip. ¡°How do you feel?¡± ¡°It feels... soft.¡± Jeong Yushin stood up. A growing unease crept up his spine. ¡®I have to assume the worst.¡¯ The possibility that the female corruption mark had activated. ¡°Taruman.¡± ¡°Yes, Master!¡± Taruman entered the kitchen. ¡°Take Luna home immediately. Her mother is skilled with herbs, so she should know about medicine. Tell her to check on Luna.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°I have somewhere to go. You can close up early today.¡± ¡°Yes, understood.¡± Jeong Yushin hesitated before gently patting Luna¡¯s head. ¡®The worst-case scenario.¡¯ He gritted his teeth. He sent Luna off with Taruman and ran out of the inn, heading straight for the magic tools shop. The shop where he had bought the anti-mark ring. Luckily, the lights in the shop were still on. He quickly ran up to the door and opened it. Bang! The door crashed open, and the dwarf wearing monocles looked up in surprise. ¡°Owner!!!¡± Jeong Yushin shouted. ¡°What... what¡¯s going on?¡± The monocled dwarf fumbled in surprise. ¡°Is there a problem with this ring?!¡± Jeong Yushin took the ring off his finger and showed it to the dwarf. ¡°Ah, that half-breed barbarian. Why are you shouting? You startled me.¡± ¡°Owner, I¡¯m in a hurry! Please check it quickly.¡± The dwarf took the ring and began inspecting it carefully. Not ten minutes later, the dwarf looked up again. ¡°The magic in the magic stone is almost depleted.¡± ¡°What does that mean?¡± ¡°Look here.¡± The dwarf held the ring up in front of Jeong Yushin. He could see a small gem fixed in the ring. ¡°This little gem here is the magic stone. The anti-mark works with the magic from the stone. Actually, all magic tools work like this. In short, the magic that suppresses the mark is running low.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you explain this in advance?¡± Jeong Yushin growled, and the dwarf looked at him incredulously. ¡°Well, I thought you''d know. Magic stones don¡¯t only come from the labyrinth city, you know?¡± Jeong Yushin held his head. Now that he thought about it, there were some warning signs. The lack of increased libido as a side effect of the anti-mark was one of them. He had also learned something while treating Edel. The magic in the stone could drain out. With just a little thought, he could have deduced this earlier, but there had been no time due to the fifth prince¡¯s matter. ¡®Damn.¡¯ Jeong Yushin scratched his head. The dwarf adjusted his glasses. ¡°Still, there''s a little bit of magic left. With this amount of magic, the other person may have felt pleasure. But the corruption must have been suppressed. If you replace the magic stone right now, it should be fine.¡± ¡°Can I just recharge the magic?¡± ¡°Exactly. To do that, you¡¯ll need a new magic stone. Just pay the cost, and I can swap it out anytime.¡± A magic stone. He had one. The mid-level magic stone Ahiman had left for him. ¡®So, there¡¯s no way I can just die quietly?¡¯ ¡°I have a mid-level magic stone. Wait a minute, I¡¯ll get it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s almost time to close the shop...¡± The dwarf muttered with a sour face. ¡°So?¡± ¡°Ah... never mind.¡± Jeong Yushin left the dwarf and quickly returned to the inn, grabbed the silver coins and the magic stone, and came back. ¡°Here it is.¡± ¡°Oh ho. This is a magic stone from the blood-sucking mosquitoes that live in the labyrinth swamp.¡± ¡°Is that good?¡± ¡°It¡¯s decent. Where did you get this? I¡¯d like to buy it.¡± ¡°Just swap it out for me.¡± ¡°Pfft. It¡¯s a bit of a waste. Fine, I¡¯ll do it.¡± The dwarf stood up and opened his mouth. ¡°I almost forgot. If the magic stone is different, the side effects will change. Since this is a blood-sucking mosquito¡¯s magic stone, there¡¯s a high chance you¡¯ll move your hand unconsciously.¡± Different side effects with different magic stones? That was a new discovery. Unconsciously moving his hand instead of increased libido. ¡°That sounds too dangerous.¡± ¡°If you focus, it should be fine. I think it¡¯s much better than the libido increase side effect.¡± ¡°I¡¯m good at controlling my libido.¡± Jeong Yushin responded naturally. The dwarf closed his mouth and stared at Jeong Yushin. ¡°What?¡± Jeong Yushin frowned and asked. ¡°Ah... never mind. Wait here. I¡¯ll swap the stone.¡± The dwarf took the ring and the magic stone into the workshop behind the counter. After a while, a clattering noise could be heard, and soon the dwarf came out. ¡°All done. Two silver coins.¡± ¡°Two silver coins to swap one magic stone?¡± ¡°This is a skill. I got it cheap because I know someone from Maya. Be grateful.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± Jeong Yushin handed over the silver coins and received the ring, sliding it back onto his finger. The red magic stone fixed in the ring sparkled. There were no dizzy spells this time. One thing did come to mind, though. It was something he absolutely needed to know. ¡°How can I tell when the magic in the stone is completely depleted?¡± ¡°To measure it accurately, you¡¯ll need to ? N§àv§ÖIight ? (Read more on our source) come to the magic tools shop. It¡¯ll probably run out in two months. Come back then.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± Jeong Yushin scratched his chin and thought carefully. ¡®So this is what magic stones are used for.¡¯ Indeed, assuming the worst was the only way to avoid tragedy. At least now he had knowledge about magic stones. The necessity of them felt so real, almost tangible. Now there was one more reason to go into the labyrinth. ¡°Wait, don¡¯t!¡± The dwarf¡¯s frantic voice snapped Jeong Yushin back to reality. ¡°What?¡± He looked down and realized his hand was stroking the dwarf¡¯s beard. He had unconsciously reached up to stroke his own chin, but... ¡®Damn side effects.¡¯ Jeong Yushin quickly pulled his hand away from the dwarf¡¯s beard. ¡°Why did you bring your hand to my beard?¡± ¡°Yes, you reached out and grabbed my beard! I was just standing still!¡± The dwarf protested with a wronged expression. ¡°Really? Sorry about that.¡± ¡°Barbarian, get a grip on yourself! This happened before, too.¡± ¡°Before? When?¡± ¡°Er... no, never mind. Get going. It¡¯s closing time.¡± The dwarf waved his hand and chased Jeong Yushin out. Jeong Yushin reluctantly walked with his hands behind his back, heading down the street alone. When he returned to the inn, Taruman approached him. ¡°Master, Edel checked on Luna. She said there¡¯s nothing unusual, so you don¡¯t need to worry about Luna.¡± ¡°I see. Thanks, Taruman.¡± Jeong Yushin nodded. That was a relief. If Luna had been affected by his mark and fallen into corruption, she would have had to live in the city prison, whether she wanted to or not. ¡°Mas... Master?¡± Taruman called out to Jeong Yushin. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Why were you stroking my stomach?¡± Jeong Yushin froze, quickly retracting his hand from Taruman¡¯s stomach. ¡®Damn side effects!¡¯ ¡°Th... that¡¯s the new side effect from the anti-mark. Sorry about that.¡± ¡°Ah... okay.¡± Jeong Yushin sighed as he looked at his hand. ¡®This isn¡¯t easy.¡¯ The next morning, Jeong Yushin went to the Earth Goddess Temple. Around lunchtime, after finishing his lessons, he started tutoring with Mion. Jeong Yushin spoke frankly. He explained that last night, he had used a new magic stone to suppress the Female Virgin Corruption Mark. He warned her about the side effect of unconsciously moving his hand and asked her to be cautious. Mion smiled faintly. ¡°Master, it doesn¡¯t seem like such a big side effect. I understand. I¡¯ll trust you this time.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± After lunch, Jeong Yushin and Mion sat in the empty classroom to start their lesson. ¡°...This part should be written like this.¡± Mion sat right next to Jeong Yushin and helped him. The textbook was more advanced than a children¡¯s fairy tale, but the vocabulary was similar to that of a fairy tale. Thanks to her clear explanation, Jeong Yushin was able to focus. Scratch, scratch. In the afternoon, the quiet classroom was filled with only Mion¡¯s breathing and Jeong Yushin¡¯s pen sounds. ¡°Ma... Master!¡± Suddenly, Mion¡¯s panicked voice rang out. Jeong Yushin snapped to attention and looked up. Mion was bowing her head, and her ears, visible through her platinum hair, were bright red like an apple. ¡°Yes... huh...!¡± On the desk, a large mound of mozzarella cheese spread out. And then. Soft. His hand was gripping Mion¡¯s large chest tightly. He had gripped so hard that his fingers were completely buried in her chest, making it impossible to see them. It wasn¡¯t the soft touch of lovers. It was the barbaric touch that might belong to a heroine in an NTR story, whose fall had been sealed. A hand that thoroughly suppressed resistance and reminded the heroine of her status as a mere woman. Mion turned her head away, seemingly embarrassed to face Jeong Yushin. From Mion¡¯s lips, a small voice escaped. ¡°Ma... Master, please let go.¡± ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m sorry!¡± Jeong Yushin hurriedly pulled his hand back and apologized. Mion covered her chest and shook her head. ¡°A... Ah, no. I got too close. Sorry.¡± Jeong Yushin bit his lip. ¡°Mion, I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s difficult to control the side effects, so maybe we should end the lesson here?¡± ¡°Sh... should we?¡± Mion turned her head and looked at Jeong Yushin. ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll prepare more thoroughly next time.¡± ¡°Thoroughly?!¡± Mion¡¯s voice pitched high. Jeong Yushin calmly responded. ¡°Mion, I¡¯ll find a way to reduce the side effects. Sorry about this.¡± ¡°Ah... yes... yes.¡± Mion fidgeted with her fingers and responded. Jeong Yushin gathered his things and stood up. ¡°Then I¡¯ll see you tomorrow.¡± ¡°Yes, take care, Master.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Jeong Yushin left the empty classroom and walked down the corridor alone. He looked up at the sky for a moment after leaving the temple. ¡®Soft.¡¯ The feeling still lingered on his fingers. The first time he had ever touched a woman¡¯s chest. He felt both moved and apologetic. ¡®How long had it been since I¡¯ve been deprived of gold?¡¯ He couldn''t remember for over six months. Maybe around eight months? Jeong Yushin shook his head. The side effects were too intense. If he wasn¡¯t careful, his hand would move on its own, and he had no way of knowing why it moved like that. There was no consistency to the movement to blame it on libido. Even so. Couldn¡¯t there be a way to control it? Training had helped suppress the madness. Maybe this time, training could help? ¡®I should go with the swordsmanship combination.¡¯ He instinctively felt that way. Jeong Yushin threw on his bear-shaped bag and started running toward the swordsmanship training. His black hair fluttered in the wind, racing through the southern streets. Chapter 85: Swordsmanship Combination In the afternoon. Running through the hot summer streets, I arrived at the Swordsmanship Guild. If things had gone as planned, I would have stopped by two days later, but given the circumstances, there was no other choice. A bald, muscular man was sitting at the Swordsmanship Guild reception desk. Killa. The second-in-command of the Swordsmanship Guild. Jung Yu-shin approached the reception desk. ¡°Vice-Chairman, thank you for your hard work.¡± ¡°Hmm? Ska, wasn¡¯t I supposed to be here in two days?¡± ¡°I think I should get beaten up quickly.¡± Killa snickered at Jung Yu-shin¡¯s answer. ¡°What did you do again?¡± ¡°I did something.¡± He buried all the assassins in the southern forest. Has Ashur not heard of it yet? The clown makeup might have been effective. Killa shook his head and opened his mouth. ¡°Unfortunately, the guild leader went to the central area. I heard he had something to discuss with the Labyrinth City Committee.¡± Labyrinth City Committee. Ingrid Redtail. Luke Wiseman. Those two people briefly came to mind and then disappeared. Jung Yu-shin scratched his head. ¡°Then can I come back later?¡± ¡°Since we¡¯re here anyway, how about we have a duel? If we face each other with swords, Ashur will come.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Jung Yu-shin readily nodded at Killa¡¯s suggestion. He had been through many fights. It was a good opportunity to check how much he had grown. Killa was the second strongest person in the swordsmanship guild. In short, he was the second-in-command of the Food and Poop Group, who only ate, pooped, and trained. He didn¡¯t think he would win. However. It was hard to suppress the competitive spirit that was slowly rising. Killa smiled as if she had read Jung Yu-shin¡¯s expression. ¡°Scar, is your body itchy? Is this the kind of thing where you want to see whose sword is stronger?¡± Jung Yu-shin¡¯s expression hardened. ¡°Vice-Chairman, I get a sexual feeling from what you¡¯re saying. Please refrain from it.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤I don¡¯t know what it is, but I¡¯m sorry for now.¡± Killa got up from his seat and apologized. Jung Yu-shin came out to the training ground with Killa. Despite the hot summer sun, people with their upper bodies exposed were sweating and swinging various weapons. The members of the union swarmed after seeing Killa and Jung Yu-shin. ¡°Vice-Chairman, are you sparring with a new recruit today?¡± A muscular elf stepped forward as the representative and asked. The members of the union instantly read the mood without saying a word. Their eyes were sharp. ¡°That¡¯s right. If you want to watch, go ahead.¡± As Killa finished speaking, the people sank to the dirt floor. They looked tough, not caring about the blazing sun. A circle was formed right away. The boy who had stopped by the inn the other day brought two training swords. A blunt but iron longsword. ¡®It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve used a longsword.¡¯ Recently, he had only used a one-handed sword, an arming sword. Jung Yu-shin held the sword with both hands and swung it a few times. A question arose in Killa¡¯s expression. ¡°Why? Is something not right?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I¡¯ve only been using an arming sword. It¡¯s heavy and nice. I guess that¡¯s why I¡¯m holding a longsword.¡± ¡°Is that so? Let¡¯s take it slow.¡± Killa continued, draping the swords over his shoulder. ¡°But Scar, I heard you walk around the yard every day?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Did you go back today?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then just lighten up your body.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Killa watched Jung Yu-shin loosen up his body with his iron sword slung over his shoulder. A young mixed-blood Barbaroi. The only man who reacted to the lazy guild leader. No matter how great the favor of saving Del, the youngest brother of the Startree family, was, it was too much for the Sword Master to stick to him and teach him this much. He guessed that there must be something that attracted people. Could it be this man¡¯s talent? Or his fighting spirit? I¡¯ll have to try it out. Jung Yu-shin, who had already loosened up, was looking at Killa. A curve formed on Killa¡¯s lips. He was sitting at his desk because of the work of the swordsmanship guild, but he was still a swordsman after all. ¡°I¡¯ll go.¡± ¡°Come.¡± Killa grabbed his sword. Kwak! The ground caved in. The muscular giant leaped forward, stepping on the ground. From the middle, he immediately changed to the top and struck down. Ssaeeeeeeek!!! Killa''s blow that split his head. Jeong Yu-shin took a step forward with his eyes shining. He raised his longsword at an angle. Deflect. Is it possible? Kaaaaang!!! The swords clashed and sparks flew. Impossible. He gritted his teeth. He lightly clashed, but his hands holding the swords felt tingly. A sword fight on a different level from that of an ordinary dark elf holding a rapier. Indeed, the vice-chairman of the swordsmanship guild. His brute force could not be ignored. Kaaaaang!!! Kaaaaang!!! The sound of the swords clashing rang sharply through the training grounds. The people in the training ground started to share their opinions while looking at Jung Yu-shin and Killa. ¡°Hey, look at the rookie. Are you wielding your sword over there?¡± ¡°He¡¯s incredibly bold. Even if he¡¯s a mixed-blood, he¡¯s still Barbaro?¡± ¡°Look at the posture of the rookie. His parrying and stabbing are an art.¡± ¡°Vice-Chairman, please show some strength.¡± The people who were watching with their arms crossed each said something. Keeing!!! Killa thought as he parried Jung Yu-shin¡¯s sword. ¡®Innate sense of battle. His posture is upright, but he shows some improvisation. He¡¯s already forging his own path. Is he making up for his lack of experience with his instincts? He¡¯s a beast of a man.¡¯ Killa quickly grasped the situation and extended his sword. This type is weak to shaking. After being fooled by a few feints, he tends to distrust his own senses. Killa¡¯s sword path changed in an instant. From a downward strike to a quick stab. Jung Yu-shin tried to block with his sword but hesitated. Killa''s sword was piercing toward his chest. I think I can do it. He made a quick decision. One. Two. Three. Shhhhhhhhh!!! He twisted his body at the right time and dodged by a little finger''s width. "Wow. You''re crazy. Even in a sparring match, you''re so fearless?" Someone muttered as if it was ridiculous. He just took a step ahead and stabbed with his sword. His target was the Adam''s apple. A weak point that he had honed in fights to the death. Killa''s body turned sideways in an instant and dodged Jung Yu-shin''s sword. Bam!!! "Bam!" Killa lightly hit Jung Yu-shin''s neck with the pommel. Jung Yu-shin fell to one knee, exhausted from being hit hard in the neck. Killa opened his mouth, draping his sword over his shoulder. ¡°Scar, this isn¡¯t a fight to the death. Take it easy.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Enough.¡± Killa revised his evaluation of Jung Yu-shin. ¡®He has a strong will to live. Ashur-nim must lead him well.¡¯ The people began to talk again. ¡°By the way, where did the union leader go?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, he must be wandering around somewhere and sleeping. He might be lying on the union roof.¡± The moment Jung Yu-shin opened his mouth, Ashur suddenly appeared from a corner of the training ground. ¡°Did you see? Only those who want to roll around should stay.¡± The people grumbled and dispersed. Jung Yu-shin got up from his seat and bowed his head to Killa. ¡°Vice-Chairman, I learned a lot today. Thank you.¡± ¡°Keep up your efforts.¡± Killa smiled and patted Jung Yu-shin on the shoulder. There were some things that bothered him, but he was polite and talented. He was a new recruit that he gradually liked. ¡°Killa, you¡¯re going into the bear¡¯s mouth with your own feet.¡± Ashur said with a sneer. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Killa asked. ¡°If you lose to this guy, you¡¯ll be eaten. No matter how mixed you are, you¡¯re still Barbaro.¡± Killa¡¯s eyes widened and his neck turned sharply. ¡°Is...it real?¡± ¡°No.¡± Jung Yu-shin glared at Ashur. ¡°Please don¡¯t come out all of a sudden and spread false rumors. Where on earth did that come from? Are you talking about a ghost story? Tsk.¡± ¡°It¡¯s true. What did you say? Did you say the one who loses is the female? Did you say the one who shows his back is the female? I don¡¯t remember well. I heard something similar.¡± ¡°I said no. Isn¡¯t it time to believe it now?¡± Jung Yu-shin protested in a resentful voice. Regardless, Ashur pointed at Jung Yu-shin and looked at Killa. ¡°Killa, you have to be careful of this kind of guy. He says I¡¯m harmless. He says I¡¯m innocent, but when you let your guard down, he¡¯ll put his dick in.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Chairman, in my opinion, Scar isn¡¯t that kind of guy.¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re missing your chance. Like your hair. What¡¯s the point of regretting it? There¡¯s already a hole in it.¡± Killa became serious. ¡°Ashur, please be more moderate.¡± ¡°Okay. Enough with the jokes. Vice-Chairman, get back to work.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not my job, but I¡¯ll go back. Ska, take care.¡± ¡°Vice-Chairman, take care.¡± Killa returned to the Swordsmanship Guild building. Ashur crossed his arms and observed Jeong Yu-shin. ¡°You, you kept flinching during the sparring earlier. What¡¯s going on?¡± Where were you hiding and observing the sparring? As expected, the Sword Master¡¯s eyes were hard to fool. ¡°I kept coming up with improvisations and it was hard to control.¡± Eye-poke, spitting, kicking, throwing dirt, etc. I had a hard time holding back because I thought of all sorts of tricks that were only used in back alleys. ¡°Tsk. I don¡¯t know what improvisations you¡¯re talking about, but it¡¯s obvious even without looking.¡± My conscience pricked me and I quickly changed the subject. ¡°That¡¯s true. I have a concern.¡± ¡°The problem is that my arm moves unconsciously due to the side effects of the imprint?¡± Indeed, a vicious stalker elf. ¡°It¡¯s a bit much to ask now, but do you have any secrets from me?¡± ¡°No.¡± Ashur declared. Jung Yu-shin¡¯s face crumpled. ¡®Fuck.¡¯ No. That¡¯s strange. Even though he fought the assassins in the forest like that, Ashur didn¡¯t get angry. Does he not know about what¡¯s going on outside the labyrinth city? Or maybe Aldain handled it well. Regardless of the result, it means that there is a hole in Ashur¡¯s information gathering ability. ¡®Thank goodness.¡¯ He came to his senses and returned to the main topic. ¡°I have something to ask about that issue.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°How can I suppress the side effects of the imprint?¡± Ashur thought deeply and opened his mouth. ¡°It¡¯s training. If your mind is disturbed, your sword will also be disturbed. I told you this last time, right? Hands that move unconsciously can also be overcome in the same context.¡± ¡°Is it constant training?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I can swing my sword even in my dreams. That¡¯s great.¡± ¡®Oh my.¡¯ He swallowed the sigh that was rising inside him. The hardships were clearly laid out before his eyes. He had to take lukewarm classes in the morning and afternoon, and practice hard until late at night. Jeong Yu-shin nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s give it a try.¡± Ashur smiled faintly. A determined disciple. ¡°Why don¡¯t you just try it in the morning? The book isn¡¯t going to feed you, so do it roughly.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not right.¡± Jung Yu-shin answered with a serious expression. Information was essential to survive in the labyrinth. He couldn¡¯t just leave the library full of great information alone. ¡®I¡¯m going to lick the floor like a yellow dog, but I¡¯m going crazy.¡¯ Did Yeo-bu die for nothing? You need strategy to survive. ¡°Oh my. I understand.¡± ¡°Please take care of me.¡± ¡°...¡± Ashur looked up at Jung Yu-shin¡¯s hand slowly approaching his stomach. ¡°A crazy guy? This won¡¯t work. Let¡¯s put a sandbag on his arm first. Make it heavy.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Jung Yu-shin nodded while looking at his own hand. ¡°I extended my hand to shake your hand.¡± ¡°Do it moderately, put on the sandbag, and grab your sword. We have nothing to do today anyway. Let¡¯s roll.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Jung Yu-shin took his sword and took a stance. Ashur smiled with satisfaction at Jung Yu-shin¡¯s stance. A moonlit night. Clang! The inn door opened and Jung Yu-shin came in. His entire body was covered in dust and sweat from how much he had rolled on the dirt floor. ¡°Ska-nim!¡± Tarman, who had been watching the store, approached him. ¡°Why? What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Oh, no. I was waiting for you because you were coming back late.¡± ¡°I stopped by the swordsmanship association on my way back. I¡¯ll be back at this time tomorrow, so clean up the store for the time being and leave work first.¡± ¡°Yes. I understand.¡± After sending Tarman off, he went up to the second floor. He took off his clothes, soaked a towel in water, wiped his entire body, changed his clothes, and lifted the bed. ¡°Tick?¡± Lin was lying in the middle of the bed, spread out on his back. ¡°You punk, I told you it¡¯s dangerous to lie down on the bed like that.¡± He carefully grabbed Lin and moved her to the side, then ¡ï Novelight ¡ï laid down on the bed. Lin groaned and climbed up to his chest. ¡°Want me to massage you?¡± ¡°Squeak!¡± ¡°Sorry. It¡¯s too hard. I¡¯ll do it later.¡± ¡°Squeak squeak!¡± Jung Yu-shin patted the angry Lin and closed his eyes. ¡®What¡¯s wrong if I don¡¯t do it for a day?¡¯ He was so tired because he rolled around in the training grounds without rest. Jung Yu-shin let himself be lulled into the darkness by the sound of Lin¡¯s pitiful squeaking. Chapter 86: Proposal The next morning. The lukewarm dawn air flowed in through the cracks in the window and lingered on Jung Yu-shin¡¯s nose. He opened his eyes. It was already dawning in the summer. ¡°Oh my arm.¡± My muscles were sore from the intense training at the fencing club yesterday. Still, I should have gained some strength since I had a good night¡¯s rest, but my arms strangely lacked strength. ¡°Rin?¡± ¡°Squeak...squeak.¡± Rin was clinging to Jung Yu-shin¡¯s arm, shaking her head from side to side. ¡°Rin, where does it hurt?¡± Rin looked at Jung Yu-shin with a resentful look. ¡°Squeak!¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± What did I do? No way. Did I unconsciously move my hand all night to massage Rin? When I realized it, I felt sorry. ¡°Rin, I¡¯m sorry.¡± I raised my hand and gently stroked Rin¡¯s head. ¡°Tick.¡± Rin, whose head was pressed hard, shuddered and buried her face in the bed. Rin, who had spread out like a well-boiled mochi. Jung Yu-shin patted Rin¡¯s butt once and got up from his seat. After changing clothes and going down to the first floor, Tarman was cleaning the store. ¡°Tarman.¡± ¡°Ska-nim.¡± I went to the kitchen to say hello to Anne and went out to the yard to stretch my body. I took my time stretching. When my muscles that had been stiff all night loosened up, I slowly ran around the yard. ¡°Whew. Whoo.¡± I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. As I walked around the yard, I thought about my conversation with Ashur, the leader of the swordsmanship association, last night. ¡®Change your thoughts. There¡¯s a reason why you¡¯re doing that. I think it¡¯s right to think that your subconsciousness, which is constantly trying to probe the other person¡¯s weakness, has been revealed.¡¯ ¡®Ashur, I think that¡¯s slander. I¡¯m a proper prosecutor.¡¯ ¡®Stop talking nonsense. A proper prosecutor doesn¡¯t covet his master¡¯s stomach.¡¯ ¡®Yes.¡¯ After going around the entire yard, he stood up and took a breath. ¡°Okay.¡± Jeong Yu-shin pulled out his longsword and swung it. Whooooowung! At first glance, it was a swinging posture. It was close to a sword dance. The very dance he had danced after defeating all the assassins in the labyrinth. In fact, it was an action to reflect on the flow of the sword that he had realized while striking the bolt. The assassins whose heads were already shattered wouldn¡¯t know. Again. He thought back on the fights he had experienced so far. No matter how many times he fought, they were new and never boring. Because he had won. There are things to learn from failure. There were also things to learn from success. The former looked back with the feeling of chewing bitter gall, while the latter felt like a bear munching on sweet honey. He swung his sword, imagining the common dark elf he had fought in the previous fight. Ssaeeeeeeek!!! The light of the sword scattered with the sweat. When his back was soaked with moisture, he put the sword away and took off his top. Push-ups and squats. 30 reps each, 1 set. 10 sets each. It¡¯s not enough for a day¡¯s exercise. But he did it consistently for several months. He felt his entire body¡¯s muscles burning. A heat like a blister emanated from his body drenched in sweat. ¡°Three...three hundred! The end!¡± He staggered up from his seat, caught his breath, and washed himself at the well. ¡°Go, Ska-nim.¡± ¡°Okay. Take care of the store.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± After finishing breakfast, Tarman sent me off and I ran to the temple. ¡°Thank you for your hard work in class today.¡± ¡°¡°Yes! Teacher Mion! Thank you.¡±¡± It was lunchtime and the orphanage class was over. The children left the classroom with Mion¡¯s greeting. Jung Yu-shin also quickly left the classroom and went to the temple cafeteria to eat lunch. After lunch and a short rest, he and Mion started studying alone. Thump! Mion put a thick book down on the desk. ¡°Here! I brought a book about the list of monsters in the ¡®forest¡¯ area.¡± Jung Yu-shin¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°It¡¯s huge.¡± ¡°The deeper the labyrinth, the more monsters appear. I brought children¡¯s stories because I thought you might get bored. Of course, you should read the stories regularly.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Shall we read it together?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Mi-on and Jeong Yu-shin stuck together and started flipping through the book. Jeong Yu-shin instantly became focused. It had written about the types of monsters that appear in the forest area, their ecology, and their appearance. It had a strong academic approach. Mi-on glanced at Scar. He was looking at the book with serious eyes and taking notes, but he was stroking his thigh with his other hand. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤It¡¯s a green worm. ? N§àv§Öl?g?t ? (Official version) It mainly bites the skin with its sharp mouth and enters deep into the human body. Hehe.¡± Scar¡¯s hand gripped her thigh tightly. As the soft flesh of her thigh was pressed tightly, her stomach tightened. The manly hand didn¡¯t stop there and began to slowly enter her thigh. Mi-on¡¯s mouth went dry. What if I spread my legs here? I¡¯d be disqualified as a priest. An unmarried virgin sitting next to a man and spreading her legs. It¡¯s absurd. But. Mi-on''s tongue licked her lips lightly. ''Just a little bit?'' She spread her thighs that had been tightly closed a little. I don''t know if it was because of the summer or some other reason, but hot heat rose up from the tight priest''s uniform. Scar''s hand slowly crawled inside. He gently pressed with his finger as if he wanted to tell her where he was going. "Hoohoo. Hooohoo!" Mi-on let out a rough breath and leaned against Jung Yu-shin''s body. She unconsciously wrapped her arms around Jung Yu-shin and put her heavy chest between them. Strong, muscular arms. Her heart pounded. ''Oh... is it coming!'' Mi-on turned her head and let out a rough breath. The plump labia majora wrapped in a tight T-panty line poked her head out, secreting her heart juice. At that very moment when his rough fingers almost touched. ¡°Huh!¡± Jung Yu-shin came to his senses and looked at Mi-on. In an instant, his manly arms slipped out of his painful groin. ¡°I... I¡¯m sorry. I still lack training, so it¡¯s difficult to control the side effects.¡± ¡°Ah...¡± A sigh of regret escaped Mi-on¡¯s lips at Jung Yu-shin¡¯s apology. Mi-on kept brushing her ears while cupping her empty thighs. ¡°Ah... no. It¡¯s okay. Then shall we move on?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°This monster...¡± The study of the forest area continued in an awkward atmosphere. After about two hours. Jung Yu-shin finished his lesson with Mi-on and got up from his seat. For some reason, Mi-on was still sitting. ¡°Thank you, Teacher Mi-on. I learned a lot today.¡± ¡°Ah... no. I¡¯m glad I could help.¡± Mi-on lowered her head and buried her face in her book as she watched Jung Yu-shin leave. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤ What did I do.¡± Mi-on¡¯s neck, revealed between her blond hair, was red. Jung Yu-shin left the temple and ran to the swordsmanship association. ¡°It¡¯s late. Can you come a little faster?¡± Ashur, who was lying on the reception desk, lifted his head and looked at Jung Yu-shin. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Jung Yu-shin went out to the training ground and sparred with Ashur repeatedly. Kaaaaang!!! Kaaaaang!!! As they clashed swords in a state of ecstasy, the sun had set and the moon had risen. It was late at night, and Jung Yu-shin, completely exhausted, knelt down on his knees. ¡°Keuh-euk!!!¡± All the strength left my body and I couldn''t get up. Ashur turned his back and opened his mouth. "Thank you for your hard work. I''ll see you tomorrow." "Hoo...hoo...please wait a moment. I have something to ask you." I debated whether to say it or not, but there was no way. Sacred Weapon. I tried to leave it as a secret technique, but Ashur already knew. It''s a lifeline imprint. However, I haven''t had any use for it lately. No. I should have thought I couldn''t use it. It was because there was one serious flaw. Time limit. A fatal flaw that prevented me from fighting with my sword due to the short 3 seconds. There was also the disadvantage that it took time to recast after the summoned weapon disappeared. A technique specialized only in attacking and exploiting weak points. The limitations were clear. However, he racked his brain and came up with a method. Parry them all. Gather magical power in your hand and summon a sacred weapon to immediately read the opponent''s attack and block or deflect it in advance. Jeong Yu-shin explained his thoughts to Ashur. Ashur made a bewildered expression. ¡°Do you think that''s possible?¡± ¡°What else is impossible?¡± ¡°Aside from sufficient magical power, the speed of casting the imprint, the speed of reflection, the ability to read the flow of the weapon, and the technique of handling the sword are all combined, but it''s hard to use it once or twice. How is that possible?¡± ¡°I can use parry now.¡± ¡°Was that sword dance that I did in the morning really parrying practice?¡± ¡®Crazy stalker elf.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t surprising anymore. ¡°Chairman, it looks slow, but it¡¯s not that bad.¡± ¡°Haa. Okay. Anyway, since your posture is stable enough, you can move on to the next step.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the next step?¡± ¡°Sparring.¡± ¡°Who are you going to do it with?¡± ¡°There are plenty of sparring partners. Do you know that the members of the swordsmanship association want to spar with you? This is a good opportunity.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Ashur-nim!¡± Jung Yu-shin¡¯s voice trembled with emotion. His heart warmed at the fact that he could finally move forward. ¡°Sparring is just sparring, so don¡¯t blame your opponent for losing.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Ashur-nim.¡± The emotion quickly cooled down. Ashur snickered, patted Jung Yu-shin on the shoulder, and turned around. ¡°Good luck. Try that Sacred Weapon thing. If it doesn¡¯t work out, just get a good sword and use it well.¡± Ashur finished speaking and left the training grounds with a staggering pace. Jung Yu-shin also got up from his seat and left the training grounds. He walked through the dark streets and returned to the inn. He cleaned up and went to bed. Lin was nowhere to be seen. Where did she go? Did she go to Ingrid? If so, that was fortunate. I gave her a good massage last night, so there was nothing to worry about. When I closed my eyes, darkness came. Three weeks passed. There were no major changes in my daily life. I sat with Mi-on and studied. I sparred with the members of the union. It wasn¡¯t easy because they were all just people who could do anything, but I gained a lot from it. It was a valuable training time where I could turn my experience gained from battles into skills. ¡°Good.¡± Jung Yu-shin clenched and unclenched his hands as he sat at the table. His tanned skin twitched with muscles. His arms were completely different from when he first came to the labyrinth. They were the arms of a warrior. He rolled hard as Ashur had advised, and his arm became easier to control. Creak. The inn door opened and Dulchanko came in. Dulchanko had a bag with a bear face embroidered on his shoulder. ¡°Ska-nim.¡± ¡°Are you here?¡± ¡°I brought the backpack as you said.¡± ¡°It¡¯s perfect.¡± Jung Yu-shin accepted the backpack and smiled brightly. A leather backpack that assassins used to carry. When Dulchanko gave him his feelings, he found out that it had been enchanted with expansion magic. Since it was stolen goods, he took it to a repair shop and had it decorated to his taste. The deeper you go into the labyrinth, the longer you have to stay, so it was a magical backpack that explorers needed. It wasn''t an exceptionally good backpack, though. It was definitely a helpful item when entering the middle level. Jeong Yu-shin raised his head. "How''s the atmosphere in the streets these days?" "It''s the same as usual. There''s a Blue Moon Festival in a month, so it''s a bit Busan-like." Blue Moon? "What''s the Blue Moon Festival?" "It''s a summer festival. It''s a day when various spirits ascend to the night sky and bless the well-being and prosperity of believers." "Really? What should we do for our store?" "Yes. I expect many people from outside to come. It''s a great opportunity to increase sales." "Okay. Will you help me? I''ll pay you a lot." "I''ll work hard." Dulchang-ko answered with a grin. Jeong Yu-shin put his bag on his shoulder and got up from his seat. All the preparations were done. Through Mi-on, he gained knowledge of the forest area. He honed his skills by rolling around in the swordsmanship guild. All that was left was. Finding a new friend. ¡®I hope he¡¯s a normal friend this time.¡¯ At that moment. Clang! The inn door opened. Jung Yu-shin turned his head and looked at the person approaching. ¡°You...?¡± Jung Yu-shin¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°It¡¯s been a while. Scar.¡± The man in the iron mask spoke with a smiling voice. The person suspected to be the first prince continued. ¡°Are you still innocent?¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Suddenly?¡± Since he was well-educated, even his skills at squeezing were a work of art. However. He suddenly barged into someone else¡¯s business and asked if he was still feeling sorry. Does this iron mask have no human feelings? Jung Yu-shin¡¯s expression hardened. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°We¡¯re missing one person in our party. Come in.¡± Iron Mask held out his hand. Chapter 87: Stop the action Morning at the Inn. Among the bustling guests, Jeong Yoo-shin and Cheol-ga-myeon made eye contact. "Let''s sit down for now." They sat at a corner table in the inn. The quick-witted Tarman came over and placed drinks on the table. A juice made from a blend of raspberries and peaches with honey. It was always prepared since Luna liked it so much, wagging her tail like a helicopter. Jeong Yoo-shin tilted the wooden cup and gulped it down. "Ahh. That''s good. You should drink too." "Sure." Cheol-ga-myeon picked up the cup and poured the juice into the hole in his mask. The way he drank it skillfully showed it wasn¡¯t the first time he¡¯d done this. Jeong Yoo-shin tried to catch a glimpse of his face beneath the mask, but it was clear that he didn¡¯t want to show it. He folded his arms and quietly observed Cheol-ga-myeon before speaking. "Cheol-ga-myeon, how did you know I was staying here?" Cheol-ga-myeon put the wooden cup down and tilted his head. "Hmm? Everyone in the southern district knows you''re staying here." Jeong Yoo-shin furrowed his brows. So it wasn''t just one stalker? He¡¯d felt the gazes of merchants and villagers every time he passed through the street, but he hadn¡¯t expected it to be this much. "Why, of all people, did you invite me to your party?" "Do you remember the day we fought together?" Of course, he remembered. They had fought against monsters summoned by Hans, including a half-ogre with a stone fist and a frog beastman named Cork. "Even though it was a hastily formed party, we worked well together. And." Cheol-ga-myeon paused for a moment before continuing. "Your courage and devotion left a strong impression on me. That¡¯s why I invited you to our party." Jeong Yoo-shin scratched his cheek. The courage part, sure, but devotion? That was a grand word. But, He did feel a connection with this man. Whether they truly meshed well would become clear with more time, but at least he wasn¡¯t being treated differently just because he was a barbarian. Jeong Yoo-shin tapped the table with his fingers and fell into thought. There was something essential he needed to know to continue. "Where exactly are we heading in the labyrinth?" "Up to the sixth-floor forest area. If there''s time, we¡¯ll go to the seventh." "Cheol-ga-myeon, weren¡¯t you a beginner explorer?" "I heard there''s such a thing as a ''used newbie.''" "Is that you?" "You don¡¯t have to gain all your experience just in the labyrinth city. Call me a prepared talent." Jeong Yoo-shin nodded at Cheol-ga-myeon¡¯s words. Had he been trained outside of the labyrinth city? He was thorough. "Who¡¯s in the party?" "Just a typical setup. You and I are the vanguard. One guide and one priest." Jeong Yoo-shin fell into deeper thought. Not bad. Coincidentally, they were heading toward the forest floor, too. The party members seemed decent. However, There was one last issue. No matter how he thought about it, the features that Prince 5 had mentioned about Prince 1 and the ones that Cheol-ga-myeon had displayed were similar. Should he ask about it? Or should he leave it alone? It wasn¡¯t something to discuss in the noisy inn. ''No choice.'' Jeong Yoo-shin stood up from his seat. "Follow me to my room. I need to talk for a bit." Cheol-ga-myeon¡¯s voice grew cold. "What¡¯s that supposed to mean, Barbaroi? Why should I go to your room?" "We need to talk. I¡¯m not trying to do anything to you." "If you have something to say, say it here." Hah. He thought Cheol-ga-myeon had no prejudice against barbarians, but It seemed the labyrinth city had messed with his head a bit. It couldn¡¯t be helped. A new approach was necessary. Jeong Yoo-shin twisted his mouth and made a strange sound. "Uwaja." "What are you saying all of a sudden?" Cheol-ga-myeon¡¯s voice was filled with confusion. He even pulled his chair back and distanced himself a little. "Your brother. O-waja. Wagu." "...Is that so? Did you know?" The sharp Cheol-ga-myeon immediately understood what Jeong Yoo-shin was referring to. Jeong Yoo-shin straightened up. "Should I address you formally from now on?" "I heard that in the labyrinth city, rank doesn¡¯t matter to explorers. Just speak comfortably." "Is that so? Fine then." "..." Cheol-ga-myeon stared at Jeong Yoo-shin for a moment before speaking again. "Now that I think about it, I¡¯m the older one here. Shouldn¡¯t I be speaking more formally? This feels uncomfortable." "How old are you?" "27." "That¡¯s only a four-year difference. Don¡¯t make things awkward, friend." "Huh." Cheol-ga-myeon sighed deeply. "Keep my status a secret. And we¡¯ll talk about the rest later." His tone became much more relaxed. "Why?" "I came straight here after a night shift. I¡¯m really tired." I see. No wonder Prince 5 couldn¡¯t find this guy no matter how hard he tried. Of course, there were probably deeper reasons, but he¡¯d need to listen to more of Cheol-ga-myeon¡¯s words to find out. "I understand. How long until everything¡¯s ready?" "It¡¯ll take about five days. Before then, I¡¯ll meet with the party members. How about three days from now, in the evening? We¡¯ll meet here again." "Sounds good." Jeong Yoo-shin agreed, and Cheol-ga-myeon nodded once before standing up and leaving the inn. Jeong Yoo-shin didn¡¯t see him off but stayed seated, watching his back. The first prince, suffering from a terminal illness. He had stepped down from the throne and come to the labyrinth city. Though Jeong Yoo-shin hadn¡¯t brought it up, there were a few things he could infer. The labyrinth¡¯s seal seemed to be his only lifeline. In some ways, he was a person in a similar situation as Jeong Yoo-shin. He felt a sense of camaraderie, being someone who longed for something that didn¡¯t exist in this world. And, Despite his limited time, he was still capable of rational conversation, which Jeong Yoo-shin liked. A prince, huh? It seemed like he often found himself involved with people of high status. Jeong Yoo-shin scratched his head and stood up. It was time to prepare to enter the labyrinth. Once he made up his mind, there was no reason to delay. He moved quickly. He went to find Mion, got her permission, and then headed to Boron¡¯s blacksmith shop in the western district. Of course, he didn¡¯t forget to bring a bottle of alcohol. "Boron, I¡¯m here." "Ska! You came?" For some reason, Boron¡¯s face seemed cleaner than usual. The last time he¡¯d seen him, he¡¯d looked like he was on the verge of death. "Did something good happen?" "With the Alkion metal you gave me, I made quite a profit!" Boron smiled widely and gave Jeong Yoo-shin¡¯s knee a pat. One of the items taken from the criminal, Oswald, was high-quality iron. He had asked a man with a big nose to send it, and it seemed Boron had used it well. "I made the longsword you ordered. We used the rest of the Alkion metal, and all the repairs to the light armor are done." "I see. Where¡¯s Ainhofer?" There was no sound of a hammer. "He went to a family gathering. He has to make several decorations for the upcoming Blue Moon festival, and they¡¯re short on hands." "I see." Jeong Yoo-shin nodded. "But Boron, don¡¯t you do anything with your family?" "..." At Jeong Yoo-shin¡¯s question, Boron tightly shut his mouth. Had he asked something he shouldn¡¯t have? "My apologies for the careless question." He apologized honestly. "...You really know how to hit a sore spot, Barbaroi. Fine. I¡¯ll get your equipment ready." "Yes." Boron went behind the counter and brought out the equipment. The light armor was neatly repaired. And, A longsword with a blue glow. Jeong Yoo-shin¡¯s mouth dropped open. It was a sword with an elegant feel to it. It gave off a mesmerizing aura. It was completely different from what he had expected. He had thought it would just be a regular sword. "A beautiful sword." Boron grinned. "Ainhofer and I worked hard on it." "I see. Ainhofer¡¯s skills are improving day by day." "He¡¯s serious about this work. He even saves time from sleeping and eating to hammer the iron. If his skills don¡¯t improve, that¡¯s a problem. He¡¯s my proud disciple." Boron¡¯s eyes were filled with pride. "Didn¡¯t you used to say he was the one ruining the shop?" "I? Never said that." Jeong Yoo-shin stared at the pretending Boron and placed the bottle of alcohol on the counter. "Can I take a look at the sword?" "Of course. It¡¯s yours now." Jeong Yoo-shin grabbed the blue longsword. On the scabbard was an engraving of a wolf watching the moon. Swish. A pure sound rang out in the blacksmith shop. The cold blade reflected Jeong Yoo-shin¡¯s face. ¡®It¡¯s wider than an average longsword.¡¯ This was a blade specialized for slashing. But the tip was sharp. This meant it was a longsword balanced for both slashing and thrusting. In other words, it was designed for both unarmored and armored combat. He swung the sword around. The center of gravity was in the handle. This meant it was easy to handle and allowed for unpredictable movements. This wasn¡¯t knowledge learned from someone else. It was something he had naturally picked up as he fought while wielding swords. A satisfied smile appeared on Jeong Yoo-shin¡¯s face. Thanks to the generous clown, Oswald, he had gotten a good longsword. "Hmm?" There were characters engraved on one side of the blade. He couldn¡¯t read them. Jeong Yoo-shin lowered the sword and showed it to Boron. "What¡¯s this inscription on the blade? Is it some new magic or a phrase wishing for luck?" "Oh, that¡¯s Dwarven script." Boron answered with a smile. "Oh! What does it say?" Jeong Yoo-shin¡¯s voice naturally rose with excitement. A sword inscription straight out of Norse mythology? His heart raced with the romance of it. "It says, ''The sword made by Boron and Ainhofer. The owner is Barbaroi Ska.''" "..." Jeong Yoo-shin¡¯s shoulders slumped. Was this really it? His romantic fantasy. He had hoped for something like ¡®Once swung, blood dyes the land,¡¯ just like Admiral Yi Sun-sin¡¯s sword, but... Jeong Yoo-shin grabbed Boron and asked him to engrave something more impressive next time. "What... What is this?! It¡¯s too scary!" Boron¡¯s face turned pale, and he trembled. "Then why did you engrave this?" "Most stolen weapons go through a blacksmith, right? Dwarves mostly run the blacksmiths. Any honest blacksmith who sees your lost weapon would contact you. Plus, it¡¯s good for publicity." ¡®Hmm.¡¯ It looked like just advertising to me. It felt like Boron was trying to boast to other blacksmiths. "Tsk. Fine. Please engrave something cooler next time." "Ugh... You keep losing your weapons and breaking them. What kind of inscription do you want?!" Jeong Yoo-shin left the blacksmith shop while Boron sent him off, fussing behind him. Next, he needed to prepare antidotes and healing potions. He walked toward the southern district and stood in front of a small building. It wasn¡¯t a very large building. It had a simple, homey atmosphere made of stone and wood. Ding dong. When he opened the door and stepped inside, a fox beastwoman sitting at the counter stood up. "Ska-sama." "Edell, how¡¯s your health?" "Much better. Thank you." She certainly looked healthier than the last time he saw her. "I¡¯m here to buy healing potions and insecticides." Insecticides. A medicine for dealing with monsters in the forest area. He had learned about it through Mion¡¯s private lessons. "Are you heading to the forest area?" The clever Edell immediately understood his intentions. "Yes." "I see. Please wait for a moment." Edell swayed her golden tail as she rummaged through the shelf. "Here they are." A few moments later, red and yellow potions, along with some pills, were placed on the counter. "The yellow potion is a stamina potion. It recovers your physical strength. The white pills eliminate parasitic monsters and eggs in the forest area. And..." Edell began explaining about the potions and pills in a calm voice. About ten minutes passed, and all the explanations were finished. Jeong Yoo-shin packed the potions into his backpack and then opened his coin purse. "Thank you. How much do I owe you?" "It¡¯s free." "That won¡¯t do." "No, thanks to you, Ska-sama, I was able to obtain valuable herbs and reopen the shop. How could I live with my head held high if I didn¡¯t do this?" Edell stubbornly refused. "Then I¡¯ll accept it for free this time." "Okay. Please come by often. Luna often asks when Ska-sama will stop by." "I see. I¡¯ll visit soon." Jeong Yoo-shin smiled and left the shop. Finally, he went to the swordsmanship guild to meet Ashur. "I¡¯m heading to the forest area." "I see. When you get back, I have something to say, so don¡¯t die." "Yes. I¡¯ll try my best to stay alive." "Go ahead." Ashur sent him off surprisingly coolly. Jeong Yoo-shin frowned. "Hmm. Something¡¯s off." Was he really letting him go so easily? "What? Something to say?" "No. Nothing." He shook his head, brushing off his unease. If he delved into the thoughts of the stalking elf, his paranoia would only get worse. Three days later, evening. Jeong Yoo-shin sat at a corner of the bustling inn. All preparations were complete. As he waited for Cheol-ga-myeon, he noticed many familiar faces around. Mostly people from the southern district. They were gathered in small groups, whispering among themselves. He almost thought of joining them but decided against it. Hadn¡¯t the famous White # N§àv§Ölight # Chef in the food industry said something like that? Don¡¯t pretend to be friendly with customers for no reason. He quietly sat and waited, when suddenly, "Whiiiiiii." A whistling sound echoed, and Jeong Yoo-shin felt something leave his pocket. A pickpocket? Without a second thought, he reached out and grabbed the thief¡¯s hand. "Stop right there, you little shit. What are you doing?" The gray-furred rat beastman was sweating profusely in his grasp. "I... I¡¯m sorry. This... wasn¡¯t intentional." What did he say? The bustling evening inn. Jeong Yoo-shin¡¯s gaze turned cold. Chapter 88: Night Guest A bustling inn. Jung Yu-shin frowned as he looked at the rat Su-in who was trembling while being held in his hand. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤That¡¯s exactly right. I have the engraving of the thief. It wasn¡¯t my intention to steal.¡± Jung Yu-shin¡¯s hand tightened. ¡°Are you expecting me to believe that?¡± Rat Su-in¡¯s face became urgent. ¡°Ugh! It¡¯s true. It¡¯s a desire I can¡¯t help! I¡¯m sorry!¡± ¡°Really? What on earth did you take? Quickly open your hand.¡± ¡°Here...it is.¡± Rat Su-in opened her palm. There was the honey candy that Teddy Bear had given her as a gift and a fairy tale for Luna. ¡°Hmm...this doesn¡¯t seem to be all there is.¡± ¡°Oh, no. This is all there is! Didn¡¯t you grab my hand right away? I swear on my mother!¡± You¡¯re even putting your mother on the line? ¡°If I remember correctly, there were silver coins in my pocket, not copper coins.¡± ¡°What...what?!¡± The color drained from Rat Su-in¡¯s face at Jung Yu-shin¡¯s words. At that moment. The smell of medicine wafted from behind him. ¡°Scar, were you here? Mars, you were here first.¡± When he turned around, Iron Mask was standing there. Mars? Are you talking to this Rat Su-in? ¡°Do you know this guy?¡± Jung Yu-shin asked while looking at Iron Mask. ¡°His name is Mars. As you can see, he¡¯s Rat Su-in. He¡¯s our party¡¯s guide.¡± Iron Mask answered. Jung Yu-shin turned his head and looked at Rat Su-in for a moment before looking back at Iron Mask. ¡°This guy searched my pockets.¡± ¡°I got the engraving of the wall during the last labyrinth trip. It¡¯s a engraving that causes you to search through treasure chests or pockets unintentionally. Please understand.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you erase it?¡± ¡°You should ask Mars.¡± Rat Suin coughed when he felt Jung Yushin¡¯s gaze. ¡°Big. I don¡¯t know what engraving I¡¯ll get in the future, so I¡¯ll wait and see. I¡¯ll prepare for a worse engraving than this.¡± Do people¡¯s thoughts really become similar as they gain experience? ¡°You haven¡¯t been caught by the guards so far, so you must be talented.¡± Jung Yushin let go of Rat Suin¡¯s arm and said. Rat Suin sat down on the chair, stroking his arm. ¡°Barbaroi, didn¡¯t I just tell you? It hasn¡¯t been long since I got the engraving.¡± Jung Yushin nodded. I see. It was just luck. How many people in the labyrinth city would be brave enough to empty the pockets of someone called Barbaroi, the Black-Haired? If you do something wrong, you¡¯ll likely end up with a big baby instead of a big fortune. ¡°I see. Mars, please take care of me.¡± ¡°I...¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Get your hands off my butt.¡± When he came to his senses, he was stroking the rat Suin¡¯s butt. ¡°Fuck. Get your butt out!¡± Jeong Yu-shin shouted, his anger reaching its peak. ¡°No¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± Rat Suin made the most aggrieved expression in the world. ¡°Barbaroi, is that what you like?¡± Iron Mask asked as he stepped back. ¡°No. There¡¯s a deeper reason for this.¡± ¡°Do you need an explanation?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do it later. Where is the priest?¡± Iron Mask looked at Jeong Yu-shin¡¯s face for a while before speaking. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Wait a minute.¡± Clank! The door opened and someone entered the inn. All eyes in the inn were on the person who had just entered. A naked body. The dwarf, wearing only a pair of triangle panties, looked around. Jung Yu-shin¡¯s mouth dropped open. What the? How morally corrupt must the city be for someone to walk around the streets in such shameless and shameless attire? If he just sits there after seeing that, it¡¯s obvious that the honor and justice of the innkeeper will fall to the ground. He couldn¡¯t just stand by and watch. He immediately got up from his seat. ¡°You!¡± Jung Yu-shin shouted, pointing his finger at the dwarf. At that moment. ¡°Oh! You¡¯re here?!¡± Iron Mask waved his hand at the naked dwarf. Jung Yu-shin''s head turned toward Iron Mask. What? That naked dwarf is a party member? It felt like getting hit in the back of the head with a baseball bat. He thought he wouldn''t be surprised anymore, but he was wrong. The darkness of the labyrinth was much deeper than he had imagined. "Hey. Iron Mask, you came quickly." The dwarf approached him, waving his hand in return, and his chest hair fluttered. With each step the dwarf took, the people''s whispers grew louder. "How can there be such a perverted dwarf? Does he have no family or relatives?" "¡¤¡¤¡¤Is it the owner''s taste?" "It was customary to gather here for a meeting because of the Blue Moon Festival, but I think I should reconsider. I heard he was a kind half-blood Barbaro, but he''s finally revealing his true colors." All sorts of speculations and slander were flying around inside the inn''s restaurant. But the dwarf confidently walked up to Jeong Yu-shin. ¡°Nice to meet you! Barbaroi, I am Kubo Heavyhand. I am a priest who serves the spirit of fire.¡± The triangle panties dwarf looked up at him and reached out his hand. Jeong Yu-shin turned his head urgently and shouted. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Tarman!!!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Tarman, who was carrying food in the kitchen, shouted with wide eyes. ¡°Bring me the wheat sack! I¡¯ve used it all up!¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Yes!¡± Tarman threw the food down on the counter and quickly ran into the kitchen. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Why, why are you doing that?¡± The dwarf stuttered and backed away. ¡°Why are you doing that? Are you crazy? Why are you walking around naked?¡± ¡°Scar, calm down. The reason Priest Kubo walks around like this is because of the imprint.¡± Iron Mask stepped forward and stopped him. ¡°What kind of engraving is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a naturalist engraving.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± The dwarf priest, Kubo, proudly spread his arms. ¡°It¡¯s a engraving that increases your defense when you¡¯re not wearing clothes or armor!¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Here, I brought you a wheat sack!¡± Jung Yu-shin took the wheat sack and handed it to the dwarf. ¡°Use it.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I just explain it?¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t a labyrinth, is it? Or is your heart tainted by the darkness of the labyrinth?¡± ¡°Okay, okay.¡± Iron Mask¡¯s party gathered around a corner table. The naturalist dwarf priest, Kubo, wearing a wheat sack over his head. Mas, the thief¡¯s guide, the rat Suin. Iron Mask, the former heir to the throne. And the good Barbaroi Jung Yu-shin. Face to face in the corner inn. My heart sank. ¡®It¡¯s not easy.¡¯ No. You can¡¯t tell a person by looking at their appearance. You have to look inside. ¡°Big! Then let¡¯s get to the point.¡± ¡°Scar, shouldn¡¯t we start by explaining what you were doing to Mars¡¯ butt earlier?¡± Iron Mask interjected. ¡°There are many ears listening. Not now.¡± The dwarf priest frowned at Jeong Yu-shin¡¯s answer. ¡°Barbaroi, speak frankly. Aren¡¯t we going to go into the labyrinth and put our backs together?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s a seal that can¡¯t be revealed in a crowded place. Just wait a moment.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Is it really?¡± ¡°Is it that dangerous?¡± The party members¡¯ expressions became serious. Saying it out loud here would be suicide. It was a natural death, so there was no place to go and complain. ¡°It¡¯s not that serious of an imprint, so relax your expressions. I¡¯m also wearing equipment that suppresses the imprint.¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll believe you if you say that.¡± Among the party members who were glaring with faint suspicion, only Iron Mask believed Jung Yu-shin. By the way. It seems that their first meeting was a bit awkward. The party members were making sullen expressions. There was only one way to resolve this awkwardness. He got up from his seat, searched through the cupboard, and brought out a bottle of alcohol. ¡°Let¡¯s have a drink each.¡± ¡°Oh!¡± The party members¡¯ expressions brightened. The dwarf wearing a sling smiled broadly. ¡°A 50-year-old dwarf owner, you¡¯re so generous!¡± ¡°You brought the wrong one. Bring something else.¡± ¡°...¡± Despite the party members¡¯ harsh gazes, he stood firm and brought 10-year-old dwarf liquor. ¡°Ugh, 10-year-old liquor isn¡¯t it not properly aged yet?¡± He was a dwarf who was serious about alcohol, so he acted picky. Jung Yu-shin poured the liquor into a glass and took a sip. It went down smoothly and burned hot in his stomach. ¡°It¡¯s well-aged. If you don¡¯t like it, don¡¯t drink it.¡± ¡°No. What can I say when it¡¯s free? I¡¯ll drink it gratefully.¡± The liquor bottle went around the table. The dwarf who had been making a fuss tapped the table in satisfaction. ¡°I thought it was unaged, but the fresh scent is impressive.¡± ¡°Good.¡± The conversation was getting off track. Jung Yu-shin spoke up. ¡°Let¡¯s get back to the party.¡± Jung Yu-shin and the party started talking about the conservatives. The conversation got longer and longer. They talked about various things such as the weapons and equipment they were handling, the party formation, and the engraving abilities they had. ¡°Everything is good, but I¡¯m worried that there is no vanguard to take charge of defense.¡± The rat Suin Mars pointed out. ¡°Iron Mask, don¡¯t you use a greatsword?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Scar, last time I saw you, you seemed to be handling a sword. Can you use a one-handed sword?¡± Jung Yu-shin stroked his chin at Iron Mask¡¯s question. ¡°It¡¯s possible. I¡¯ll take charge of the vanguard defense. Would a round shield and an arming sword be enough? I¡¯ll also bring a longsword as a sidearm.¡± Iron Mask nodded. ¡°That¡¯ll do.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s stop the meeting.¡± The inn was deserted because the conversation had been going on for a long time. Iron Mask crossed his arms and looked at Jung Yu-shin. ¡°Then, will you tell me now?¡± Jung Yu-shin immediately realized what Iron Mask was talking about. ¡°It¡¯s a virgin female corruption imprint.¡± ¡°...¡± A cold silence descended on the party members. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. As I said earlier, I¡¯m wearing an imprint suppression magic tool. As a side effect, my hands move on their own without me realizing it, but I¡¯m controlling it well.¡± Rat Suin Mars opened his mouth wide. ¡°Barbaroi, didn¡¯t you grope my butt a few hours ago?¡± ¡°You pushed ?N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t? my butt in. Let¡¯s get right to it. And did you gild my butt? Tsk.¡± ¡°...¡± Rat Suin, speechless at his own logical rebuttal, picked up his glass and poured it into his mouth. ¡°Isn¡¯t that typical Barbaroi speech?¡± The dwarf priest, who was wearing a wheat sack, scratched his head and said. That¡¯s right, I heard. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It seems like we both had an unpleasant experience, so how about we just let it go?¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Okay. I was the one who made the mistake first, so let¡¯s move on this time.¡± Mars nodded and replied. Iron Mask got up first. ¡°Let¡¯s end the meeting here. Let¡¯s meet here in the morning two days later.¡± ¡°¡°Okay.¡±¡± The party members also got up and left the inn. Jung Yu-shin saw the party members off and sat down at the counter. Tarman, who was guarding the seat, bowed his head. ¡°Ska-nim, then I¡¯ll go in first.¡± ¡°Yes. You don¡¯t have to wait, but thank you.¡± ¡°No. Since that snobby guy is gone, I should guard the seat.¡± Jung Yu-shin smiled and hardened his face as he looked at Tarman. ¡°Tarman, you seem a little haggard, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Uh... I guess it¡¯s because work has been tough lately.¡± Tarman stroked his bald head and tried to explain. ¡°Just wait a little. I¡¯ll find one more worker.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Thank you.¡± Jung Yu-shin thought as he watched Tarman¡¯s back as he left work with his shoulders hunched. ¡®I should give him a raise.¡¯ Jung Yu-shin cleaned up his desk and opened his book. He was almost done preparing for the labyrinth trip. There were still two days left, so he was thinking of rereading the forest monster ecology guide that Mion had lent him to review. No matter how thoroughly you prepare, it¡¯s not enough. Crunch. Crunch. The sound of turning the pages echoed through the quiet inn. Squeak. The inn door opened. Jung Yu-shin raised his head. It¡¯s late at night. There¡¯s no one here at this hour. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Huh?!¡± A surprised voice burst out of Jung Yu-shin¡¯s mouth. Red ears and tail. Karin Redtail. ¡°Hello? Were you waiting for me?¡± Thump thump. A white see-through nasi tsi with a ¡®hopi pattern¡¯ bra that was about to burst. Leather pants that clung tightly. Walkers underneath. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Karin?¡± Jung Yu-shin muttered as he stared blankly at Karin as she approached. Strangely, she had a choke around her neck. ¡°Scar, it¡¯s been a while.¡± ¡°Ah...huh?¡± Jung Yu-shin stuttered as he suffered from short-term dementia due to the ¡®hopi pattern¡¯ bra that was clearly visible through the nasi. ¡°Scar, I have a favor to ask.¡± ¡°Uuu?¡± ¡°Can you put me to sleep?¡± Karin smiled and gently stroked Jung Yu-shin¡¯s face with her tail. Chapter 89: To the forest area Dark inn. Karin and Jung Yu-shin faced each other across the counter. Jung Yu-shin, who was looking at Karin, tilted his head sideways. Wait. Karin is suddenly coming out here? Clap! He slapped his own cheek. Karin looked at him with surprised eyes, but he rubbed his cold cheek and calmed his confused mind. He is in charge of Darmon''s inn. He must not fall for the temptation of that enchanting hopi-printed bra. Jung Yu-shin, who came to his senses, quietly looked at Karin''s choker. "Karin, do you remember the day we first met?" "What''s going on all of a sudden?" Karin frowned and answered. Jung Yu-shin fiddled with the dagger he had placed under the counter. "Karin, please answer me." ¡°I don¡¯t remember the exact location. We met in a forest a little bit away from the pilgrimage route.¡± ¡®Confirm.¡¯ But this alone wasn¡¯t enough. ¡°You took that magic tool from me, right? Can you show it to me?¡± ¡°The one that makes fire? Here.¡± Karin took something out of her chest and showed it to her. Jeong Yu-shin¡¯s eyes widened. A lighter. A lighter coming out of her thick, firm cleavage covered in a hopi-printed bra. And the lighter Karin took out was glistening with sweat from her cleavage. A shaggy breast lighter. She felt her soul being sucked out as she watched that sight that she couldn¡¯t take her eyes off of. ¡®Mammamong.¡¯ Baby Yu-shin babbled in her mind. Karin put the lighter back in and crossed her arms. ¡°Scar, stop being suspicious?¡± A black and yellow hopi patterned bra was sticking out from her arm. Jung Yoo-shin gritted his teeth and decided to just look at Karin¡¯s face. He couldn¡¯t do this anymore. If he kept looking, his intelligence would deteriorate. ¡°I believe you. But what¡¯s that choker?¡± ¡°Oh. This? It¡¯s a magic tool that prevents the corruption of virgin females. I paid a lot for it.¡± Karin stroked the choker and said. ¡°I already have a magic tool that suppresses imprints.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Karin thought for a # N§àv§Ölight # while and nodded. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Um. No. It¡¯s not bad. It means it¡¯s twice as safe.¡± Jung Yoo-shin let go of the dagger he was secretly holding after hearing Karin¡¯s words. He had been suspicious when he saw Karin touching him so easily. Because Karin knew about the existence of the virgin female corruption imprint. If it was the real Karin, she would have been prepared. Or someone else could have disguised herself with bad intentions. ¡®Should we stop here?¡¯ I heard where Karin and I first met. I checked the function of the chalk. I also checked the lighter Karin was holding. I decided to finish confirming my identity here because if I started doubting her endlessly, I would go crazy. ¡°But how did you get here? I heard from Ingrid that she¡¯s on probation.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Oh. Did you meet my mother? Somehow.¡± Karin suddenly sniffed and furrowed her eyebrows. ¡°It smells a little strange?¡± ¡°I¡¯m in charge of Ingrid¡¯s servant horse. I don¡¯t raise it, but I provide food when she stops by the inn while traveling around the city.¡± ¡°Rin? Hmm.¡± Karin sniffed strangely and twisted her lips. ¡°Really? Anyway, the house arrest is over. Starting today, you can live in the Labyrinth City again.¡± ¡°But why are you here? I heard you stayed in the central area last time.¡± ¡°Mom took everything. My money, equipment, and subordinates. I want you to start over.¡± ¡®As expected.¡¯ Jung Yu-shin nodded inwardly. There was a reason why he came with only a small backpack hanging from a single Nashi City. ¡°I see. Welcome, Karin.¡± Jung Yu-shin smiled and held out his hand. Karin smiled and grabbed Jung Yu-shin¡¯s hand. Thump! Jung Yu-shin suddenly slapped Karin¡¯s hand. A question appeared in Karin¡¯s eyes. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤What?¡± ¡°I want the accommodation fee. It¡¯s 5 Donghwa. Sir.¡± Karin frowned. ¡°Hey! Isn¡¯t this too much?!¡± ¡°Do you really have no money?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have any money!¡± ¡°Not having money is not something to brag about. Why are you raising your voice?¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Why are you so cold?¡± Karin glared at him resentfully. Jung Yu-shin scratched his head. It wasn¡¯t him who was cold, it was capitalism. There was nothing he couldn¡¯t accept. He wasn¡¯t that cold. Karin Redtail. Guide. He made a mistake on the 5th floor of the labyrinth, but he was a competent person. His ability to find his way, his ability to understand class, his ability to search. All of them were excellent. This was an evaluation I made after seeing and experiencing various guides after the Karin party. Besides, he¡¯s currently an explorer, but wasn¡¯t he originally the only daughter of the representative of the Suin Alliance? It would be beneficial if they got along well. The problem is Karin¡¯s personality. ¡®She¡¯s too strong.¡¯ If the inn guests feel burdened, it would have a negative impact on sales. Jung Yu-shin looked at the hopi patterned bra and thought. Black. Yellow. Amazing. It was clearly just two colors mixed together, but it was beautiful enough to captivate the soul. Karin, who immediately realized where Jung Yu-shin''s eyes were, smiled and pushed her chest in. "Ska, do you need money between us? If you want, I''ll pay with my body." Body? The image of Tarman, exhausted from work, slumped over flashed through her mind. She leaned back against the counter and crossed her arms. "That''s right. Karin, you said you''d pay with your body, right?" "Yeah... yeah." Karin answered with a slight blush. Jung Yu-shin smirked. "Good." Karin swallowed hard. Jung Yu-shin got up from her seat and approached Karin. ¡°Karin, our inn is short on manpower. Could you help me out?¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤What?¡± Karin¡¯s brow furrowed. ¡°Why should I do that?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t want to, pay.¡± ¡°Huh!¡± Karin hesitated and nodded. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll try.¡± ¡®Easy.¡¯ An employee came in. I don¡¯t know what will happen in the future. If they can¡¯t do their job, they can just be fired and kicked out, so there was no problem. All that was left was to confirm the contract. Jung Yu-shin lifted up his shirt. His firm abs, soaked in sweat and glistening with salt, unfolded before Karin¡¯s eyes. ¡°Wha...what?¡± Karin¡¯s voice trembled naturally. ¡°You signed the contract. You have to lick my belly. Didn¡¯t you say it¡¯s a tradition of the Red Wolf Clan?¡± Karin¡¯s face turned bright red. ¡°You...you!¡± Karin glared at her with indignant eyes. However, Jung Yu-shin did not move at all, continuing to show off his chiseled abs. Gulp. Karin¡¯s throat moved once again. Her red tail stood up stiffly. Backis, a symbol of humiliating submission. It was a tradition that even the older Suin could not remember properly and tilted their heads. ¡®How dare you...!¡¯ Along with her indignant feelings, she felt a pressure that felt like her chest was being tightened. ¡°Karin.¡± ¡°Okay, okay. Just do it!¡± Karin approached Jung Yu-shin and knelt down. The strong masculine scent from his salty abs pierced her sensitive nose. ¡°Hoo. Hoo.¡± Her breathing became ragged on its own. ¡®I...I lick a man¡¯s belly.¡¯ Even though she is an explorer, she is the only daughter of the representative of the Suin Union, who is in charge of a part of the Eastern Union. She protected the border, saved people, and eliminated slave hunters. She lived while receiving praise from the people of the Suin Union. Countless men proposed to her. Men who knelt before her and begged. Some men boasted of their enormous wealth. Some men showed off their strong military power. But she didn¡¯t like any of them. Since she didn¡¯t like any men, she naturally rejected all the proposals. But this man. ¡®He¡¯s telling me to lick his belly proudly.¡¯ Burning anger and heart-wrenching humiliation. And underneath it all, a dark desire. It was slowly rising, but Karin didn¡¯t realize it. Karin opened her mouth while glaring at Jung Yushin. ¡°Beeeeeee.¡± Karin¡¯s red tongue slowly approached Jung Yushin¡¯s stomach. Karin¡¯s breasts naturally touched Jung Yushin¡¯s knees. Karin unconsciously rubbed her erect nipples inside her bra against Jung Yushin¡¯s knees. ¡°Heek. Heek.¡± Her breathing became increasingly rougher. The moment Karin¡¯s red tongue was about to touch Jung Yushin¡¯s six-pack abs. ¡°Tick?¡± A white rat was standing on the counter, tilting its head. ¡°Hmm? Rin.¡± Jung Yushin looked at Rin and pushed Karin¡¯s head away. ¡°Tick tick.¡± Lin found Karin and quickly got down under the counter and rubbed her body. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Lin? Suddenly?¡± Karin looked down at Lin, who was rubbing her body against her leg, and muttered absentmindedly. ¡°Lin, come here.¡± ¡°Tick?¡± Jung Yu-shin grabbed Lin¡¯s nape and put her in his shirt pocket. ¡°Karin, I¡¯m not a member of the Red Wolf Clan. So I wonder what the point of keeping traditions like contracts and all. Of course, I don¡¯t mean to disparage the history of the Red Wolf Clan. I mean, a verbal promise is enough.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°You can use the third room on the left on the second floor. You can wake up early tomorrow and take care of serving.¡± Jung Yu-shin turned around and went up to the second floor. ¡°What...what are you talking about?¡± Karin sat down on the floor and blankly stared at Jung Yu-shin¡¯s back, mumbling to herself. ¡°Whew. I almost got in trouble.¡± Jung Yu-shin swept his chest as he climbed the stairs. It was still vivid. Karin¡¯s rough breath tickling his stomach. His bright red face. And her breasts pressing against his thighs. If it weren¡¯t for Rin, he would have lost his senses and fallen for Karin¡¯s leopard-printed clutches, like Oswald, who gave everything away without holding back. ¡®I have to be careful.¡¯ Jung Yu-shin muttered to himself and went into his room. * * * The next morning. After finishing his early morning training, he sat down in the inn hall. He bought all the necessary supplies. He also packed his equipment. ¡°Here¡¯s the food.¡± Bam. Karin came over and put down the food. The menu was pork neck steak with a sweet and sour sauce. Potato soup with herb butter. And it was a baguette from Teddy Bear Bakery. Jung Yu-shin took the food and slowly put it in his mouth. Fantastic taste. Especially, the baguette made by Teddy Bear was so delicious that even the French would slap their foreheads and exclaim in admiration. ¡°So you¡¯re going to enter the labyrinth in a few days?¡± Karin asked. ¡°Yes. If there¡¯s no big problem, I plan on going to the 6th floor of the forest area.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fast. You¡¯re already a lieutenant explorer?¡± ¡°No. I haven¡¯t been promoted yet, so I¡¯m still a beginner explorer.¡± ¡°But why are you going beyond the 5th floor?¡± ¡°I met some capable party members this time.¡± ¡°Really? Cheer up.¡± Karin said frankly and turned her back. Jung Yu-shin scratched his head as he watched Karin¡¯s swaying butt. Originally, I thought Karin would have been overbearing and force him to follow her into the labyrinth, but it was a delusion. He made a mistake, but he didn''t repeat it. ''I''m not a tomboyish fire-attribute wolf idol.'' He smiled and picked up the spoon. At that moment, Karin stopped walking and approached Jung Yushin again. "Your salary is 1 gold coin, right? You work this hard, so you should be paid that much." Karin put her hand on her waist and looked down at Jung Yushin. Your salary is 1 gold coin? ''No?'' He was already worried about the safety of the inn. A few days later. Jung Yushin was standing in the inn hall, wearing his equipment. Barbuta helmet with visor. Newly repaired light armor. Arming sword and round shield. He had a long sword on his back and a backpack. At that moment, the party members came into the inn and stood in front of Jung Yushin. "Scar, are you ready?" The first prince with a greatsword, Iron Mask, said. Jung Yu-shin nodded and looked around at the party members. A rat-like person wearing a small shortbow and a dagger, Mas. A dwarf in panties holding a staff, Kubo. It was a difficult party in many ways, but it was already spilled water. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Jung Yu-shin looked around at the inn people before leaving. Tarman, Anne, and Karin were standing there. ¡°Tarman, Anne, and Karin. Please take good care of the inn.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I will protect it with my life.¡± ¡°Ska, please take care of yourself.¡± Tarman and Anne said, bowing their heads. Karin crossed her arms and looked at Jung Yu-shin for a while. ¡°Ska, be careful.¡± ¡°Karin, please protect the inn.¡± ¡°Leave it to me.¡± Karin had a sinister smile on her face for some reason. ¡®I¡¯m anxious.¡¯ Hoping that nothing bad would happen, she left the southern area and headed to the Great Labyrinth. Despite the early morning, there weren¡¯t many explorers on the streets. ¡°There aren¡¯t many people today?¡± ¡°Barbaroi, there¡¯s a Blue Moon Festival in a month, right? You can enjoy it and go in. If you roll around in the labyrinth and miss the festival, you¡¯ll regret it.¡± The dwarf priest, Kubo, listened to Jeong Yu-shin¡¯s words. He adjusted his backpack while listening to Kubo. Is that so? Even if the explorers are crazy about the imprint gacha and their dopamine is completely destroyed, do they still have human hearts? They weren¡¯t completely crazy. As he got closer to the labyrinth, various thoughts came to his mind. It wouldn¡¯t be bad to live a happy life with the people around them. Tarman and Anne¡¯s faces looked better than before these days. ¡®Stop.¡¯ He shook his head to shake off his distracting thoughts. All sorts of thoughts came to mind as he headed towards the painful place. After walking for a while, the group arrived in front of the Great Labyrinth at the end of the western area. ¡°Get in line!¡± The guards lined up people in front of the Great Labyrinth magic circle. They entered the magic circle one by one in an orderly manner. Soon, it was Jung Yu-shin¡¯s party¡¯s turn. Just before entering the magic circle according to the guard¡¯s instructions. Iron Mask turned his back and looked at his party members. He looked into their eyes one by one and checked their complexions. Iron Mask¡¯s gaze lingered on Jung Yu-shin for a moment. ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous. Is something wrong?¡± ¡°...¡± The party members except Jung Yu-shin nodded. As they entered the magic circle, it began to glow. It was always like that. Before entering the labyrinth, my heart was pounding with a strange sense of tension and excitement. The 6th floor forest area. It was an unknown area to me, whose highest level was the 5th floor. I fiddled with the flint in my pocket. I wouldn''t let my guard down like I did at the last party. I made up my mind and surrendered myself to the bright light. My vision darkened with a strange sense of floating. Chapter 90: A Strange Encounter Whoosh. A torch flared up in the dark cave. Jeong Yushin raised the torch high and scanned the surroundings. The party members, surrounding Jeong Yushin, pulled out their weapons and stood back-to-back, keeping watch in all directions. The rat beastman, Mas, sniffed the air and peered into the darkness before speaking. ¡°There¡¯s nothing.¡± The Iron Mask slung his greatsword over his shoulder. ¡°Understood. Mas will lead the way, and Skar will follow behind, lighting the way with the torch. The priest stays in the center. I will take the rear.¡± Starting from the front, the formation was Mas, Jeong Yushin, Kubo, and Iron Mask, all standing in line. Jeong Yushin adjusted his backpack and stood behind the rat beastman. It was a clean order with no need for additions. Once again, this wasn¡¯t just any ordinary bloodline. ¡°We¡¯re lucky. The portal to the second floor is close.¡± The rat beastman, Mas, put away the map and spoke. ThudThud. The uneven floor. The humid air. The party moved quietly, advancing through the darkness. The first floor of the labyrinth. No need to be careless, but there was no need for major concern either. If the torch fell, they would go insane in the darkness, but there were enough spare torches. As long as they stayed cautious, they could progress safely. Jeong Yushin and his party walked for a few hours through the darkness. ¡°Stop.¡± The rat beastman, who had been leading, suddenly stopped walking. ¡°...¡± The entire party gripped their weapons and stared into the darkness. ¡°It¡¯s a trap.¡± ¡°Everyone, stay alert. Skar, stay close to the rat beastman.¡± The Iron Mask gave the order from the back. ¡°Understood.¡± Jeong Yushin, holding the torch, moved to stand next to the rat beastman. The rat beastman took a few more steps, then stopped and knelt. ¡°It¡¯s a foot trap. There are wooden spikes smeared with filth.¡± ¡°Tsk.¡± Jeong Yushin clicked his tongue at the rat beastman¡¯s words. It was a simple trap that had been left unattended. To think such traps, usually only seen in the outskirts of hobgoblin territories, had appeared on the first floor... it seemed there hadn¡¯t been many people around. Jeong Yushin glanced over ? N§àv§Öl?§Ôht ? (Don¡¯t copy, read here) at Mas, who was dismantling the trap. Thanks to one of Mas¡¯s engravings, ¡°Quick Hands,¡± the disarmament was quick. ¡°It¡¯s done.¡± Mas finished disarming the trap and stepped back. ¡°Good. Return the formation to its original state and move forward. Since there¡¯s a trap, there¡¯s a possibility that hobgoblins are nearby. Stay vigilant.¡± Under the Iron Mask¡¯s smooth command, the party continued forward through the darkness. After walking for another hour, they reached the far end of the first floor of the labyrinth. A large stone tablet was placed in the center of a massive cavern. It was the portal to the second floor. ¡°We¡¯ll rest here for a bit.¡± The party members set up their spots around the torch. Jeong Yushin leaned his back against the wall and loosened the straps on his walker. He didn¡¯t feel much fatigue. It wasn¡¯t too heavy thanks to the magic backpack dropped by the assassin. The time spent training in the swordsmanship combination also helped. Jeong Yushin lifted his helmet¡¯s visor and took a drink from his canteen. The lukewarm water slid down his throat and into his stomach. He calmly breathed in and looked over his party members. Particularly, the Iron Mask. The leader of the party. The first prince, hiding his identity. A man who never spoke about himself. Whenever there was a hint that someone might ask, he would either change the subject or remain silent. There was no room to talk about the fifth prince. It was clear that he didn¡¯t want to discuss the past. Why was that? He tried to reason through it, but it wasn¡¯t easy. After all, he wasn¡¯t royalty or living a limited life. He felt some sense of shared experience, but the Iron Mask seemed to think differently. So far, there had been no strange commands from the Iron Mask. He hoped it would stay that way. ¡®I should watch him a bit longer.¡¯ Reaching a tentative conclusion, Jeong Yushin took out some jerky and started chewing. Two hours later. After a sufficient rest, Jeong Yushin and his party stood up. With the portal to the second floor right ahead, there was no rush. That said... There definitely weren¡¯t many people around. For about two hours, they had been waiting at the entrance to the portal to the second floor, yet not a single other party had passed by. ¡°Let¡¯s head out.¡± The Iron Mask, with his backpack strapped on, spoke to Jeong Yushin. ¡°Understood.¡± Jeong Yushin raised the torch and placed his hand on the stone tablet. Then. Whoosh. A blue portal and a red portal appeared in front of the stone tablet. Swoosh. Jeong Yushin drew his Arming Sword and stepped into the red portal. A brief feeling of weightlessness. He landed on the hard cave floor. Jeong Yushin quickly turned his gaze to assess his current position. No one was there. One by one, his party members emerged from the red portal behind him. Jeong Yushin and the Iron Mask exchanged a glance and nodded. ¡°There¡¯s nothing unusual.¡± ¡°Good. We¡¯ll look for a campsite on the second floor and set up camp.¡± The rat beastman, Mas, pulled out a map and examined it. ¡°Hmmm. We¡¯re lucky. We¡¯ve teleported near the portal to the third floor.¡± ¡°Where¡¯s the campsite?¡± The Iron Mask asked. ¡°It¡¯s near too. About 30 minutes away.¡± ¡°Good. The formation stays the same. Let¡¯s go.¡± They continued into the dark cave. True to Mas¡¯s word, after about 30 minutes of walking, they discovered a small cavern in the cave wall. The party entered and began unpacking their gear. Jeong Yushin took out a blanket and covered the entrance to the shelter to block out the light. The party gathered around the central torch and took out their food to eat. The Iron Mask didn¡¯t eat but sat down, gently stroking his greatsword. The rest of the party, chewing on their rations, were awkward, their bodies and minds stiff from the tension of the first day in the labyrinth. After finishing their meals quietly, they sat together, staring blankly at each other¡¯s faces. ¡°How will we handle the night watch?¡± ¡°Kubo, the priest, will use alarm magic.¡± Jeong Yushin asked, and the Iron Mask answered. ¡°Good.¡± Jeong Yushin unpacked all his gear and leaned back against the wall. The dwarf priest, Kubo, held his hand close to the torch and muttered something. ¡°Great spirit Ifrit, hear the prayer of your faithful servant Kubo Heavyhand, and with the power of flame, illuminate this place.¡± [Fire Sanctuary] When Kubo¡¯s incantation ended, the torch flared brilliantly. It was a divine magic, filled with a sacred aura, different from the alarm magic used by Ahiman. Jeong Yushin stared at the torch, burning with golden light. ¡°...Sacred light in the dark labyrinth. Truly beautiful.¡± The Iron Mask, leaning against the wall, murmured. ¡°...¡± To be able to get lost in such a sentiment while staring at the torch in the pitch-black labyrinth, he must have a strong stomach. Jeong Yushin turned his gaze away from the Iron Mask and began preparing for sleep. He loosened his scabbard so he could draw his sword at any moment. Since he had to stand guard and block the path, he chose a spot facing the entrance of the shelter. With his helmet on, he closed his eyes. His neck was sore, but it couldn¡¯t be helped. A single blow could mean his end. Suddenly. A memory of fighting the assassins flashed through his mind. Had he thrown his helmet? He couldn¡¯t quite remember. ¡®I was crazy.¡¯ He had likely been in the darkness for quite a while back then. The madness had been terrifying. He closed his eyes again and tried to sleep. ¡°Skar, wake up.¡± Jeong Yushin immediately opened his eyes. ¡°Did I sleep long?¡± ¡°Not really. About six hours. Now put away your sword.¡± Jeong Yushin lowered the sword that had been facing the Iron Mask and stretched. The party members appeared calm, their faces showing they had rested well through the night. ¡°Kubo¡¯s alarm magic has that effect. It helps calm the mind and restores energy.¡± The Iron Mask said, leaning back against the wall. Jeong Yushin nodded. He had just thought Kubo was just some priest wearing regular underpants, but now he had a new respect. ¡°Iron Mask, aren¡¯t you eating?¡± ¡°I already did.¡± The Iron Mask replied flatly. Jeong Yushin took off his helmet and pulled out some rations. Dried fruit and honey-filled biscuits baked by Teddy Bear, a preserved food for the labyrinth. Jeong Yushin showed the bear-shaped biscuit to the Iron Mask, then popped it in his mouth and chewed. It was sweet enough to make his teeth feel like they might rot. The rat beastman sniffed the air and suddenly looked startled. ¡°Hey! What¡¯s that?!¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°That¡¯s... isn¡¯t that from Bamfing¡¯s shop?¡± Bamfing. A Teddy Bear beastman. He owned a bakery. He helped them carry wheat sacks once. ¡°Is that a famous shop?¡± ¡°His baking skills are so good that no one doesn¡¯t know about it. Even important people in the central district can¡¯t get enough of it...¡± ¡°Really? If there are any leftovers, give me some later.¡± ¡°Really? You better save some!¡± The rat beastman¡¯s eyes sparkled. The party finished their meal and headed deeper into the dark labyrinth. Four days later. ¡°Finally...¡± Jeong Yushin murmured with a trembling voice. A wide hill outside the cave. Far in the distance, a dark city could be seen. The fifth floor. The city of Ingrave. The last floor they reached with the Karin party. Now, they just had to cross the city to reach the portal to the forest area. He had heard that higher-level hobgoblins roamed the area, but as long as they moved carefully, it would be fine. They had been lucky these past four days, dropping close to the portal to the next level. They hadn¡¯t encountered many hobgoblins. A few low-level ones had appeared, but they had been scared off by arrows from the rat beastman, Mas. The dwarf priest standing beside Jeong Yushin had a bewildered look on his face. ¡°I¡¯ve never reached the fifth floor this easily in my entire life. Is this even possible?¡± ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to the blessing of the spirit god, isn¡¯t it?¡± Jeong Yushin answered smoothly. ¡°A barbarian like you talking about spirit gods. Heh. I know it¡¯s rude to say this, but it feels a bit sacrilegious.¡± ¡®The sacrilegious one is your outfit.¡¯ The dwarf, who walked around mostly naked except when he slept, was criticizing him. Jeong Yushin barely restrained the urge to slap the dwarf¡¯s butt. ¡°Let¡¯s go. We¡¯ve been lucky so far, but we still have to cross Ingrave city.¡± The Iron Mask came closer and said. The party slowly descended the high hill and walked toward the city. A few more hours passed. They stood in front of the large city gates. Through the gates, part of the dark city could be seen. Carrying nothing but a single torch, it would be no easy task to navigate through it. Of course, it wouldn¡¯t be as difficult as having to fight for their lives like with the Eldritch Wave. Still, they couldn¡¯t afford to be careless in a labyrinth where a single wrong step could lead to death. ¡°Wait!¡± The rat beastman, Mas, shouted. The party immediately pulled out their weapons and watched their surroundings. ¡°Hobgoblins?¡± The Iron Mask asked. ¡°No. This is...¡± The rat beastman hesitated. Just as Jeong Yushin was about to ask what was going on, a group of adventurers appeared from behind the city gates. A party of one male human and three female humans. Jeong Yushin narrowed his eyes. The face of the male human looked familiar. ¡®...I¡¯ve seen him somewhere. Ah!¡¯ He remembered. The guy was around the same age. Early twenties. Blue hair. The man with the seal of the genius swordsman. The one he had briefly seen when the exploration party was recruiting. He had heard they were looking to form a harem party, and it seemed they had achieved their goal. The blue-haired man in leather armor slowly approached. Jeong Yushin immediately stepped forward and blocked his path. The blue-haired man smiled and waved his hand. ¡°Hey. Calm down.¡± ¡°...¡± Jeong Yushin tightened his grip on his shield, silently. They had been hiding near the city gates, only to be spotted by the guide, and now he was telling them to calm down. Jeong Yushin was about to say something but stopped. He wasn¡¯t the leader of this party, so it was better to keep his thoughts to himself for now. The Iron Mask stepped forward. ¡°Who are you? Why are you hiding near the city gates?¡± The blue-haired man smiled. ¡°I¡¯m the adventurer, Ret. I wasn¡¯t hiding, I was just resting. Don¡¯t misunderstand.¡± ¡°...Is that so? I see. We need to get inside the city, so we¡¯re looking for a path...¡± The blue-haired man, Ret, interrupted the Iron Mask¡¯s words. ¡°By the way, I have a suggestion.¡± ¡°What kind of suggestion?¡± The Iron Mask asked with a slightly irritated tone. Ret smiled and extended his hand. ¡°Let¡¯s team up.¡± ¡°...¡± The Iron Mask closed his mouth and stared at Ret. Between the two torches burning at the city gates, a strange silence descended. Chapter 91: Hand over your woman. In front of the city gates of Ingrave. The two parties stood facing each other in silence. ¡°...Ret, what do you mean by that?¡± The Iron Mask asked. Ret shrugged and opened his mouth. ¡°Just as I ? N§àv§ÖIight ? (Original source) said. There¡¯s an elite hobgoblin force gathered near the central road. Let¡¯s combine our strength and break through.¡± ¡°Where is your party headed? If we¡¯re going in different directions, cooperation will be difficult.¡± ¡°Our party? We¡¯re headed for the forest area. After all, if we''re not going to the sewer, we have to pass through the central road to reach either the ¡®forest¡¯ or the ¡®corridor¡¯ area. Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re going to the sewer?¡± Ret asked, and the Iron Mask shook his head. ¡°No. We¡¯re headed for the forest area as well.¡± ¡°Good. Since we¡¯re going in the same direction, let¡¯s join forces.¡± ¡°You said that elite hobgoblin forces are gathered on the central road. How do I know that¡¯s true?¡± In response to the Iron Mask¡¯s question, Ret smirked and crossed his arms. ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, you can scout it out. I think a rat beastman is acting as your guide.¡± ¡°...¡± The Iron Mask paused for a moment, deep in thought. Jeong Yushin, holding the torch, silently watched from the side. Ret. He was the surviving human who had joined the mid-tier exploration party and then became the sole survivor. Not only that, he had also obtained the seal of the genius swordsman. There were some people in life who were incredibly lucky. Some bought an apartment, only to have the subway line announced right in front of it, causing the property value to skyrocket, making them millions. Others bought stocks at rock-bottom prices, and a mindless rally began, allowing them to make an easy fortune. Ret seemed like one of those types of people. He was the kind of person who, when falling backward, didn¡¯t break his nose but instead landed on a soft mattress of money. But. That was Ret up until now. No one knew what would happen in the future. If he lost his insight because of luck and made even the smallest mistake, that would be the end of him. These doubts were justified. Because his party had strange members. The suspicious man wearing an iron mask, reeking of chemicals. The dwarf in a thong. The rat beastman hadn¡¯t stolen anything yet, so that could be excused. But there was certainly hesitation about extending a hand of cooperation. Especially for Ret, a novice explorer. Yet, Ret was unfazed. ¡®Something smells fishy.¡¯ Unlike Jeong Yushin¡¯s thoughts, the Iron Mask nodded. ¡°...Let¡¯s confirm first. We¡¯ll think about whether we trust your party later.¡± ¡°Do as you please.¡± ¡°Mas, can you scout the central road?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°Please.¡± ¡°Skar, can you follow along?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Jeong Yushin nodded. ¡°Hey, wait a minute!!!¡± Ret suddenly raised his hand and shouted. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Skar. Skar. I¡¯ve heard that name before. Are you the half-blood barbarian Skar?!¡± ¡®My name has been sold a lot.¡¯ After all, Ret had first seen him at the exploration guild in the southern district, so it wasn¡¯t that surprising. ¡°That¡¯s right. Do you have something to say?¡± ¡°What, trying to keep it quiet? You¡¯re quite the sneaky one. Just because you¡¯re covering your face with that helmet doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t tell. Let me guess, these people, are they your ¡®females¡¯?¡± Ret said, looking at Jeong Yushin¡¯s party members. The dwarf, rat beastman, and Iron Mask all fell silent. ¡°...¡± A cold silence settled in the area. Jeong Yushin suddenly opened his mouth. ¡°You fucking bastard.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Hey, you asshole. Why are you picking a fight all of a sudden? Are you out of your mind?¡± Jeong Yushin gripped his sword hilt. That was the signal, and Ret and the Iron Mask¡¯s party members each grabbed their weapons. The sudden tension filled the area. Someone placed a hand on Jeong Yushin¡¯s shoulder. It was the Iron Mask. ¡°Skar, calm down. There¡¯s no benefit to fighting here.¡± ¡°...Huff.¡± Jeong Yushin glared at Ret¡¯s face for a long time before releasing his grip on the sword. ¡°Ret, apologize. Insulting party members like that is hard to overlook as a leader.¡± ¡°Sorry, sorry. I went too far with my words.¡± Ret said casually, waving his hand as if it wasn¡¯t a big deal. ¡®Fuck.¡¯ He didn¡¯t even signal before crossing the line, and though he wanted to slap him half to death, Jeong Yushin restrained himself. ¡°But isn¡¯t it true? Barbarians are known to be crazy in the hole, aren¡¯t they? I don¡¯t think our Ret was wrong in saying that.¡± One of Ret¡¯s party members stepped forward and spoke. A woman with pink hair tied into two braids, wearing a robe and holding a staff. She looked to be around Ret¡¯s age. ¡°What... what did you say?¡± Jeong Yushin stammered, and another female party member stepped forward. ¡°That¡¯s right. Do you really think the reputation of barbarians is good? It¡¯s laughable.¡± A woman with dark blue bobbed hair glared at him. She was wearing a dagger and a small crossbow, so she looked like a guide. Ret waved his hand, stopping his party members. ¡°Alright, alright. Let¡¯s stop. What¡¯s the point of arguing here?¡± ¡°Ret, still...¡± The pink-haired woman in the robe muttered something. Ret smiled and patted her head. ¡°Irene, thanks for stepping up for me, but we need to overcome this crisis together now.¡± Irene, the pink-haired woman, blushed and nodded. ¡°Ah... I understand.¡± ¡°...¡± Jeong Yushin stared, dumbfounded, watching those two flirting. Ret turned his head to look at the Iron Mask. ¡°So, I¡¯ve apologized. How about we go scout now?¡± Still thinking of cooperating? What¡¯s going on in this guy¡¯s head? The smell of something rotten was overpowering. ¡°...Mas, Skar. Please scout.¡± The Iron Mask looked at Jeong Yushin. ¡°...Understood.¡± Jeong Yushin replied with difficulty and followed Mas. Jeong Yushin and Mas entered the city gates. Because of the light, they had no choice but to hide in the alley and cautiously move along the central road. When Mas moved ahead, Jeong Yushin hid in the alley, covering the light with a blanket and following slowly. Mas, who had been advancing without issue, suddenly stopped and signaled Jeong Yushin. ¡®Retreat. Put out the torch.¡¯ Jeong Yushin understood immediately, lowered the torch, and stomped it out with his foot. Leaning against the alley wall, Jeong Yushin stood still. How long had passed? Not much time at all, Mas returned. He came close to Jeong Yushin and whispered in his ear. ¡°The man with the sword was right. A large group of elite hobgoblins is stationed along the central road. There are at least 100 of them.¡± 100 hobgoblins. And elite ones at that. ¡°...Is there no way to turn back? There are alleys all over.¡± ¡°Do you know what it means that the hobgoblin group has come out to the central road? There will be even more of them swarming the outskirts of the city.¡± ¡®What, are they cockroaches or something?¡¯ If they were regular hobgoblins, Jeong Yushin could fight with his Revenger engraving. But with so many elite hobgoblins, victory was uncertain. And he had to consider the safety of the party as well. ¡®Enough.¡¯ He shook his head, stopping his thoughts. He wasn¡¯t the leader. He could voice an opinion if it seemed right, but he didn¡¯t think the Iron Mask was foolish enough to need advice. Thud! Suddenly, Jeong Yushin grabbed the rat beastman, Mas¡¯s hand. ¡°What... what is it?!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go back. Stop picking my pocket.¡± ¡°Okay, okay.¡± Jeong Yushin and Mas turned around and returned to the city gates. ¡°The leader of that party was right. A large group of elite hobgoblins is gathered on the central road.¡± ¡°See? I told you we needed to join forces.¡± ¡°...¡± The Iron Mask looked at Jeong Yushin. ¡°Skar, what do you think?¡± A sudden question. Jeong Yushin met the Iron Mask¡¯s gaze. Even after their earlier conflict, he asked for Jeong Yushin¡¯s opinion in front of everyone. ¡°It¡¯s hard to go around the outskirts. There are more hobgoblins there. It¡¯s like trying to avoid wolves by going into a lion¡¯s den. Either we wipe them out or break through head-on.¡± ¡°See? I told you...¡± The Iron Mask waved his hand, cutting off Ret¡¯s words and continuing his conversation with Jeong Yushin. ¡°Breaking through head-on is difficult. It¡¯s at least 100 to 4. Plus, it¡¯s an open road. No matter how strong we are, if we¡¯re surrounded, it¡¯s over. Any other ideas?¡± ¡°Breaking through is difficult, that¡¯s true. We could wait and join up with another party.¡± ¡°What about luring them out and dealing with them one by one?¡± ¡°There are variables, but it¡¯s not a bad idea. If it goes according to plan.¡± ¡°In the end, we¡¯ll have to wait and clear the path together.¡± The Iron Mask reached a tentative conclusion. ¡°Hey, why think so hard? We just push forward and wipe them out.¡± Ret finally butted in. ¡°How?¡± ¡°I have the seal of a genius swordsman. I can just wipe them out easily.¡± ¡°Then why did you ask for our help?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, but my girlfriends are in danger, you see.¡± Ret said with a grin. ¡°Can we trust you?¡± ¡°The dwarf there is a priest who serves the fire spirit god, right? Let¡¯s ask him. Hey, dwarf.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°How do you feel about your party members? Swear to the fire spirit god and tell us.¡± ¡°How dare you speak of the gods under an oath? You blasphemous human.¡± ¡°You¡¯re still sticking with the faithful dwarf priest, huh? You guys aren¡¯t bad people.¡± Ret shrugged, smirking. Jeong Yushin, utterly dumbfounded, lost his strength. ¡®This guy¡¯s brain is soft. Is he overconfident, or does he have some other scheme?¡¯ Is the seal of a genius swordsman really that impressive? If it were him, he would have gone alone to clean them up, leaving the party behind. ¡°Well then, let me ask the reverse. How do we trust you?¡± Ret scratched his head. ¡°A barbarian like you, doubting each other on the fifth floor of the labyrinth? Isn¡¯t it funny? If we¡¯re able, we team up. If not, we go our separate ways. If you don¡¯t like it, don¡¯t do it.¡± The Iron Mask stepped in. ¡°Ret, we need some time to discuss.¡± ¡°Take all the time you need.¡± Ret stepped back, giving them space. The Iron Mask gestured, and Jeong Yushin and the party members gathered in a circle. ¡°What do you think?¡± Dwarf priest Kubo cleared his throat and spoke. ¡°Hmph. I¡¯m suspicious, but that human swordsman didn¡¯t lie. We have two choices left. We either wipe out the hobgoblins, or we wait here and join up with another party to fight.¡± The rat beastman crossed his arms. ¡°But is there any guarantee that the other party will cooperate with us? Honestly, our party might look a little suspicious, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°...¡± The rat beastman¡¯s comment hit a deep chord, and everyone went quiet. ¡°Kubo, why don¡¯t you wear some clothes? Don¡¯t you think others see you in a bad light? Honestly, you look the most suspicious here.¡± ¡°Hah. You, barbarian, are talking so freely just because you¡¯re wearing a helmet. If you take that helmet off, you¡¯d be the most suspicious one.¡± ¡°I¡¯m a good barbarian!¡± ¡°...Just stop talking and move your hands.¡± ¡°Sorry, sorry.¡± The Iron Mask stepped in. ¡°Enough. Let¡¯s do this. I think it¡¯s a good proposal. Let¡¯s cooperate, but we need to stay alert.¡± ¡°...What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°We need to have insurance.¡± After the meeting, the Iron Mask and the party members approached Ret. ¡°So, have you made your decision?¡± ¡°Of course. We¡¯ll cooperate.¡± ¡°Good idea. No need to waste time here.¡± ¡°There¡¯s one condition.¡± ¡°...What is it?¡± Ret furrowed his brow and crossed his arms. Jeong Yushin suddenly spoke up. ¡°Hand over one of your party members.¡± ¡°...What?!¡± Ret¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°What did you say?!¡± Ret asked, his voice trembling. ¡°I said hand them over. Your woman.¡± Jeong Yushin pointed at Ret¡¯s party members. ¡°I¡¯ll protect her safely. How about it?¡± ¡°...¡± In front of the city gates. In the silence between the two parties. All eyes were on Jeong Yushin. Chapter 92: Cooperative Battle ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Hand over a woman? Are you crazy?¡± Lett growled. Iron Mask interjected urgently. ¡°Wait...wait. Scar, your tone is strange. Lett, calm down. I don¡¯t mean it strangely.¡± ¡°What does it mean?¡± ¡°Just in case, it means that we should exchange one party member each.¡± Lett glared at Jeong Yu-shin and sighed. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Whew. You should have said that earlier. We almost misunderstood each other. Okay. Brin, will you go?¡± ¡°Yes? Me?¡± A freckled, brown-haired woman asked back hesitantly. The woman called Brin was wearing a robe, but she was only wearing a simple dagger, making it difficult to tell what her occupation was. ¡°Yeah. We¡¯re going to fight in close quarters anyway. You don¡¯t have to worry too much. Will you take the trouble?¡± ¡°...¡± Brin didn¡¯t answer, just wiggling his fingers. At that moment. A blue-haired woman who seemed to be a guide stepped forward. ¡°Brin, shouldn¡¯t we do this much? To be honest, you haven¡¯t been helpful to the party up until now?¡± ¡°That...that.¡± ¡°Lisa, stop it. We should all get along well. Why are you doing that when we all get along well at night?¡± ¡°Ugh! Okay, okay.¡± The blue-haired woman called Lisa answered with a blush on her face. Brin took a deep breath and nodded. ¡°Okay...okay. I¡¯ll go.¡± ¡°Mars.¡± Iron Mask called the rat¡¯s name. ¡°Okay.¡± Mars stepped forward. Brin and Mars left their respective parties and went to the party on the other side. Jung Yu-shin looked down at Brin. To put it simply, she was a timid-looking woman. And it seemed a bit difficult to come to a place like this. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Let said. The party members formed up and entered the gate. They walked along the dark central street. ¡°Kekekekekeke.¡± ¡°Kueeeeek.¡± The sounds of hobgoblins could be heard from far away. Ten hobgoblin warriors. Four hobgoblin shamans. Five hobgoblin shooters. In addition, 80 hobgoblins. Certainly. It was a number that would be difficult for a beginner party to deal with without taking damage. It was even more so in the wide open field. ¡°Okay. Irene, please.¡± Let said as he drew his longsword. ¡°Leave it to me.¡± The pink-haired wizard closed his eyes and began to chant. Jeong Yu-shin stepped forward, placed the torch on the ground, and tightened his shield strap. Finally, he pulled out his arming sword and took a stance. ¡°Keeeek?¡± A hobgoblin wandering in the distance spotted the party and pointed. ¡°Kueeek!¡± The hobgoblin¡¯s shout echoed through the quiet city. In an instant, a hundred hobgoblins turned their heads and glared at the party. ¡®Hoo.¡¯ Will they be able to handle it? There was a high chance that it would become a melee. ¡°Kueeek!!!¡± ¡°Kueeek!!!¡± A hundred hobgoblins started running toward them, shouting. The hobgoblin shaman stopped far away and began to chant a spell. ¡°Mars!¡± Iron Mask shouted. ¡°Understood.¡± Mars pulled his shortbow with all his might and fired an arrow. Paaaaaaaaa!!! The arrow tore through the air. Boom!!! The arrow hit the hobgoblin shaman''s forehead exactly. Instant death. The hobgoblin shaman fell backwards. Boom! Not to be outdone, Lisa also shot a bolt. Ssaeeeeek!!! The bolt flew straight and pierced the hobgoblin shaman''s heart. Another hobgoblin shaman fell. The two remaining hobgoblin shamans hid themselves in the hobgoblin group in shock. At that moment. The pink-haired wizard cast a spell. [Chain Lightning] A bright white lightning line stretched out from the staff the wizard raised. Boom! Boom! Boom! As a single beam of incandescent light hit a hobgoblin, countless beams of light spread out like spiderwebs. ¡°Kueeeeeeek!!!¡± ¡°Kueeeeeeek!!!¡± Dozens of hobgoblins fell down like rotten pieces of wood, emitting a puff of smoke as the magic hit just once. Even the hobgoblins that weren¡¯t dead trembled and couldn¡¯t move properly. ¡°Whew.¡± Irene stumbled, gasping for breath. At that very moment. Lett suddenly leaped forward. The sight of him charging into the enemy lines with a single, featureless longsword was dangerous, but Lett¡¯s party members just watched. Ts ... With just one sword strike, you can cut off the neck of that thick hobgoblin warrior? ''Crazy.'' Every time Let''s longsword shined, the hobgoblins fell one by one. It was just one swing, regardless of whether they were high or low. Stormy momentum. Is that the genius swordsman''s imprint? It was a terrifying imprint ability that I felt anew. The hobgoblins whose lightning magic had been released ran past Let and toward Jeong Yu-shin. Jeong Yu-shin blocked the two parties. Regardless of the conflict a moment ago, there were people behind him who had to be protected. "Kueeeeek!!!" A hobgoblin swung his club and charged. He raised his shield. Ground! He blocked and stabbed. The arming sword pierced the hobgoblin''s heart. Boom! He kicked the face of the hobgoblin that fell down helplessly. Paaaak!!! The hobgoblin''s corpse with its head smashed flew through the air and collided with a group of running hobgoblins. Crap!!! The hobgoblins were rolling around. Between them, the hobgoblin warrior and hunter came running. Hobgoblin Hunter. A high-ranking hobgoblin that mainly uses a bow. Ssaeeeeek! The arrow shot by the hobgoblin hunter was aimed straight at the dwarf priest Kubo. Ground! He flew up and lightly swung his arming sword to knock away the arrow. "Kuaaaaah!!!" The hobgoblin warrior, who had come close, shouted and swung his giant axe. Kuaaaaah!!! The axe blade slammed down as if splitting his head. Jung Yu-shin dodged to the side and swung his arming sword. His target was his wrist. He had no greed. What he wanted was muscle and veins. Poohaaaaak!!! ¡°Kueeeeeeek!!!¡± The hobgoblin warrior screamed with his wrist half cut off. He didn¡¯t miss the moment and stabbed his sword under his chin. Pooooook!!! The body of the hobgoblin warrior, whose brain was splattered and died instantly, fell to the ground. Boom! He pulled out his sword and shook his blood into the air. The blood drops that flew hit the eyes of the hobgoblins who were gathering. The three hobgoblins covered their eyes. He lowered his posture, ran quickly, and slammed his shield into his mouth. Ppaaaaak!!! The hobgoblin''s jaw spun around, and its shattered teeth flew through the air. He slammed the pommel into the other''s head and kicked it. Bam!!! The walker was deeply embedded in the hobgoblin''s flabby groin. "Bam!" He stepped on the hobgoblin''s head as it fell. Crush crunch crunch. The skull shattered and pieces of brain matter spilled onto the floor in the center. The remaining one. He was swinging his rusty sword while shouting something. The hobgoblin''s sword flew towards his arm. ''Hmm.'' He swung his arming sword and hit it. Kaaaang!!! The rusty sword broke and flew through the air. The hobgoblin''s eyes widened. He swung his sword. Tsk tsk!!! The cleanly severed hobgoblin neck flew through the sky, spinning around. Knock knock knock knock!!!! Six hobgoblin warriors ran past Lett and towards this side. Jung Yu-shin''s expression hardened. ''There are too many.'' If he were alone, he would not know, but he had to protect the rear. A fight with extremely limited movement. [Fire Ball] The pink-haired wizard, Irene''s chant exploded from behind. A huge crater flew towards the group of hobgoblin warriors and exploded. Ppeu ... Dam. Drum. Flesh and bone fragments hit the shield. He lowered his shield and raised his head. ¡®Are they all dead?¡¯ Four were running towards him, turned to charcoal. ¡®No.¡¯ ¡°No more!¡± Irene shouted from behind. Jung Yu-shin glanced behind him. The guides were moving around, shooting arrows and bolts to kill the hobgoblin shaman. A situation where long-distance control was impossible. And. Lett was dancing alone in the distance. He was swinging his sword without thinking about what was so good about it. The only good thing was that Lett was drawing aggro from a distance, so the hobgoblins wouldn¡¯t all come at him at once. ¡°Let¡¯s join in.¡± Iron Mask stood next to Jung Yu-shin. ¡°What about the rear guard?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s block those guys first and think about it.¡± Knock knock knock knock!!! The Hobgoblin Warriors rushed forward, shaking the ground. They came in an instant and swung their huge weapons. Jung Yu-shin and Iron Mask simultaneously kicked their feet and rushed forward. Iron Mask swung his greatsword. From above and below. Puhaaaaaaaah!!!! The huge double-edged sword cut off the Hobgoblin Warrior¡¯s arm up to his shoulder. ¡°Keaaaaaaaah!!!¡± The Hobgoblin Warrior let out an unheard, horrifying scream. ¡®Crazy.¡¯ I knew it all along, but I didn¡¯t know it was this strong. Didn¡¯t it get stronger since I hadn¡¯t seen it? Hoooowung!!! The Hobgoblin Warrior who followed swung his club at Iron Mask. Ppaaaaah!!! But Iron Mask didn¡¯t dodge and was hit by the club. ¡®Crazy?!¡¯ ¡°Iron Mask!!!¡± Jung Yu-shin shouted. Iron Mask, who had flown far away, staggered and got up from his seat. ¡°It¡¯s okay...it¡¯s okay. Scar!!! Be careful!!!¡± Iron Mask raised his hand and shouted, pointing in front of Jung Yu-shin. Three hobgoblin warriors rushed in at once and swung their huge weapons. A club, an axe, and a greatsword all aimed for Jung Yu-shin¡¯s body. The air was torn apart, almost bursting, and the sound echoed through the streets. Jung Yu-shin bit his lips tightly. It wasn¡¯t his own crisis. It was the party members¡¯ crisis. It was a terrible thing to hide it tightly, saying it was a tie. He let go of his Arming Sword and Round Shield. [Sacred Weapon] What I wanted was Ingrid''s sword. I imagined the incredible momentum of swinging a sword as tall as a person and cutting through the sky and the earth. I held it in my two hands. A sword emitting a brilliant golden light. I firmly planted my feet on the ground and twisted my waist with all my might. From bottom to top. The direction was diagonal. Ssaeeeeeeeeeeeeek!!!! The golden sword cut through the air at incredible speed. Phuaaaaaaaaaah!!!!! The three hobgoblin warriors were cut in half along with their weapons. The ?N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t? upper body, free of the lower body, floated in the air and fell to the ground. Thump! Thump! Thump! A gasp of shock erupted from behind Jeong Yu-shin. "What...what?!" "Is that possible for a human being?!!!" ¡°Crazy... Even if you¡¯re a mixed-blood, Barbarian blood won¡¯t go anywhere!¡± Regardless, Jung Yu-shin clicked his tongue inwardly. The casting speed of the Sacred Weapon, the distribution of power, the swing angle. None of it was to his liking. ¡®I¡¯m embarrassed.¡¯ Jung Yu-shin picked up his sword and shield and looked back at Iron Mask. Iron Mask was leaning against the greatsword. Before he knew it, the dwarf priest was standing next to Iron Mask, using healing magic. ¡°Thank you... Priest.¡± ¡°Iron Mask, are you feeling unwell?¡± Kubo asked with a worried voice. Jung Yu-shin agreed. ¡°Kubo is right. Your health doesn¡¯t seem to be good. Rest in the back.¡± ¡°That can¡¯t be.¡± Iron Mask slung the greatsword over his shoulder and approached Jung Yu-shin. At first glance, his condition didn¡¯t look good. Could something be wrong? Could it be that he was showing symptoms of an illness? Iron Mask didn¡¯t stumble or get hit like he did before, which was a cause for concern. Fortunately, his condition seemed to be poor for the first time. Jeong Yu-shin and Iron Mask continued to work together to slaughter the hobgoblins that were advancing. At one point, the hobgoblins, whose numbers had decreased rapidly, began to run away. The party members let them go instead of chasing them. They had no strength or reason to do so. Lett approached from afar. His body was soaked in blood. ¡°Is everyone okay?¡± Lett asked. ¡°No one in the party is hurt. Everyone is safe.¡± Iron Mask answered, took a breath, and continued. ¡°You might want to rest, but now is the time to move on. Another group of hobgoblins might come rushing in after hearing the sound. Do you want to go with me?¡± ¡°Well. I don¡¯t know. We¡¯ll rest a bit and then go. Go first. Thank you for your hard work.¡± Lett replied, sitting down. Iron Mask nodded and looked back at the party members. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Jung Yu-shin and the party members left and headed down Jungang-daero. Jung Yu-shin was lost in thought as he admired the tall, pointed Gothic-style building. ¡®Strange.¡¯ Lett. I heard that you possess the genius swordsman imprint. However, judging from the way you fought, you seemed to be drawn to the imprint. Let¡¯s dig a little deeper. You looked possessed by battle. Half-absorbed, you jumped into the middle of a group of hobgoblins and swung your sword. Doesn¡¯t that sound like a berserker? ¡®¡¤¡¤¡¤Isn¡¯t that the genius swordsman imprint?¡¯ I thought that maybe you were lying. Furthermore, you seemed to care about the party, but you didn¡¯t care about it. He¡¯s a hard person to guess. What¡¯s he thinking? ¡®Stop.¡¯ He shook his head and stopped thinking. There was no need to go any further. Since the cooperation was already over, it didn¡¯t matter. The Iron Mask party walked for about 8 more hours and arrived at the edge of the city. They didn¡¯t walk for 8 hours at a time. They marched for about 4 hours. They went into an empty house in an alley and rested for about 4 hours. Then they walked for another 4 hours. It was a march that lasted over half a day. The faces of the party members standing in front of the transfer stone leading to the forest area were covered in fatigue and dried sweat. Even though they had leveled up, it wasn¡¯t easy to run, fight, and walk while carrying a load of nearly 40kg. ¡°Let¡¯s take a break.¡± Iron Mask looked around at the party members and said. ¡°Oh my. You¡¯re sweating profusely.¡± The panty dwarf lifted his hairy armpit and sighed. The rat man spurted water from his mouth and turned his head. ¡°Phew! Kubo Priest, why are you showing me that? The water tastes bad.¡± The dwarf laughed heartily. ¡°Mars, you little punk, let me get some of my sweat out of the water bottle. Salty is the perfect substitute for salt.¡± ¡°Ah...don¡¯t do that. Seriously.¡± While the dwarf and the rat man were bickering, Jeong Yu-shin also took off his helmet for a moment. The heat was stuck to his head, so his head was hot. His black hair, soaked with sweat, stuck to him like seaweed. He swept his hair up, took out his water bottle, and drank water. The party members rested for a moment in front of the transfer stone and then got up. Iron Mask approached the transfer stone and raised his hand. Hoo-woong. A red portal and a blue portal were created. ¡°Scar, please.¡± Iron Mask turned around and looked at Jeong Yu-shin. ¡°Okay.¡± He put on the helmet he had taken off for a moment and handed the torch to Iron Mask. Jeong Yu-shin walked up to the red portal and stood in front of it. ¡®Finally, the forest area.¡¯ It felt like it had been a long time since he had been back. There were some annoying things in between, but he had the opportunity to move forward more easily than he had expected. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Jeong Yu-shin said briefly and stepped into the red portal. Chapter 93: Got caught? Jeong Yushin stepped out of the red portal and planted his feet on the ground. Immediately, the dusty air entered through the helmet. He lifted his head and looked up. The hazy, yellowish sky. It was filled with red and yellow particles, as if a dust storm were approaching. Why does the labyrinth have a sky? The book he had read with Miwon didn¡¯t provide an answer. Questions about the origin were cut off entirely, and only explanations of the phenomena were written. This meant that most of the content was written based on experiences gained through direct encounters, since the principles couldn''t be understood. While attending Miwon''s class, he didn¡¯t show it, but he could smell the faint scent of blood in the air. How many people must have perished before the unknown of the labyrinth? Thanks to that, he had succeeded in discovering the ''law'' governing the "forest" zone of the labyrinth. It was called "Pain." The ''darkness'' law, which existed between floors 1 and 5, drove those without light to madness. The ''pain'' law of the 6th-floor forest zone drove those who had injuries or were sick into madness. The higher one''s tolerance to pain, the less likely they were to lose their sanity, but those with low tolerance would experience auditory and visual hallucinations, eventually succumbing to madness and dying. Madness and death brought on by poisons and diseases. Truly vicious. Jeong Yushin lowered his head and looked around. All he saw were numerous vines tangled here and there, and coniferous and broadleaf trees. Various plants crowded together, casting dark shadows. It was strange. Even though it was a dense forest, not a single sound could be heard. ???! While looking around and admiring the forest area. The party members emerged from the red portal behind him. ¡°Skah.¡± The iron mask called out to Jeong Yushin. ¡°No problems.¡± Jeong Yushin replied. ¡°The torches... should not be extinguished.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s too dark.¡± ¡°A wide open sky and forest. This is truly an amazing area, just as I heard.¡± The dwarf priest, Kubo, marveled while looking around. ¡°...¡± The rat beastman, Mas, scrunched his face seriously and silently stared at a new map. ¡°Mas, is something wrong?¡± Jeong Yushin asked. ¡°...It¡¯s hard to figure out where we are. I¡¯ve never been to the forest zone either.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s just go slowly for now.¡± Under the iron mask¡¯s command, the party members began advancing through the forest. Fortunately, there was a narrow path between the trees, so they didn¡¯t have to cut through thick grass. They walked slowly in silence. The party members, perhaps due to tension, didn¡¯t speak a word. The silence of the forest made them even more cautious. For several hours, they quietly made their way through the forest path. ¡°Ah! Over there.¡± After walking for a while, the rat beastman Mas raised his hand and pointed to a place. A small watchtower, barely poking out from between the bushes, came into view. The stone-built watchtower, whether from the passing of time or the unknown of the labyrinth, appeared to have collapsed. ¡°What should we do?¡± Mas whispered to the party members as he got closer. The iron mask spoke. ¡°We need to check it out. By the way, Mas, do you know where we are?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a guess, but I think we¡¯re in the Merk Wood area, on the outskirts of the forest zone. Looks like we¡¯re out of luck this time.¡± After hearing Mas¡¯s words, the iron mask pulled out a few sheets of parchment from his pocket. Curious, Jeong Yushin approached the iron mask. ¡°What are these papers?¡± ¡°Quest list. Just in case, I wrote them down.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t take them all, did you?¡± ¡°No. I just wrote them down. How would I have received all those quests if I didn¡¯t know which area I¡¯d end up in?¡± ¡°Fair enough.¡± Jeong Yushin nodded as Mas leaned over next to him. ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s important, Iron Mask. Are we going to that watchtower?¡± ¡°We have to. We can¡¯t just leave a potential threat behind and keep going.¡± ¡°Alright. Hoo.¡± Mas took a deep breath and crouched low, crawling into the bushes. Fussss... Jeong Yushin heard the faint rustling of leaves and gripped his sword and shield tightly. If anything happened, he planned to bolt immediately. How much time had passed? The dark forest. The only sound was the occasional quiet breath of the party members. Each minute felt like an eternity. Fussss... From the bushes, Mas¡¯s face appeared. ¡°No one¡¯s here. It¡¯s empty.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°But...¡± Mas scratched his head. ¡°There¡¯s something suspicious inside the watchtower. It looked like a sign, but it was too dark to see clearly.¡± ¡°I see. Let¡¯s check it out, and then rest for a bit.¡± Everyone nodded in agreement with the iron mask¡¯s words. Mas took the lead, with Jeong Yushin following behind. As they pushed through the dense foliage, an overgrown clearing and a fortress came into view. The watchtower looked older than expected. The cracked and collapsed stone walls were covered in green moss. At the entrance, a decayed wooden door hung loosely, rotting away. ¡°...¡± The party members cautiously approached the wooden door. Although Mas had scouted ahead, their cautious movements indicated they were all being extra careful in the face of something new. Jeong Yushin took the torch from the iron mask, approached the entrance, and opened the wooden door. Creeeek... Whooosh. With the torch, he illuminated the dark interior of the fortress. There was nothing inside, only thick layers of dust. Except for one thing. In the middle of the fortress, a strange leather panel fixed with branches... ¡°Everyone, turn your heads!!! Don¡¯t look!!!¡± The dwarf priest shouted loudly. His voice was unnervingly filled with fear. The party members quickly turned their heads away, avoiding the leather panel. ¡°...Kubo, what is that?¡± Jeong Yushin asked. ¡°That... that¡¯s a curse written in profane language. Just seeing it or reading it will drive you insane or possess you!¡± ¡°Who... who gets possessed?¡± Jeong Yushin¡¯s question made the dwarf priest tremble his lips. ¡°I... I can¡¯t speak. It¡¯s too hard to even put it into words. Please, understand.¡± ¡°So what should we do? Should we burn it?¡± ¡°No... no! Just leave it. That cursed object is surely cursed. Don¡¯t touch it or read the words on it!¡± Kubo, the dwarf priest, urgently stopped them. ¡°I understand. Calm down.¡± Jeong Yushin placed his hand on Kubo¡¯s shoulder. After a long moment of heavy breathing, Kubo finally exhaled deeply. ¡°Then we can rest outside the fortress. As long as we don¡¯t look at those strange words.¡± ¡°No!!!¡± Kubo shouted desperately. The iron mask intervened. ¡°Calm down. Mas did a perimeter check. As long as we avoid traps like that, this area is safe. And haven¡¯t we been walking for hours?¡± The leader¡¯s gentle tone calmed Kubo down. ¡°Khrh... I understand. I got too worked up. Sorry.¡± Jeong Yushin and the party members sat around the torch and took a break. Jeong Yushin looked at the dense forest. Coming out of the labyrinth-like layers and into a wide-open sky, it felt disorienting. Was he struggling to adapt? It was a completely different sight than what he had imagined for the labyrinth. He had read about it in books, but it was different from what he had pictured. The other party members seemed to feel the same. ¡®Maybe it¡¯s because there¡¯s no roof above.¡¯ The changed ''law'' still bothered him. Recalling the ''law'' of the forest zone, Jeong Yushin began to understand why the iron mask had chosen the party members. A priest with strong defenses who would rarely get injured¡ªthough he had never seen him fight. A beastman skilled in moving through the forest with excellent sense of smell. An iron mask with great character and leadership. Himself, with a high tolerance for pain, strong mental fortitude, combat skills, and intellect. ¡®He has a keen eye.¡¯ Jeong Yushin nodded to himself and looked at the party leader. The iron mask pulled out a parchment from his pocket and started looking over it. Was it the quest list? ¡°Iron Mask, are we in a position to make money?¡± ¡°There are a few herbs worth something in the Merk Wood area. If we¡¯re lucky, we might even complete a promotion quest.¡± ¡°Are you planning to get promoted too?¡± ¡°I can, and there¡¯s no reason not to. After all, we¡¯ll have to go deeper into the labyrinth. I need to get the necessary marks.¡± Jeong Yushin nodded. Whether positive or negative, ¡®strong¡¯ power marks could only be obtained by going deeper into the labyrinth. A memory from the beginner explorer class came to him when the guild leader had casually mentioned it. Jeong Yushin didn¡¯t push further. He could guess why they wanted it. ¡®Do they want to live?¡¯ To climb up in the labyrinth, full of death, just to survive. It was a bitter irony. Jeong Yushin and the party members rested for a while in front of the watchtower. He would have preferred to stay longer, but seeing how anxious the priest was, they ? N§àv§Ölight ? (Exclusive on N§àv§Ölight) packed up. ¡°The Merk Wood is on the outskirts. We need to be cautious, as the distance to the transfer stone is far.¡± Mas spoke without even looking at the map. The party members left the old watchtower and moved slowly. Kubo, perhaps still shaken by the sights at the watchtower, occasionally trembled. Mas, leading the way, stopped suddenly and pointed to a place. ¡°Ah?! That¡¯s a purple forget-me-not. This flower is worth quite a bit, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°How much?¡± Jeong Yushin asked. ¡°Wait a moment... It''s worth ten Eonha coins per root.¡± The iron mask, after reading a few sheets from his parchment, answered in place of Mas. Jeong Yushin took out a small shovel from his backpack and ran towards the flower. ¡°Phew. This is awesome.¡± ¡°Be careful when digging. It says the roots mustn¡¯t be damaged.¡± The iron mask advised from the side. ¡°Trust me. I handle white rats every night... you think I don¡¯t know how to handle this gently?¡± ¡°...Skah, I don¡¯t understand what you mean. Just calm down.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± Jeong Yushin crouched down and carefully began digging around the roots of the forget-me-not. Slowly. Gently. After about ten minutes of struggling, he managed to pull the forget-me-not out by the roots. He shook the soil off the roots and carefully placed the plant into his leather pouch, stowing it in his backpack. ¡°Where to next?¡± ¡°...Let¡¯s head there for now.¡± Following Mas, they continued to gather various plants. There were blue mushrooms used as catalysts for magical experiments. Red and yellow flowers used for hemostatic agents. Even weeds that looked like ordinary grass along the road were essential herbs for potions. Jeong Yushin¡¯s mouth curled into a smile. ¡®Such a sweet farming spot, and only mid-tier explorers had access to it?¡¯ Now he understood why people were obsessed with promotion. No amount of talk could convey it. They had to hold the money in their hands to truly realize it. The iron mask¡¯s voice had also changed, now filled with satisfaction. ¡°...This is a Taltar flower. I only saw this in gardens before, but here it is...¡± Jeong Yushin suddenly leaned in. ¡°Oh! How much is that worth?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just ornamental. Not that expensive.¡± ¡°Tch.¡± Jeong Yushin quickly pulled his head back and looked around. He realized it was even darker than before. He had been so caught up in the money that he had been staring at the ground while walking. ¡°Mas, are we going the right way?¡± Jeong Yushin asked. ¡°We¡¯re going the right way.¡± Mas answered, still looking ahead. ¡°...¡± Jeong Yushin watched Mas¡¯s back. Something felt off. Since a few hours ago, the dwarf priest Kubo had been shaking with fear, and now Mas was moving through the forest with much more skill than when they first arrived. The iron mask also sensed the change in atmosphere and tucked the quest list back into his pocket. ¡°Mas, turn around.¡± The iron mask urged. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s see your face.¡± Mas turned around and looked at the party members. ¡°Why are you all acting so strange all of a sudden? You¡¯re scaring me.¡± Mas¡¯s face, unchanged from the first time they met, looked just like any other rat beastman. His voice was slightly lower, but that was it. ¡®Was I wrong? Could it be a mistake?¡¯ Perhaps it was just heightened vigilance from suddenly realizing reality while being too focused on money. Jeong Yushin relaxed his tense body. At that moment. ¡°You... You! Who are you?!¡± Kubo, the dwarf priest, stepped forward and shouted. ¡°Kubo, what are you saying? It¡¯s Mas!¡± ¡°No. The ominous energy didn¡¯t disappear after leaving the fortress. It wasn¡¯t an illusion!¡± Mas shook his head vigorously. ¡°Ha... Iron Mask, Skah. Kubo seems really tired. Should we rest for a bit? There''s a shelter not far ahead.¡± Jeong Yushin stepped forward. ¡°No. Mas, we need to be sure. Something¡¯s definitely off with you.¡± ¡°...¡± Silence fell over the quiet forest. No one spoke, only watching Mas. After a long period of silence, Mas opened his mouth. ¡°...You¡¯ve caught me.¡± His unnervingly low voice spread through the dark forest. Chapter 94: Ask for help Gulp. Jung Yu-shin swallowed dry saliva. What should he say, but his mouth wouldn''t open. Did he get possessed? When on earth? "That leather writing! I felt that the ominous energy hadn''t gone away, but I was possessed!" The dwarf priest shouted. Jung Yu-shin''s mouth opened. "Ah." Somehow, it seemed like it was taking too long to search the watchtower. "Kubo, what should we do?" Jung Yu-shin stepped forward and said. "We have to subdue Mars! If we tear that leather, the possession will be lifted!" At that moment. Mars turned his head and looked at Jung Yu-shin and the party members. Instead of a tongue, a long earthworm came out of his mouth and squirmed. "Khehehehe!!!" Just as Mars was about to jump back with a strange laugh, Kubo shouted. ¡°No! You can¡¯t let him run away!¡± Jung Yu-shin ran quickly. He didn¡¯t draw his sword, but approached with only his shield and fist. Even though he was possessed, he couldn¡¯t kill a party member. Mars swung his dagger. Whewwwww!!! It was just a dagger, but the sound of the wind cutting through it was unusual. ¡®Come.¡¯ Jung Yu-shin raised his shield. Kwaaang!!! A tremendous impact. Not only did the dagger pierce through the shield, it pushed Jung Yu-shin¡¯s body forward. Kwagagak. The weeds were torn off and long footprints were left on the dirt floor. ¡°Hah!¡± He gritted his teeth, but a groan escaped him. My wrists were tingling. Is this ice? The muscular body pumped up through steady training was pushed back by Mars''s sword stroke. An incredible strength. It was a brute force that even a mere guide rat, not even a vanguard, could not produce. ''Fuck. This fucking labyrinth.'' A curse naturally leaked out from deep within my chest. Crack. I clenched my teeth. I couldn''t give up here. The guide was the most important person in the party. Especially in the forest area where I was new. But I couldn''t kill him, and I couldn''t inflict damage that couldn''t be cured with potions. A dilemma. I had to subdue him with only my shield and fists. ''I can do it.'' How did I get here? I made up my mind and my stance came into focus. Mars rushed in once again and swung his dagger. WHEEEEEEEEEE!!! Diagonal. Aiming for the left shoulder. He immediately pulled his hind leg out and lowered his posture. He lifted his shield. One. Two. Three. Boom!!! As soon as the dagger was stuck in the shield, he twisted his waist and pulled the shield. Mars giggled and followed. Jung Yu-shin waited, hiding his fist behind the shield. ¡®Just a little more.¡¯ Mars¡¯s body was dragged close. His pupils were completely black. He was in a state of complete possession. He thrust his fist in. Boom!!! The decisive body blow landed right under Mars¡¯ rib cage. Where his liver and ribs were. ¡°Keueueueueue!!!¡± Mars¡¯ body twisted and vomited out black water. He didn¡¯t care about the liquid that Mars had spit out. ¡®It¡¯s done!¡¯ I don¡¯t know what the possessed bastard is doing, but it seems he can¡¯t escape the exorcism river shot. He threw down his shield, tackled Mars, and climbed on top. Jung Yu-shin raised his fist and struck Mars¡¯ head down. Bam!!! Bam!!! Bam!!! ¡°Come out!!! Get out of Mars¡¯ body!!!¡± Kubo ran over and clung to Jung Yu-shin in a panic. ¡°Scar! You bastard!!! Take it easy! Mars is going to die!!!¡± Jung Yu-shin suddenly came to his senses and looked down at Mars. Black water kept gushing out of Mars¡¯ mouth. ¡°What should I do now?¡± ¡°Wait! Iron Mask ran to the watchtower!¡± ¡°Alone? Isn¡¯t that too dangerous?¡± ¡°Iron Mask said he left marks as he walked along the road. That¡¯s why I sent him first.¡± Jung Yu-shin nodded. Somehow, I thought Iron Mask wasn¡¯t helping me even though I was rolling around with Mars, but there was a reason for that. ¡°S...Ska.¡± Mars blinked and stuttered. ¡°Mars?¡± They weren¡¯t black pupils. The whites and blacks coexisted. They were the same as before. ¡®Did the exorcism succeed?¡¯ ¡°No! You shouldn¡¯t be possessed!!! The evil spirit didn¡¯t leave Mars!¡± Kubo was shocked and stopped Jung Yu-shin. ¡°An evil spirit? Wasn¡¯t it some kind of alien from the universe?¡± ¡°T...what are you talking about? Absolutely not!¡± ¡°Then what is this guy?¡± At Jung Yu-shin¡¯s question, Mars¡¯s eyes turned black. ¡°Kekekeke. Are you curious about who I am? Scar? I am the servant of ????????????????, ????????????.¡± ¡°Keuu ... ¡°Kihihihi!!!¡± Mars, whose eyes rolled back, laughed and got up from his seat. Jung Yu-shin felt around his stomach. A sharp pain. Even though he was wearing light armor, his ribs cracked. [Revenger] Blue ginseng leaked out from between the gaps in his helmet. Jung Yu-shin staggered and got up from his seat. Mars rushed in and swung his fist. Bam!!! His helmet buckled and crashed back onto the ground. His head felt dizzy as if he had a concussion. ¡°Damn it!!! Scar!!!¡± Kubo Shrine shouted. A disaster caused by carelessness. My bones hurt. Mars¡¯s kick aimed for Jung Yu-shin¡¯s stomach. Hoohoooong!!! He felt it instinctively. If he gets hit by that kick, there¡¯s no turning back. Jung Yu-shin quickly rolled his body to avoid Mars¡¯s feet. Kwajijik!!! The missed kick broke the tree trunk. He bounced up from his seat and delivered an elbow strike. Bbaaaaaah!!! His elbow, which carried his entire body weight, hit Mars¡¯s head. Mars¡¯s head snapped to the side. ¡®Now.¡¯ He grabbed Mars¡¯ shoulder with one hand as he staggered back, and made a fist with the other. ¡®Forgive me, Mars.¡¯ [Sacred Weapon] A sacred golden light enveloped his fist. Bbaa!!! Bbaa!!! Bbaa!!! Bbaa!!! Jung Yu-shin¡¯s fist slammed into Mars¡¯ face over and over again. He carefully punched him in the forehead, temple, nose, and cheekbones without fail. ¡°Keeek! Kkeuk! Kkeuk!¡± Mars shivered as if he was shocked by electricity and screamed intermittently, but he didn¡¯t stop. Finally, when Mars¡¯ eyes rolled back and he swayed like a jellyfish, Kubo Shinkan stepped in. ¡°Scar, stop it now! I¡¯m really going to die!¡± He stopped punching. His leather gloves were soaked with the poor rat¡¯s blood and snot. ¡°Whew. I understand.¡± He brushed off the foreign substances on his gloves, laid Mars gently on the ground, and snatched the dagger from his belt. I don¡¯t know if the possession had worn off or not, but since he was lying still, it seemed like he didn¡¯t need to use his fists anymore. The very moment Jung Yu-shin felt relieved. Pussssss. ¡°Goooooooo.¡± A strange sound was heard from beyond the bushes. Jung Yu-shin and Kubo¡¯s bodies froze for a moment. ¡°No way...no way.¡± Kubo shivered. ¡°Ah, shit.¡± Jung Yu-shin clicked his tongue and pulled out his sword. Something suddenly poked its face out through the bushes. Jung Yu-shin narrowed his eyes after confirming its identity. A humanoid monster with a mushroom head. Its entire body was covered in small mushrooms and spores, and a foul stench vibrated. It didn¡¯t end there. A tiny corpse, like a baby, crawled out of the ground. There was a huge mushroom-like thing attached to its small back, with hundreds of holes and color spores leaked out like smog. 8 mushroom mold people. 2 mushroom baby corpses. They all moved slowly, but they were dangerous monsters in the forest area because they contained poison. I knew it because I read about it in books. ¡°Kubo!!!¡± Jung Yu-shin got up from his seat and drew his Arming Sword. He had his stomach firmly pressed against Mars¡¯s, who had been possessed, so he couldn¡¯t escape. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me!¡± Kubo shouted and raised his staff. The monsters suddenly appeared. Iron Mask left to get rid of the leather writing. Mars was unable to fight. He was faced with the worst situation. ¡°Goooooooo!!!¡± The mushroom people ran towards him, extending both hands. ¡°Fuck!!!¡± Jung Yu-shin swore. It was a mistake to throw the shield far away. Three mushroom humans rushed at once. Jung Yu-shin swung his Arming Sword. Ssaaaaaaah!!! The mushroom head was cut off and sticky fluid burst out from it, pouring down on Jung Yu-shin. A few drops of sticky fluid entered his eyeballs through the gap in his helmet. ¡°Keuuuk!!!¡± For a moment, his vision was distorted and his eye mucosa felt hot as if it was on fire. [Venom Protection] [Revenger] One activated voluntarily and the other activated automatically. A blue volition flared up between his helmets. He raised Mars¡¯ dagger to block the hand swinging by another mushroom human. Kagagak!!! ¡°Huh!!!¡± It was slow, but it had tremendous force. The dagger cut off half of the mushroom human¡¯s hand, but he raised his other hand as if he couldn¡¯t feel the pain. Jung Yu-shin quickly swung his Arming Sword, cutting off the remaining arm and cutting off the neck. Crack!!! The mushroom man''s head flew into the sky and fell to the ground. Poopduck!!! Green sap sprayed from the mushroom man''s neck section onto Mars'' face. "Kihehehehehe!!!" Mars, who had just woken up, was laughing like crazy. He seemed to know that he didn''t have much time left to be released. ''No way.'' He fixed the dagger to his belt. [Sacred Weapon] He made a long iron skewer and stuck it into Mars'' left hand. "Kuaaaaak!!!" Mars let out a horrible scream that he had never heard or seen before. ''As expected.'' Since it was magic mixed with divine power, it worked well even on evil spirits. Another mushroom man ran over and swung his arm wildly. Hoooooooong!!! He ducked and dodged the mushroom man''s attack, then stabbed the dagger into his left knee. Boom!!! He stabbed the dagger deep into his knee, but the mushroom man didn''t even flinch. He didn''t stop there, and stabbed the arming sword into the mushroom man''s chest. Boom!!! He let go and stepped back. [Sacred Weapon] He wanted a single-edged axe. He grabbed it with both hands and cut off the man''s neck. Phuhaaaaak!!! The mushroom man staggered backwards as his neck flew off. Jung Yu-shin quickly pulled out his arming sword and dagger. Mars, who had been laughing wickedly, blankly looked up at Jung Yu-shin and suddenly lowered his head. It seemed like he had lost consciousness. "Th-It''s gone!" Kubo Priest shouted /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ briefly. He understood right away. He nodded and took his feet off Mars'' body. Iron Mask, it looks like the leader cut that damn leather plate. He looked back. Kubo was drenched in sweat, swinging his staff to block the attacks of the mushroom-headed man. There were about two mushroom-headed men around him whose heads had burst. He immediately ran to Kubo. "Kubo!!!" "Scar!" Jung Yu-shin rushed in and grabbed the mushroom-headed man by the head and threw him to the ground. Thump!!! He stomped on the head of the man who was struggling. Crack!!! As the head of the man was crushed, spores and sap spread widely, soaking the ground. In an instant. Thuwwung!!! Something approached from behind, tearing through the air. Jung Yu-shin turned his body urgently and swung his sword. He didn''t even have time to look and confirm it with his eyes. Taaaaaaaang!!! The Arming Sword broke. ¡°Fuck!!!¡± The broken fragments of the Arming Sword and the awl spewing spores stayed in the air for a moment before falling to the ground. He immediately knew where the awl came from. Because the giant mushroom on top of the baby¡¯s corpse was sprouting spores of the same color. Jung Yu-shin flew. Thuuung!!! Thuuung!!! The strange awl flew toward Jung Yu-shin, spewing spores. It was twice as fast and powerful as a normal crossbow bolt. There¡¯s no sword. No. There is. The blue longsword attached to his back. The sword made by Einhofer and Boron. Clang! He grabbed the handle of the sword and pulled it out. Towards the flying awl. Ssaeeeeeeek!!! A speed on a whole other level than a one-handed sword. The blade reflected by the dying torch lit up the dark forest. Ts ... Suddenly, Kubo''s scream was heard from behind. "What?!" Jung Yu-shin quickly turned around. Three spiders the size of a person came down from the tree and clung to Kubo. "Fuck!!! Kubo!!!" Just as Jung Yu-shin was about to run quickly, Someone jumped in and swung a greatsword. With a single sword strike, all three were torn in half. Kubo, whose entrails and sap were covered, struggled. "Iron Mask!!!" Jung Yu-shin shouted. "Whew. Whoo. I''m late. I''m sorry." Iron Mask apologized, breathing heavily. Jung Yu-shin immediately shook his head. "Haa. No. I''m sorry. I should have protected the party members." At that moment. A woman walked out from behind Iron Mask. Brown hair. A timid appearance. She was a member of Let''s party. Jung Yu-shin blankly stared at the woman. Suddenly popping out here? ''Was her name Brin?'' "I... I need help!" Brin lowered his head and shouted. Jung Yu-shin sank to the floor. As he solved one problem, another one popped up. "Haa... why can''t I be happy." Jung Yu-shin''s tired voice came out from between the helmets. Chapter 95: Is it love? Brinn. Lette''s harem member suddenly appeared and asked for help. After the battle on the 5th floor, they had all gone their separate ways, so this was unexpected. The situation wasn¡¯t a happy labyrinth exploration; it was chaotic. ¡°...Why would you suddenly pop up and ask for help, what in the world...?¡± Jeong Yushin started to speak but shook his head. There was no time to have a conversation with this woman right now. ¡°Wait. First, we need to check on the party members. Wait.¡± Jeong Yushin stood up and approached his backpack. He opened the bag, pulling out a white cloth and a small leather pouch. Opening the pouch, he took out some black powder. ¡°Wh...what¡¯s this?¡± Brinn, who had come closer, asked. ¡°Charcoal powder. I heard it helps to neutralize poison. I¡¯m not sure though.¡± He had heard about it during old chemical warfare training, so he brought it with him. Would it work? He wasn¡¯t sure. He had no choice but to try. He sprinkled the charcoal powder generously on the cloth and wiped his body. He carefully wiped away the toxins, paying attention to every gap in his armor. The white cloth quickly became stained from all the poison he had absorbed in the recent battle. Starting from his helmet and working all the way down to his feet, he wiped thoroughly. Even if he was fine, he was worried that the party members who had been close to him might be poisoned. After the detox process, he took out # N§àv§Ölight # an antidote and potion and approached Mas. Mas¡¯s face was a mess. His swollen face from the punches was covered in the monster''s toxic fluid and the black liquid he had vomited while possessed. Jeong Yushin took a new cloth, sprinkled charcoal powder on it, and wiped the dirt from Mas¡¯s face before slightly opening his mouth to feed him the antidote. Mas groaned weirdly and gulped down the antidote Jeong Yushin gave him. He took off his gloves, applied the potion to his hands, and spread it on Mas¡¯s face. ¡°Ugh.¡± Mas groaned and twisted his body. ¡°It¡¯s a recovery potion. Drink it.¡± Finally, Jeong Yushin poured the remaining potion into Mas¡¯s mouth. Mas stopped twitching and began breathing more easily. Jeong Yushin got up and walked over to the dwarf priest. The iron mask was diagnosing the dwarf¡¯s condition. He was only wearing underwear, which made him look more relaxed than Mas, who was in worse shape. ¡°Kubo, are you alright?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Jeong Yushin asked the iron mask, but Kubo answered. Jeong Yushin scanned the dwarf priest¡¯s body up and down. He didn¡¯t have a hobby of inspecting half-naked dwarfs, but when lives were on the line, he had no choice but to focus. ¡®That¡¯s curious.¡¯ The spider monster was clearly as large as a person and had sharp teeth, yet there wasn¡¯t a single wound on Kubo¡¯s body? Was this the ability of the nature-based mark? There had to be a reason for him walking around naked. It was better defense than most armor. ¡°Kubo, how come you don¡¯t have a single wound on your body?¡± ¡°There is one.¡± Kubo turned his body and showed his back. ¡°There is one.¡± There was a small wound near Kubo¡¯s nape. It looked like he had been bitten by sharp teeth, with two tiny holes visible. Though small, it was possible that he had been poisoned. ¡°Well, just in case, you should drink the antidote. I¡¯ve got some left, do you need it?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯ve got both antidote and potion, I¡¯ll take care of it.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Jeong Yushin straightened his back and faced the iron mask. ¡°Skah, sorry. You were fighting alone.¡± Jeong Yushin shook his head. He didn¡¯t want to hear the leader¡¯s apology anymore. ¡°As the frontliner, it was something I had to do. I¡¯m actually sorry. Our party¡¯s priest got hurt, and that¡¯s embarrassing.¡± ¡°Skah, aren¡¯t you being a little too humble? I think it¡¯s something to be proud of.¡± The iron mask glanced around as he spoke. The forest path was a total mess. Broken and torn mushroom-human corpses, and the dug-up ground. Toxic fluids and pieces of flesh, covered in fungi, were scattered on the trees and the ground. ¡°It was nothing. This kind of thing happens every day. By the way, did you really cut that leather panel?¡± At Jeong Yushin¡¯s question, the iron mask shook his head. ¡°No. I came back. No matter how right Kubo¡¯s words were, leaving the party and walking away seemed too dangerous, so I decided to turn back.¡± Jeong Yushin nodded. After cooling his heated head and thinking it through, it didn¡¯t make sense. Even if they had been walking slowly, his party had been going for hours. The idea of reaching the watchtower in just a few minutes was close to delusion. Wait. ¡°...¡± A chill ran down his spine. He immediately turned around, grabbed Kubo¡¯s shoulder, and shook him. ¡°Kubo, you said the possession was lifted?! But the iron mask said he didn¡¯t cut the leather panel! Why are you just quietly listening?¡± ¡°What?! Ha... But the possession is gone.¡± The dwarf priest, Kubo, looked dazed for a moment before he stiffened and declared firmly. What¡¯s going on? Jeong Yushin looked at his own fist. ¡®Do I really have talent for exorcism?¡¯ Punching to lift possession. Was purity something embedded in my fists? His heart raced. ¡°Kubo, did I really drive out the evil spirit?¡± ¡°Yes... it¡¯s hard to believe, but it¡¯s true. How... how did Barbaroi...?¡± Kubo looked stunned, as if he had just been slapped awake from a nap. ¡°I might be a bit holy.¡± ¡°...¡± Jeong Yushin shrugged as he spoke, and the party members all silently stared at him. Kubo opened his mouth. ¡°...But it¡¯s strange. Exorcism rituals can only be done by priests. You¡¯re not a priest, right?¡± ¡°Kubo, why couldn¡¯t you drive it out?¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s hard. I¡¯ve only served the fire spirit for a short time. And exorcism is a dangerous ritual where the possessed could lose their life. It requires a skilled practitioner.¡± Jeong Yushin crossed his arms. ¡°Didn¡¯t the evil spirit leave with my Sacred Weapon?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not enough.¡± Kubo cut him off. Jeong Yushin sat down on the ground and took off his helmet. ¡°Then what was it?¡± He opened his water flask and poured some water over his eyes as he asked. The lukewarm water washed the poison residue from around his eyes. ¡°Skah, have you ever touched something holy consistently?¡± ¡°For example?¡± ¡°Something like a holy artifact full of divine power?¡± Jeong Yushin took a white towel and wiped his eyes clean. After finishing the task, he thought for a moment. ¡®Divine power. Divine power.¡¯ He had attended Miwon¡¯s lessons at the Earth Mother Temple. He had even gotten private tutoring next to her. But that was all. Miwon had never told him to believe in the Earth Mother. ¡®A holy artifact full of divine power?¡¯ He had no idea. Maybe Miwon had secretly cast a holy spell on him? If it was the kind-hearted Miwon, there was a chance. But that was purely speculation. It was a question without an answer. Judging by the expression on the naked dwarf priest, it didn¡¯t seem like it was something that could be solved right away. Jeong Yushin wiped his sweaty hair out of his face. ¡°Kubo, is it certain the evil spirit inside Mas is gone?¡± ¡°It¡¯s certain. I would bet my life on it.¡± Kubo¡¯s expression was filled with solemnity. If he weren¡¯t wearing only underwear, he would have been more trustworthy. ¡°Understood.¡± Jeong Yushin decided to trust the priest¡¯s words. He stood up and looked down at Brinn. One of Lette¡¯s harem party members. A shy-looking, brown-haired woman who seemed a bit younger. ¡°Was your name Brinn? Speak honestly. You suddenly popped up and asked for help without any explanation. Do we look like such good-natured people? If you think we¡¯ll take on unreasonable requests just because there¡¯s a priest with us, you¡¯re mistaken.¡± ¡°U-uh...¡± Brinn stammered, unable to finish her sentence. Jeong Yushin furrowed his brow. ¡°What? Wasn¡¯t your request to save your party? As you can see, we just finished a battle...¡± Brinn interrupted Jeong Yushin. ¡°Th-That¡¯s not it. I¡¯m asking for help for just me. I just want you to take me out of here... please.¡± What? Jeong Yushin¡¯s mouth hung open. A twist like this? His head spun, as if he had been hit with a blunt object. ¡°W-wait. You¡¯re asking for help just for you? You want to join our party?¡± ¡°Y-yes... I won¡¯t be a bother. I¡¯ll just quietly follow you.¡± ¡°...Aren¡¯t you Lette¡¯s girlfriend?¡± Jeong Yushin asked cautiously. ¡°Sh-shut up! I have my eyes, you know!¡± Brinn suddenly cursed and rushed ahead. ¡°...¡± The entire party, like Jeong Yushin, stared at Brinn with their mouths agape. She had seemed shy and awkward, so they thought she was an introverted friend. It was a huge misunderstanding. She was realistic and spoke her mind. ¡°...If you didn¡¯t like Lette, couldn¡¯t you have refused to join the party?¡± ¡°I... I was deceived.¡± ¡°By whom?¡± ¡°By the explorer guild guide. It was the guild in the southern zone. The guide shoved me into this party with an annoyed expression.¡± ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you say no? Was it necessary to join?¡± ¡°I... I¡¯m the type who can¡¯t speak my mind because I¡¯m too shy.¡± ¡°...¡± You say everything, don¡¯t you? She seems like someone who just blurts out whatever is on her mind. She probably has some strange self-awareness. Jeong Yushin scratched his head. ¡®I can¡¯t think of anything to say.¡¯ He had never been out-talked during his time in the labyrinth city, but this was different. It was the first time someone had made him speechless from the start. Where did this person come from? He was too curious about her identity. ¡°So you want to travel with us? How can I trust you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Brinn Callione. A student at the Labyrinth Academy.¡± Jeong Yushin¡¯s eyes widened. Labyrinth Academy? The school that Dalmong had briefly mentioned when he first tried to learn how to read. He had heard that even attending for just one semester cost an astronomical amount. He had many questions, but he suppressed them. ¡°Do you have a way to prove your identity?¡± ¡°H-here.¡± Brinn fumbled inside her robe and handed him a gold badge. Jeong Yushin took the badge and showed it to the party. ¡°Is this legit?¡± ¡°It¡¯s legit. She¡¯s a student. From the looks of it, she¡¯s in her 4th year, almost graduating.¡± The iron mask nodded. I see. Next question. ¡°Why did you come here alone? Did something happen to Lette¡¯s party?¡± Brinn opened her mouth, but the iron mask intervened. ¡°Her identity has been verified. Let¡¯s go to a safe place and hear the rest of the story.¡± Jeong Yushin looked at the iron mask. It seemed like he was defending Brinn. It almost looked like he was treating her as if he already knew her. ¡°...Alright.¡± Jeong Yushin put his helmet back on and walked over to Mas. The now-conscious Mas rolled his eyes and looked at Jeong Yushin. ¡°Can you get up?¡± Jeong Yushin asked. ¡°It¡¯s tough. I feel drained.¡± Mas spoke with a hoarse voice. ¡°I¡¯ll carry you.¡± ¡°But what happened? Where are we?¡± ¡°We¡¯re still in the forest zone. You were possessed after seeing that leather script.¡± Mas¡¯s face turned pale. ¡°Wh...how am I fine?¡± ¡°I drove it out.¡± ¡°H-how?¡± ¡°I scolded it.¡± Mas stared at Jeong Yushin blankly for a moment before opening his mouth again. ¡°...But my face hurts so much. It feels like I was hit with a sledgehammer.¡± Looking closely, Mas¡¯s face was still swollen. ¡°It¡¯s from falling to the ground.¡± ¡°And something feels off.¡± What is so curious about him? Seeing Mas, who was lying down and mumbling, Jeong Yushin suddenly became angry. ¡°What? Speak up.¡± ¡°When I look at you.¡± Mas gave Jeong Yushin a confused look and stayed silent for a while before speaking. ¡°My body¡¯s trembling, and my heart is pounding like crazy. What is this feeling?¡± ¡°...¡± In the quiet forest path. Everyone silently stared at Jeong Yushin. Chapter 96: Not a person Joo Hyuk let out a deep sigh. ¡°Phew. Mas, we don¡¯t have time for nonsense. We need to move. Don¡¯t joke around, hop on.¡± ¡°Alright... alright.¡± Joo Hyuk grabbed Mas''s arm and slung him over his shoulder. Mas trembled like a sapling. ¡°U...uh. Why is this happening?¡± ¡°It¡¯s all because of the possession. It¡¯ll get better with time. Right, Kubo?¡± ¡°Right... right.¡± Kubo, meeting Joo Hyuk¡¯s gaze, nodded while turning his head in agreement. Joo Hyuk put the backpack on his front, secured Mas to his back with a rope, and then moved forward. He kicked the shield that had fallen into the bushes and picked up the broken arming sword. ¡°Phew.¡± Seeing the sword broken in half, he couldn¡¯t help but sigh. It had less rust and was lighter, so he had been using it without issue. He had bought it cheaply and had been with it for a long time, but for it to break here... It was unfortunate. Should he say that he had grown attached to it after all the hardships? Clink. He put the broken sword back into its scabbard. For now, he decided to take it with him. He had faith that Boron would somehow fix it. The blue longsword on his back had shifted to his waist because of Mas. Kubo looked at him with a perplexed expression. ¡°Isn¡¯t it heavy?¡± It hadn¡¯t been long since the fight, yet seeing Joo Hyuk carrying the injured party member made Kubo feel a bit awe-struck. ¡°It¡¯s manageable. This much is nothing.¡± ¡°If it gets too tough, tell me. I¡¯ll carry it for you.¡± The Iron Mask approached and spoke. Joo Hyuk shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Joo Hyuk and the party continued down the forest path. The pace of the party was slow. It was because Mas, the guide, was unable to put any strength into his body. The detoxification and treatment were finished, but it seemed his body had suffered a tremendous overload. ¡®Well, considering the amount of power he exerted, it would be strange if he could still move.¡¯ The fact that Mas had been pushed when possessed was a bitter realization. ¡®Should I seriously ask Boron to make some weight training equipment?¡¯ He briefly entertained the thought of asking Boron to make some weights. ¡®Stop.¡¯ Thud! He raised his fist and struck his helmet. He had been thinking such trivial things during the labyrinth exploration. No matter how much the Venom Protection engraving was there, it was never good to be careless. ¡°Hah... Hah!!!¡± Mas, carried on his back, trembled violently. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Mas?¡± ¡°Why... why does my head... ugh, when I look at your fist?!¡± ¡°...Let¡¯s take a short break. Mas is in a bad condition.¡± At Joo Hyuk¡¯s suggestion, the entire party stopped by the side of the road. Joo Hyuk leaned against a tree stump, watching Mas groan while looking at the map. Twenty minutes later. ¡°...It looks like we¡¯ve gone further out.¡± Mas furrowed his brow and concluded. ¡°I see. Good job. Mas, is there a shelter nearby?¡± At the Iron Mask¡¯s question, Mas scratched his head. ¡°There is a camping spot nearby.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s head that way. How long will it take?¡± ¡°It¡¯ll take about two more hours. But...¡± ¡°But?¡± Mas hesitated, prompting Joo Hyuk to urge him. ¡°The map is old, so there¡¯s a high chance the shelter¡¯s been abandoned. It might have turned into a monster den instead.¡± ¡°Where did you buy this map?¡± Joo Hyuk asked again. ¡°There¡¯s a guide association. They provide training for labyrinth exploration and sell items. I bought the map there with money.¡± I see. Well, if there¡¯s a swordsmanship association, a guide association wouldn¡¯t be strange. It wasn¡¯t that unusual. Joo Hyuk slung Mas onto his back again and resumed walking. The more they walked, the denser the forest became, obscuring the smog-covered sky. The forest path grew dark, like night had fallen. As Mas had said, after walking for about two hours, a building shrouded in darkness appeared through the trees. It was a small clearing, densely overgrown with weeds and plants. There was an old stone wall there. Vines twisted up through the cracks in the stone, and moss and mushrooms filled the gaps. The party members quietly looked at each other, then nodded. Joo Hyuk put down Mas and the luggage and stepped forward. ¡°I¡¯ll go check it out.¡± ¡°Be careful.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Hisssss. He carefully parted the underbrush and scouted around the ruins. ¡®No monsters. No strange objects. All clear.¡¯ It was almost a collapsed building, so there was nothing really to hide. After inspecting everything, he returned to the party. ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong. No signs of monsters or weird items.¡± ¡°I see.¡± The party entered the ruins, unpacked their gear by the stone wall, and tidied up the area. They cut back the weeds and spread out blankets. They gathered firewood, lit a campfire, and sat around it. Crackle. Crackle. The campfire flickered, casting shadows on the party members¡¯ faces. Joo Hyuk leaned against the wall, took off his helmet, and loosened the straps on his boots and armor. He brushed the salty sweat out of his hair and spoke. ¡°Let¡¯s eat.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± Without waiting for anyone to go first, they all took out food and water, eating and drinking. Joo Hyuk took a stick, skewered some jerky on it, and propped it up by the campfire. Seeing this, Mas and Kubo did the same, spearing jerky on sticks and holding them over the # N§àv§Ölight # fire. ¡°...¡± Joo Hyuk pulled out some bear-shaped biscuits from his bag and passed one to each of the party members. He didn¡¯t give one to Brin. Mas took the bear-shaped biscuit, then suddenly began to cry uncontrollably. ¡®Why is he like this?¡¯ ¡°Mas, eat it. Don¡¯t cry.¡± ¡°Sniff. Alright!¡± The guide rat-kin stuffed the biscuit into his mouth and chewed noisily. Kubo scratched his head. ¡°It¡¯s tasty, but not something to cry about.¡± ¡°Leave him be. He was possessed, so the taste must be something special for him.¡± Joo Hyuk responded, and Kubo scratched his head again. ¡°Yeah, that makes sense.¡± Joo Hyuk tore into the jerky, looking around at the party members. After days of exploration, most of them looked disheveled. Greasy hair, a horrible smell of sweat. It was the result of not being able to wash properly during that time. However, no one paid attention to it and was focused only on eating. After the meal, Joo Hyuk looked at Brin. ¡°Well, shall we hear your story?¡± ¡°...¡± Until now, Brin hadn¡¯t said a word. It was time to ask. ¡°So, the incident started right after we entered the 6th-floor forest zone, right?¡± Brin began to hesitantly recount what happened on the 6th floor. About an hour later, Brin finished her story. Joo Hyuk took out more firewood from his bag and threw it into the campfire. He stared at the flickering flames for a moment to clear his mind before speaking. ¡°We were transferred to the 6th floor, and then fell into a monster den. While Let was fighting wildly, we were ambushed from the rear, and the party got scattered, is that right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°So, how did you get out of there? No offense, but you don¡¯t seem that strong.¡± ¡°I... I just kept trying, and it worked.¡± ¡°...¡± Brin, under Joo Hyuk¡¯s gaze, began to sweat coldly and turned her head away. Was this even making sense? Trying hard was enough to get out? He was hearing something that even a dog wouldn¡¯t believe, and it only made him more suspicious. ¡°Iron Mask, is this person trustworthy?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any malice. Calione is from the noble family of the Prime Minister of the Lyonell Kingdom. They probably have a few lifelines.¡± Joo Hyuk¡¯s head snapped toward Brin, who was still sweating profusely, her head turned. Now he understood. The reason the Iron Mask insisted on bringing her along. She was supposedly a princess from the Lyonell Kingdom, so there was no way they could just let her be. ¡°...¡± Mas and Kubo stared at Brin with surprised looks but didn¡¯t say anything further. ¡°A member of a noble family. A student soon to graduate from the labyrinth academy. What business did you have coming to the labyrinth?¡± ¡°Well... I had to make up for some missing credits...¡± ¡°...¡± Joo Hyuk was stunned. He had no words to say. ¡°The academy is too much. They send a student into the labyrinth just because their credits are lacking?¡± ¡°No... that¡¯s not it. My father said if I didn¡¯t graduate this year, he would kick me out of the house, so I volunteered for the labyrinth exploration to earn lots of extra credit.¡± ¡°Did you not study?¡± ¡°...¡± Brin turned her head again. She had nothing to say. ¡°Is this how students usually come alone?¡± ¡°...Well, they do come with friends.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have any friends?¡± ¡°...¡± Brin lowered her head. ¡°Sky, why rub salt into an open wound? Can¡¯t you see?¡± Kubo stepped forward and said. Joo Hyuk scratched his head. ¡®Was she a hikikomori?¡¯ ¡°Fine. Since the Iron Mask accepted her, I¡¯ll keep quiet.¡± Hearing Joo Hyuk¡¯s words, Mas made a perplexed face. ¡°...Sky, it¡¯s all done. Look at her face. She looks like she¡¯s going to die any moment.¡± ¡°And by the way, if you see any of your party members, would you try to save them?¡± Joo Hyuk ignored Mas¡¯s comment and asked Brin. ¡°Ah... no. I wasn¡¯t that close to them. It was gross watching them mess around. They¡¯ll manage on their own.¡± Joo Hyuk nodded. While Brin was explaining what had happened, she kept bad-mouthing Let, so he could tell she really hated him. Well, it wouldn¡¯t be easy to watch a group of insiders mess around while she was there to make up for her credits. But, wow, the Lyonell Kingdom sure was in a bad spot. A prime minister¡¯s daughter with no friends, a hikikomori. ¡°Iron Mask, thanks for your hard work.¡± ¡°...¡± The Iron Mask glared at Joo Hyuk and sighed. ¡°Sky, stop talking nonsense and let¡¯s set the night watch.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± The party members gathered and drew lots to decide the night watch, then went to bed. ¡°Sky, wake up.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± Someone nudged his shoulder, and he opened his eyes. The smell of medicine. It was the Iron Mask. ¡°How long did I sleep?¡± ¡°About eight hours.¡± Joo Hyuk got up, stretched, and walked over to the campfire to sit. He had stood the first watch last night, thanks to the party members¡¯ consideration. It helped ease the fatigue from the battles. He pulled a biscuit from his pouch and chewed it while looking around at the party. Mas was chewing on jerky, staring at the map. Kubo was sitting quietly, meditating. Brin was leaning against the wall, nodding off. The Iron Mask was looking over a pile of parchment with requests written on it. Joo Hyuk chewed the jerky and stood next to the Iron Mask. ¡°Can we gauge how much we¡¯ve earned?¡± ¡°...We¡¯ve completed about three herb requests. The magic stone gathering and subjugation requests still haven¡¯t been completed.¡± ¡°What about those mushroom guys?¡± ¡°They¡¯re not on the request list.¡± ¡°Tch.¡± Joo Hyuk clicked his tongue. ¡°No need to worry. We got some good herbs, so we should be able to make about three gold coins.¡± ¡°Per person?¡± ¡°No. Three gold coins split between the four of us.¡± ¡°75 coins, huh... not bad.¡± ¡°Lucky. Sky, stop staring at it. Looks like Mas has found the way.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± The party members packed their things and gathered around Mas. ¡°As you can see, we¡¯re on the outskirts. To get to the transfer stone to the 7th floor, we¡¯ll need to walk at least three days straight.¡± ¡°It seems like we¡¯re really far out.¡± ¡°Right. And about Let¡¯s party...¡± Mas hesitated for a moment. ¡°Why? Speak freely.¡± ¡°Looking at what happened to Let¡¯s party, I think there¡¯s a monster den nearby.¡± Joo Hyuk nodded. It was true. The reason Brin, who had been with Let¡¯s party, had stood out so quickly was clear. ¡°We¡¯ll be careful passing through. And even though Let¡¯s party was attacked, we don¡¯t know for sure if they all died.¡± ¡°...That¡¯s true.¡± Mas glanced at Brin and answered. ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s head out.¡± The Iron Mask stood up and said. The party members nodded and put on their gear. After resting for a day, Mas quickly found the way. The party traveled for half a day along the forest path. Mas, who had been leading, stopped and pricked his ears. ¡°Stop. I hear someone groaning nearby.¡± ¡°Should we intervene?¡± Joo Hyuk asked. ¡°If we can, we should save them. Of course, only if we can. Mas, go scout ahead.¡± The Iron Mask answered in place of Mas. ¡°I understand.¡± Mas lowered his body and moved slowly. After a short wait, Mas returned. ¡°U... do you remember that human swordsman party from before?¡± Upon hearing Mas''s question, Joo Hyuk¡¯s expression hardened. Could it be? Was he talking about Let¡¯s party? The party members nodded, and the rat-kin hesitated before speaking. ¡°They¡¯re trapped in a giant spider¡¯s lair.¡± ¡°...¡± The party members fell silent. ¡°Umm...¡± Brin hesitated before speaking. ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t think we should save that harem party.¡± Joo Hyuk froze, staring at Brin¡¯s face. She was refusing before even hearing the details? ¡®She¡¯s not human?¡¯ Chapter 97: Ninja? Brin''s absurd words made the party members dizzy. "..." In the silence, Jung Yu-shin was the first to come to his senses. "Aren''t you the daughter of the prime minister? Don''t you think you''ll inherit your father''s job, save people, and set the country right?" "I... I''m the third daughter. And I don''t like that kind of burden. Prime minister." "..." Jung Yu-shin glanced at the iron mask and sighed deeply. "Whew. Got it. But I should try. I''m worried about just going." The iron mask accepted Jung Yu-shin''s words. "Scar is right. I can''t just go. If I can save you, I should save you. Brin, you won''t have to step up, so just stay still." "¡¤¡¤¡¤Yes." Brin couldn''t hide his nervousness as he answered. Jung Yu-shin looked around at the party members and thought for a moment. Giant Spider. A medium-sized monster three times the size of a Hobgoblin Warrior. It mainly uses paralyzing poison from its front teeth and spider webs. Its weight is also large, so even a good vanguard warrior would have a hard time withstanding a single blow to its front legs. If you confront it head-on, it would be difficult to predict a complete victory. ¡°Giant Spiders are strong. Even if you somehow manage to kill the babies, it will be difficult to do anything more than that.¡± Iron Mask said. ¡°You can get them secretly.¡± The dwarf priest intervened and said. Jeong Yu-shin looked down at Kubo. ¡°Kubo, your complexion is pale. Are you okay?¡± ¡°I feel a little chilly, but I¡¯m okay.¡± ¡°Did you take the antidote?¡± ¡°I took it last night. Gulp. Gulp.¡± Kubo suddenly coughed. ¡°Hmm?¡± A small spiderling crawled out from Kubo¡¯s nape. Thump! Jung Yu-shin swung his hand and swatted the spiderling away. Kubo flinched and stepped back. ¡°What, what?¡± ¡°I saw the spiderling and swatted it away.¡± ¡°T-thank you. But tell me. I thought my heart was going to drop. Gulp. Gulp.¡± ¡®I¡¯m a little uneasy. Is this right?¡¯ An unpleasant feeling prickled the back of his brain. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Why don¡¯t we just sneak over and rescue the people? There¡¯s no need to fight the giant spider. Should I go?¡± Mars stepped forward and spoke. But Jung Yu-shin interrupted. ¡°I¡¯ll go.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because I have the Venom Protection Imprint. Even if we get caught, we can buy time to escape.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Scar, you don¡¯t have to come forward.¡± Mars tried to dissuade him, but Jung Yu-shin shook his head. ¡°No. Let me go.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Okay. Don¡¯t push yourself too hard. If it doesn¡¯t work out, run away.¡± Iron Mask urged him earnestly. ¡°Okay.¡± Jung Yu-shin nodded and put down his backpack. He carefully walked through the bushes, carrying only his sword and dagger. Pssssss. Fortunately, since he had escaped the outskirts, it wasn¡¯t dark, so he didn¡¯t need a torch. After reducing the noise and moving slowly, he entered a quiet open space. There was a cave in the center of the open space. White spider webs were hanging everywhere he could see. The tree branches were no exception. He saw many monsters and people hanging from the trees, tied tightly with white thread. The arms and legs sticking out through the spider webs were as dry as mummies. ¡®There they are.¡¯ I could see pink hair and blue hair through the white thread. Pink hair was Irene. Blue hair was Lisa. I don¡¯t remember exactly, but it must be right. I approached the pink hair and blue hair slowly, step by step, without making a sound. The two women were hanging from the tree with their entire bodies, including their faces, wrapped in thread. I heard them groaning occasionally. ¡®They¡¯re not dead yet.¡¯ I took out my dagger and cut the spider webs little by little. I carefully picked up the bodies and placed them under the tree to examine them. They were twitching little by little and not coming to their senses. ¡®That¡¯s strange.¡¯ It was hard to see because they were covered by the spider webs, but the women¡¯s bellies were swollen. As if they were pregnant. I carefully tore off the face area. Their faces were as expected. However. They were as dry as skeletons, as if all the moisture in their bodies had been sucked out. The pink-haired woman rolled her eyes and looked at Jung Yu-shin. ¡°S...please consider it.¡± The pink-haired woman¡¯s tongue was loose, as if she had been injected with paralyzing poison. ¡°Eh...eh.¡± The blue-haired woman seemed to have lost her mind, and was only making a strange sound. ¡°Just wait a minute.¡± Jung Yu-shin answered in a small voice and raised her dagger. First, she was going to cut all the spider webs. The two women¡¯s bellies, as big as Namsan Mountain, were concerning. As Brin said, she knew that she had bitten and sucked Lett, but it didn¡¯t make sense for her belly to grow overnight. She carefully moved the dagger and cut the spider webs wrapped around her body. And the sight that was revealed. ¡®As expected.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t an illusion. Between the torn clothes. Her belly was swollen like a balloon. ¡°Ah... it hurts.¡± Pink hair muttered. ¡°Just hold on for a moment. I...¡± ¡°Bye... my stomach hurts.¡± ¡°Agyagya...¡± Jung Yu-shin turned his head and looked at the two women¡¯s stomachs. ¡®What...?!¡¯ Something was wriggling under the stomachs. They were too small to be babies. And there were too many of them. ¡°It hurts... it hurts...! Itaaaaaaah!!!¡± The two women¡¯s mutterings grew louder and soon became screams. ¡°Kkiaaaaaaah!!!¡± Pink hair screamed at the forest to leave with her reddened eyes. ¡®Fuck!¡¯ The woman¡¯s stomach swelled up. And. Boom!!! Boom!!! The stomach exploded like a bomb and blood gushed out. Boom thump. Blood and viscera stained his helmet and armor. Even splashed into his eyes, causing him to lose vision for a moment. Square. Square. He heard something moving near his ears. He barely opened his eyes. And immediately regretted it. Square. Square. Square. From the stomachs of the two women. Hundreds of baby spiders were coming out, swarming in a pitch-black hue. ¡°Ugh!¡± He stumbled backward, barely holding back the urge to vomit. ¡°Ah...ah.¡± The pink-haired woman looked down at her burst stomach and the hundreds of spiders coming out of it, and died. The blue-haired woman did the same. Rescue failed. It was already too late. There was no mention of a giant spider doing such a terrible thing in the book. Jung Yu-shin barely managed to regain his senses and stepped back. Squeak. Crackle. Crackle. The baby spiders clung to the bodies of the two women and began to gnaw at their flesh. Should we classify those horrible creatures as spiders? I gritted my teeth and cautiously walked back into the bushes. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Fuck.¡± I swore as I entered the bushes. I regretted my actions of trusting the Venom Protection imprint and flirting with the party ¡ã? N o v e l i g h t ?¡ã members. If I hadn¡¯t been lucky, I and my party members would have met a terrible end like those women. I felt it once again. The malice of the Great Labyrinth was as deep as the abyss. ¡°Hoo. Hoo.¡± I took a deep breath and pushed through the bushes to reach the party members. ¡°Uh...what happened?¡± Kubo asked. Jeong Yu-shin was glad he was wearing a helmet. No one would be able to see his expression. ¡°They¡¯re both dead.¡± ¡°Huh? When I saw them, they were both alive.¡± ¡°When I saved them, their stomachs burst and they died. The giant spider planted its young in the stomachs of the two women.¡± It was a disconnected conversation, but the people immediately understood. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤It¡¯s scary.¡± The dwarf muttered with a pale face. ¡°Let¡¯s go. Wherever we go, we have to get out of here. It seems like the mother is gone.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± The very moment he finished talking and lifted the luggage he had put down for a moment. Phew. His side stung. His mind immediately went blank. What is it? He lowered his head in confusion. ¡°Huh...?¡± Two fangs the size of a human arm were piercing his stomach. ¡°Scar!!!¡± Iron Mask ran towards Jung Yu-shin, shouting. So did Mars and Kubo. But. It was too late. His body lifted and flew into the sky. Whooooowung. He was dragged through the bushes with his stomach pierced. Tudadadada!!! Tree branches, blades of grass, and spider webs scratched his face as he passed. His helmet flew away somewhere. Boom!!! Jung Yu-shin¡¯s body that had been flying in the sky crashed to the ground. He rolled like a deflated soccer ball and hit something. ¡°Keep going.¡± A hole in his stomach. Blood flowed out from a hole the size of a small child¡¯s arm. A baby spider came into view. And the pink-haired corpse. It was already half-eaten, and his bones were clearly visible. ¡®F...it.¡¯ He realized. He fell into the same empty space he had just left. Kuuuuung!!! A wind mixed with grass and dirt blew past Jeong Yu-shin. ¡®Giant Spider.¡¯ ¡°Kreuk. Kreak.¡± Sharp teeth. Legs like logs. Multiple pupils the size of an adult¡¯s fist. A huge body that made your stomach ache. It wasn¡¯t for nothing that he was considered a god of death among the explorers who had just been promoted to lieutenant. ¡°Scar!!!¡± The party members hurriedly ran into the empty space. Among them, Iron Mask ran the fastest. ¡°Prepare for battle!¡± The dwarf priest Kubo began to chant. Mars raised his short bow. Iron Mask charged at the Giant Spider with his greatsword. Kubo¡¯s magic was activated in response. [Holy Fire] Kubo¡¯s sacred magic. The sacred flames enveloped the party members. It had the effect of increasing the target''s health and attack power. Iron Mask, who reached the Giant Spider, swung his greatsword with all his might as if he wasn''t even afraid of death. A brave swordsmanship. Hoooooooong!!! However, Giant Spider avoided Iron Mask''s attack by just slightly pulling his body away. Boom!!! The greatsword hit the ground. Most people cringe when their attacks miss. However. Iron Mask was different. He simply lifted the heavy greatsword again. Hoooooooong!!! Slashed down. The greatsword split the air. The target was Giant Spider''s head. Giant Spider retreated once again. Boom!!! Missed. The greatsword was stuck in the ground. Chooooooow!!! The Giant Spider turned around and threw a web. The mass of web that flew like a cannonball hit Mars at the back. Mars, who was rapidly firing with his hand imprint, was hit by the web and rolled around on the ground. He tried to get up again, but all he could do was flounder because of the sticky web. ¡°Mars!!!¡± Kubo ran to Mars. The Giant Spider¡¯s rear end was aimed at Kubo. [Intimidation] A mark that forcibly fixes the attention of a monster to himself. It was a gift from the labyrinth that Iron Mask had obtained. It was an ability that could not be used carelessly because it consumed an enormous amount of magical power, but he was in no position to be picky right now. ¡°Haaaaat!!!¡± Iron Mask grabbed the greatsword with both hands and rushed at him. Hooooooooooo!!! The greatsword that had risen high into the sky was slashed down once again. A storm of momentum. Phuhaaaaaaaaaaah!!! The greatsword cut off one of the spider''s legs. Green fluid spurted out like a fountain from the cross-section of the leg and soaked the floor. Neither the hard exoskeleton nor the thick legs like logs could stop Iron Mask''s greatsword. "Krerererek!!!" The giant spider screamed and swung its giant forelegs. Iron Mask tried to dodge, but the spider''s forelegs were faster. Ppaaaaak!!! Iron Mask rolled far away after being hit by the giant forelegs. Kubo grabbed his staff and stepped forward. It seemed like he was going to protect Mars and Iron Mask. Jung Yu-shin just watched the party members struggle through his blurred vision. "Cough." He coughed and bright red blood poured out on the floor. That spider guy had poured so much paralyzing venom that I couldn¡¯t move a finger. My breathing was getting faster and faster. I couldn¡¯t use Venom Protection. Strangely, my magic didn¡¯t move at all. ¡®Am I going to die here?¡¯ I prepared and worked hard. But in an instant, the party fell apart. Brin was nowhere to be seen. It seemed like he had already run away. ¡°Uh... over there.¡± Someone spoke from the side. I couldn¡¯t turn my head to see, but I could definitely hear the voice. The way he spoke was stammering. It was Brin. Jung Yu-shin¡¯s eyes widened. You came all the way here after that fierce struggle? How? ¡®Ninja...?¡¯ Chapter 98: Good Person Joo Hyuk¡¯s eyebrows twitched as he lay on the ground. Brin was crouching beside him. It was a strange situation. How had she secretly come this far? And then... ¡®Why... why is she helping me?¡¯ It was hard to understand Brin''s actions. They had only been together for a day, so there was still a lot he didn¡¯t know about her. But the nature of a person cannot be hidden forever. Some things began to show. She was lazy, but not stupid. She had emotional sides, but he thought she was a student capable of making sound judgments. ¡°U... I¡¯ll pour the potion.¡± ¡°...¡± Why was she helping him? She could have just run away. Pop. The sound of the bottle opening echoed. Forgetting the pain, Joo Hyuk started to think. Soon, he reached a conclusion. ¡®Could it be...?!¡¯ Was she inspired by the sacrifice of the party members? It didn¡¯t matter if that was the case. He couldn¡¯t miss this opportunity. ¡°Ugh.¡± A sound like air escaping from a balloon. And then the potion splashed all over his body. The sticky potion flowed down his head and face. ¡°...Ah, I¡¯m sorry...¡± He heard an awkward voice beyond his ears. ¡®Could it be...?¡¯ ¡°Antidote too... Ah?!¡± Plop. The contents spilled again, this time soaking his hair and even getting into his nose and ears. ¡°...¡± Joo Hyuk turned his eyes and glared at Brin. Brin, drenched in cold sweat, avoided his gaze. ¡®No. This is an opportunity.¡¯ Whether she was teasing him or not, thanks to Brin¡¯s help, he was able to move his neck and tongue just a bit. Joo Hyuk used his mouth and neck to lick the spilled potion and antidote from the ground. As if that wasn¡¯t enough, he even chewed on the dirt soaked in potion and antidote. ¡°Ugh... Ugh, disgusting.¡± ¡°Ptoo!¡± He spat the dirt out after chewing it. ¡°...Give me the potion and bandages from my backpack.¡± ¡°...Here.¡± Brin quickly pulled out several potions and placed them on the ground. ¡®Did she bring these already?¡¯ All the potions he had carefully saved were here. Healing potions, stamina potions, antidotes¡ªeverything was there. Thanks to the antidote, his movements were a lot better. But it wasn¡¯t enough. With trembling hands, he uncorked the bottles and drank them all. He even shoved the charcoal powder into his mouth. ¡°U... excuse me.¡± Brin raised her finger and pointed to Joo Hyuk¡¯s stomach. Thanks to the healing potion, his wound had shrunk, but there was still a hole. The colorful potion contents were leaking out, mixed inside his stomach. It didn¡¯t matter. He hastily wrapped his stomach with bandages and stood up. ¡°...Brin, leave. I need to fight.¡± ¡°U... I think it¡¯s better to just run instead of talking to me.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡®Focus.¡¯ Shhh. He tore off the remains of his light armor like rags and became bare-chested. His helmet had flown somewhere, revealing his burning transformation thanks to the Revenger engraving. Swish. He drew the longsword and slung it over his shoulder, moving forward. Towards the monster he needed to kill. The razor-sharp blade gleamed. The Iron Mask staggered and stood up. The brave dwarf priest stood before the giant spider with only a staff in hand. The Iron Mask¡¯s gaze was directed at Kubo, but his mind was drifting through old memories. ¡®Evan Lyonell, must you really go?¡¯ ¡®Yes, Father.¡¯ ¡®Isn¡¯t there another way if you look hard enough? The Great Labyrinth is a dangerous place. It¡¯s like an endlessly sinking swamp. Once you step in, it¡¯s incredibly hard to get out. Both heroes and villains alike die floundering in that swamp.¡¯ ¡®Isn¡¯t that how all lives are? I will go.¡¯ ¡®...Are you sure? Don¡¯t you know the people love you?¡¯ His father¡¯s sad eyes. The sky he saw when he left everything behind and ran out of the palace was so beautiful. Bam!!! Kubo was sent flying by the giant spider¡¯s front legs. His broken staff scattered in the air. Crunch. Joo Hyuk gripped his greatsword tightly, wishing his dying body could still move properly. He rose to his feet and walked toward the vile monster. One step. Two steps. His staggering steps soon turned into a full sprint. He lifted the greatsword, forged by the royal blacksmiths with utmost care. The funeral had already been held when he left the royal palace. He had no regrets. Isn¡¯t that the way human life is? A life wandering between desire and boredom, eventually ending up in a grave. ¡°Haaaaaaaa!!!¡± Whoooosh!!! The greatsword made a deafening sound. The giant spider was unable to resist and retreated. ¡®I won¡¯t miss.¡¯ Evan Lyonell twisted the greatsword in a downward slash, spinning it once in the air. With a twist of his body, he swung the sword down. A vertical slash without hesitation. Screech!!! The greatsword sliced through two massive legs in one strike. Boom!!!! Boom!!! The legs flew into the air and crashed to the ground. ¡°Creeeeeeek!!!¡± The giant spider screamed in a maddened frenzy and swung its front legs. Evan stood still. He had exhausted all his strength to swing the sword and could no longer move. ¡®Is this it?¡¯ Creeeeek!!! The giant front leg came crashing down toward Evan like an executioner¡¯s axe. In that moment. Squeeeeeeek!!! A golden spear lodged itself next to the giant spider. Perrrrk!!! The giant spider wavered. Its front leg barely missed Evan as it crashed into the ground. Boom!!! Through the swirling dirt and grass, a man walked forward. Bare-chested, with bandages wrapped around his stomach, a longsword slung over his shoulder. His eyes burned with blue transformation flames. Sky, the half-blood barbarian. A sight that couldn¡¯t be called good. A miraculous figure, standing and walking despite being in such a state. ¡°Iron Mask.¡± ¡°...Sky, run.¡± ¡°Nonsense. You take a rest.¡± At Joo Hyuk¡¯s words, the Iron Mask kneeled. He no longer had the strength to stand. Joo Hyuk turned his body and faced the giant spider. The Sacred Weapon pierced his side, leaving him in a dazed state. ¡®This is different.¡¯ This wasn¡¯t a typical giant spider. The disparity between the books he¡¯d read and reality was too great. A possibility flashed in his mind, but he discarded it. What difference does it make? He was going to kill it anyway. The light spear embedded in the giant spider scattered into particles. ¡°Creeeeeeek!!!¡± The giant spider, now steady again, charged at Joo Hyuk. Joo Hyuk ran to meet it. The spider¡¯s front legs came crashing down above Joo Hyuk¡¯s head. ¡®Bring it.¡¯ He immediately sidestepped to avoid it. Bang!!! The giant spider¡¯s front leg only hit the ground. Like a bomb going off, a mound of dirt shot up. ¡®An opening.¡¯ He placed the longsword on his shoulder and twisted his waist completely. A diagonal cut. Squeeeeeek!!! Kchhkkk!!! The longsword¡¯s sharp blade cut through the spider¡¯s leg halfway. ¡®Ainhofer.¡¯ [Sacred Weapon] A weapon forged through the fires of hell in his mind. A golden, one-edged axe materialized in his hand. He gripped it and swung. Kraaaack!!! He struck the half-cut leg with the force of a battering ram, breaking it off completely. Whoooosh!!! Greenish fluid erupted from the severed leg and splattered onto the dirt. ¡°Greeeeek!!!¡± The spider screamed as it frantically swung its front legs. Boom!!! Boom!!! Boom!!! Rolling across the dirt, Joo Hyuk stood up. ¡°...¡± He wiped the blood flowing from his mouth without even flinching and grinned. His blue transformation deepened. The spider turned around, exposing its rear. Thwip!!! Spider webs flew toward him. ¡°Haiku.¡± Joo Hyuk staggered and spun his body to dodge them. Then, he charged at full speed. The spider moved forward as if trying to evade, but its legs had been cut off, and its speed was slow. ¡®If we drag this out into a war of attrition, escaping will be impossible.¡¯ The party members were in bad shape. A thought flashed in Joo Hyuk¡¯s mind. ¡®Can I do it?¡¯ He didn¡¯t know. Failure wasn¡¯t an option. He would make it happen. While running, he bit the handle of the longsword. [Sacred Weapon] What he desired was a spear. ¡®Now.¡¯ He grabbed the long spear and drove it into the ground. Bam!!! He was launched into the air using the spear. The so-called pole vault. Iron Mask, Kubo, Mas, and Brin all looked up at Joo Hyuk in shock. As Joo Hyuk soared through the sky, he gave the party a thumbs-up. And then. He grabbed the sword he had spit out with both hands and aimed downward. A downward stab. Seeing him, the spider urgently moved, but it was too late. It couldn¡¯t escape. Whoooom!!! Joo Hyuk landed on the spider¡¯s upper body. At the same time, the longsword embedded deep into the spider¡¯s body. ¡°Greeeek!!!¡± The spider screamed as it twisted its body. ¡®As expected.¡¯ [Sacred Weapon] Time to break its skull. What he needed was a warhammer. He raised the massive warhammer with both hands, ? N§àv§Öl?g?§ä ? (Continue reading) high into the air. From above. ¡®This is it.¡¯ Whoooom!!! The brilliant golden warhammer smashed halfway through the spider¡¯s head and eyes. ¡°Greeeeeeek!!!¡± The spider staggered. It didn¡¯t stop. One more time. Boom!!! The warhammer crushed the spider¡¯s head, bursting its eyes completely. The giant spider could no longer hold on and collapsed. Boom!!! The ground shook violently, as if it had been well-fed. Joo Hyuk pulled the sword out and dismounted from the spider¡¯s body. He walked over to the spider¡¯s head and placed his mouth near it. ¡°Are you human?¡± The spider shuddered slightly. The reason Joo Hyuk was certain was simple. When bitten by the venomous fangs, his magical energy had been bound like it was chained, making him unable to move. No ordinary giant spider has venom that blocks magic. That left only one possibility. The engraving ability. He lifted the sword. ¡°Actually, it doesn¡¯t matter what you are.¡± Screech. The crushed spider¡¯s head rolled across the ground. Subjugation complete. ¡°Kaaack, ptoo!!!¡± He spat out the blood that rose from his mouth and used the sword as a cane to steady himself. What should he do first? Should he heal Kubo¡¯s body? He had the pesticide given by Edel. It was used to kill the pests that entered the body. Or should he deal with the Iron Mask, who was vomiting blood and collapsing? Or should he help Mas, who was tied up in spider webs and almost being eaten by spiderlings? ¡°Br... Brin.¡± He barely stood up and called the girl¡¯s name. Where had she gone now? At that moment. Someone approached. Joo Hyuk¡¯s eyes widened. It wasn¡¯t Brin. A muscular, 2-meter-tall deer-man stood, looking down at him. He wore armor camouflaged with leaves and carried a longbow and spear, both as tall as a person. ¡°A step too late.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve taken several steps too late. Who are you?¡± ¡°Look at the way you talk. I was sent by Ashur. Zara.¡± ¡°Pthooo!!!¡± Joo Hyuk spat out the rising blood and glared at the deer-man. Why did Ashur send this deer-man? ¡°It¡¯s not time to rest yet.¡± ¡°...Has madness clouded your mind?¡± ¡°Do you expect me to believe you just because you say Ashur sent you? These bastards suddenly appear and...¡± Thud. The deer-man silently threw something on the ground. Joo Hyuk¡¯s eyes widened. A sandbag. With trembling hands, he picked it up. It was heavy. His name was engraved on it. Before entering the labyrinth, he had trained with this sandbag in the swordsmanship association, enduring hellish practice. How could he forget that? The devilish smile of Ashur handing it over sometimes appeared in his dreams. Leaning on his sword, Joo Hyuk wiped the blood from his mouth and deeply bowed his head. ¡°...Please. Save my party members.¡± The deer-man crossed his arms and nodded. ¡°...I see. Lucky. Surviving that giant spider.¡± ¡°Sh...shit. That¡¯s not what I meant. Thank you. Sorry.¡± Joo Hyuk muttered the words and lowered his head again. ¡°...¡± The deer-man, leaning on his sword, silently watched Joo Hyuk faint and then turned his gaze to Brin. ¡°Girl, is this barbarian always this rude?¡± ¡°He¡¯s... a good person. Don¡¯t curse him. Damn it.¡± Brin defended Joo Hyuk. ¡°Phew.¡± The deer-man sighed deeply and fiddled with his horns while muttering. ¡°That giant spider is dead too. They should live like rats in the city. Why come back to the labyrinth and bother people? Tch.¡± In the dark forest clearing. The deer-man and the girl began to move briskly. Chapter 99: Ingrid’s Call Rumble. Rumble. A familiar shaking. A nostalgic feeling wrapping around his back and butt. Jung Yu-shin opened his eyes. ¡°What is it?¡± He was sitting on a train seat. Jung Yu-shin blankly looked around. An empty train car. There was no one. He turned his gaze. Outside the train window. The sea stretched out. The sea in the evening sparkled with the color of sunset. Crimson. A gift from nature at the end of the day. Rumble. Rumble. Jung Yu-shin¡¯s mouth opened slightly to the shaking. ¡°What the hell is this?¡± He killed a giant spider in the forest area and met a deer man. He doubted it when Ashur said he sent it, but he believed it when he showed him a sandbag. That was where his memories ended. Did something happen on the way back? So he teleported again? Since I was dragged to another world without any reason, I could have transferred to another place. No. That¡¯s not it. Magic adaptation. A phenomenon where the body mutates due to magical power. It was highly likely that it was what people called a level-up. It was a dream. As I concluded, my boiling heart calmed down. I leaned back comfortably on my seat and admired the sea. I enjoyed my leisure time in the empty train car where no one was. The train was going somewhere. The fact that it wasn¡¯t at a standstill, whether it was an illusion or something else, comforted my heart. ¡°Hmm?¡± Something strange happened. Two people appeared at each end of the train car. Karin and Mion. For some reason, both of them were wearing school uniforms. ¡°Karin...? Mion...?¡± Is this a dream or reality? Could it be that the evil tricks of my mind created this illusion? Karin wore a short skirt, revealing her healthy thighs, and her leopard-print bra was faintly visible over her white shirt. On the other hand, Mion wore a neat skirt, but her plump thighs made it cling tightly to her without her intention. She wore a long-sleeved cardigan, but her heavy chest made the shirt pop out so much that her black lace bra was clearly visible. The two people quickly approached and sat down next to Jung Yu-shin. ¡°Karin, Mion, how come you¡¯re here...?¡± The two sat quietly, glaring at each other as if they couldn¡¯t hear Jung Yu-shin. ¡°Karin, why are you here when I can take better care of you?¡± ¡°Mion, what are you doing here? Scar is the master, so it¡¯s right for me to take care of him.¡± ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous. Why are you here in the first place? Everyone else is working hard down there. There¡¯s no reason for Karin to come up here.¡± ¡°Get...get off me!¡± ¡°No...no. Karin-sama, please get away.¡± As the two of them got closer, he suddenly felt suffocated. A feeling as if something heavy was pressing down on him. ¡°Huk...huk. You two, please get away for a moment.¡± Jung Yu-shin struggled to speak, but the two of them continued to argue as if they didn¡¯t even notice him. ¡°Wait...wait a moment, I can¡¯t breathe...!¡± Jung Yu-shin opened his eyes. ¡°Hububububub.¡± Something huge was pressing down heavily on his face. ¡°Bub...get out of the way.¡± ¡°Ah...!¡± ¡°You¡¯re awake! Ska-sama!¡± The heavy object disappeared immediately. A strong milky scent lingered in his nose. And then Karin and Mion appeared. Their original appearances. Karin in a shirt and leather pants. Mion in her priest¡¯s attire. This was his own bed. Did he come back alive? For some reason, his body was filled with strength. A strange sense of omnipotence coursed through his body. Leveled up. Did he survive? He was lucky. ¡°What are you two doing here?¡± ¡°...¡± Karin and Mion exchanged glances in silence at Jeong Yu-shin¡¯s question. What? ¡°How long was I lying down?¡± ¡°About five days.¡± Karin answered. ¡°That was quite a while.¡± ¡°Nonsense. I was half dead. What the hell happened there?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t the party members tell you?¡± ¡°When I picked you up, you were all lying down in the relief center?¡± ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°Everyone was fine...but the priest.¡± ¡°Why the priest?¡± ¡°There were a lot of spider eggs on your shoulder, so you had a hard time. The deer said that the amount of pesticide was small, so there was nothing they could do about it.¡± ¡°I see... At least they all survived?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I see.¡± That¡¯s fortunate. They survived. Not alone, but everyone. He was happy about that fact. Jung Yu-shin smiled and looked up at Karin and Mion. ¡°But what are you two doing here? Please be honest with me.¡± Only then did Karin confess. ¡°I tried to take care of you because you wouldn¡¯t wake up at all. But this king-chest priest keeps getting in the way.¡± ¡°Wow, a king-chest priest? How shameless, Karin!¡± When Mion glanced at Jung Yu-shin, Jung Yu-shin had nowhere to look and stared at the ceiling. No. This kind of thing should be passed flexibly. ¡°Ah! Thank you, Priest Mion. In this forest area, there was a colleague who was possessed by an evil spirit, and I chased him away. I wouldn¡¯t have been able to do it without Priest Mion¡¯s blessing.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Huh?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you rub your tongue on my cheek last time? I misunderstood, but Priest Mion [N O V E L I G H T] has great foresight.¡± Mion¡¯s body froze like ice. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Huh?¡± ¡°What what what?! Mion! How dare you, you pervert with a big breast!¡± Karin was furious. ¡°T... That. You were conscious. Yes, that¡¯s right. I just cast my own special divine magic because I was worried about Ska-nim.¡± Mion, who had been flustered, immediately changed her attitude and answered calmly. ¡°You shady, wet priest! Get out of this inn!¡± Karin shouted, cursing. ¡°If it¡¯s about being gloomy, isn¡¯t Karin-sama one step ahead?¡± ¡°Ugh...!¡± Jung Yoo-shin looked at Karin. What? What? Karin being gloomy? Could Karin, who always teases people with a cool expression, have something like that? Knock knock. At that moment, a knock was heard. Karin and Mion stopped fighting and shut their mouths. ¡°Uh... Ska-sama, we have guests.¡± It was Tarman. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll be out soon.¡± Jung Yoo-shin answered and looked at Karin and Mion. ¡°Would you both please step out for a moment? I need to change my clothes.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Karin and Mion left the room, and Jung Yoo-shin was left alone in the room. He got up from the bed. He didn¡¯t know if it was because of the nursing or the leveling up, but he definitely felt more energetic. ¡®Is this the third level-up?¡¯ I was feeling uneasy because there was no progress for a while, but I didn¡¯t know there would be a reward like this. Do people get stronger the more they roll? Jeong Yu-shin smiled brightly and changed his clothes before going down to the first floor. When he went down to the first floor, Iron Mask, Mars, and Kubo were there. All the party members were gathered. ¡°Your complexion is nice.¡± Iron Mask said with a smiling voice. ¡°You too.¡± ¡°Are you trying to see through the mask? That¡¯s amazing.¡± The naked dwarf priest bowed his head as he looked at Jeong Yu-shin. ¡°Thank you, Scar. Thanks to you, I survived.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I just did what I had to do.¡± Really. If they hadn¡¯t come running when he was dragged away with his abdomen pierced by the giant spider, his life would have ended there. Although it was a virtue of the explorer to be careful of one¡¯s body while considering the odds, in the end, it was dedication and sacrifice that held the party together. Tteolgeureok. Iron Mask put his pockets up. ¡°Reward. 1 gold coin and 75 silver coins for everyone. That¡¯s the amount for completing about 3 Giant Spider subjugation requests.¡± Jeong Yu-shin smiled broadly and took his pockets. ¡°The subjugation reward is pretty good, right? By the way, Kubo, are you feeling okay?¡± Kubo trembled and touched his shoulder. ¡°As you can see. Hoo. It was really horrible. My body was weak and my shoulder was ticklish, but I didn¡¯t know that the baby spiders were eating my flesh. If it weren¡¯t for your pesticide, I would have already become spider food.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I should have trusted the imprint a little. By the way, what about Brin?¡± ¡°Him? That student went back to school. He got extra points." ¡°You laughed that you¡¯d graduate this time after getting a lot of money?¡± Jung Yu-shin¡¯s mouth opened. That¡¯s ridiculous. ¡°Are you laughing? You still laugh after going through all that trouble? You have guts.¡± ¡°A great person.¡± ¡°Your nerves are so strong.¡± The party members nodded as if they agreed with Jung Yu-shin¡¯s words. Still. Jung Yu-shin stroked his chin. It was bitter to have received a favor but send it away without any return. ¡°If I had known we¡¯d be parting like this, I would have taken care of something.¡± ¡°Scar, Brin already took half of the Giant Subjugation Reward.¡± Jung Yu-shin¡¯s eyes widened at Iron Mask¡¯s answer. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Is that true?¡± ¡°Yes. He claimed that he had the largest share. We acknowledged it. Brin took the reward from the Explorers¡¯ Guild.¡± Really. I thought he was timid. When I saw him take everything he needed and take it away carefully, I was speechless. Jung Yu-shin opened his mouth while looking at the Iron Mask. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤I was wrong. The future of the Lionel Kingdom seems bright.¡± ¡°...¡± The Iron Mask glared at Jung Yu-shin. Jung Yu-shin turned his head and looked at the party members. ¡°So when is the next labyrinth trip?¡± ¡°...¡± Everyone was strangely silent. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you saying anything?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t the Blue Moon Festival coming up soon? Even if you go, shouldn¡¯t you attend the festival?¡± Kubo scolded him. ¡°Do you want to rest?¡± ¡°Big! I¡¯m a priest. I have a duty to help with miscellaneous tasks at the temple to prepare for the festival. And...¡± Kubo paused and smirked. ¡°The Blue Moon Festival is a truly wild festival.¡± Suddenly? ¡°What do you mean madness?¡± ¡°This is it.¡± The dwarf circled one hand and thrust his other finger in. Mating. Sex. But fuck. I¡¯ve seen a naked dwarf grinning sinisterly and sticking his finger in and out. I wanted to slap the dwarf¡¯s butt and gouge out my own eyes. But I held back because I was so patient. ¡°Really? Mating? The Barbarians would really like that.¡± The color drained from Kubo and Mars¡¯ faces at the passing remark. ¡°That¡¯s real ¡®madness.¡¯¡± ¡°Scar, that¡¯s scary. Don¡¯t even joke about that. Last year¡¯s Blue Moon Festival was a disaster.¡± What the hell happened? No. You can tell just by looking at the expressions on these guys'' faces. They must have kidnapped a handsome man and a beautiful woman who fell in love with each other at the festival and raped them both. A man and a woman who fell in love at first sight at the festival held hands and went into a dark alley and pulled down each other''s pants, and Barbaroi appeared next to them and smiled happily. There was no need to imagine the rest. In the end, was it really necessary to listen to the tragic story of them both crawling out covered in cum? A lawless outlaw in the labyrinth city. A completely unconventional prediction. But. "Don''t I have black hair too? Can I participate in the festival?" "Aren''t you a good Barbaroi who doesn''t rape? The guards all know? The residents of the southern streets know, but there are many who are hesitant. There may be people who avoid you at the festival, but no one will reject you so much that you can''t even set foot on the ground." At Mars¡¯s words, Jung Yu-shin¡¯s shoulders slumped. Public sympathy? I knew it all. It wasn¡¯t something that could be hidden in the first place. Kubo chuckled. ¡°Honestly, it¡¯s a bit scary. Sympathy? I¡¯ll express my condolences in advance to your first woman¡¯s waist.¡± Jung Yu-shin¡¯s expression crumpled. ¡®These guys.¡¯ He kept saying that we¡¯ve become a little closer. ¡°Why do you think I¡¯m the one who¡¯s going to attack first? Isn¡¯t it possible that the woman could attack me?¡± ¡°...¡± The party members kept their mouths shut and stared at Jung Yu-shin¡¯s face. What? Crunch. They heard the sound of glass breaking behind them. Huh. When he turned around, Karin was holding an empty tray with a red face. The floor of the inn was covered with broken glasses and juice. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Ska, is that your taste? Do you like it when women force you, step on you, and spit on your face?¡± Being stepped on and spit on? Her sexual preference was too heavy. ¡°Karin, it¡¯s a misunderstanding.¡± ¡°That... that¡¯s right.¡± Karin nodded, but she didn¡¯t seem convinced. Kubo and the party members got up from their seats. ¡°Big...big. We¡¯re going to go now. I¡¯ve seen your face and I know you¡¯re feeling better, so let¡¯s meet again later.¡± ¡°When can we meet again?¡± ¡°A few days after the Blue Moon Festival ends?¡± Jung Yu-shin sighed and nodded at Kubo¡¯s words. Wasn¡¯t it almost like he was just going to have fun, eat, and die? ¡°Understood.¡± ¡°Then.¡± ¡°Goodbye!¡± The party members rushed out of the inn. Jung Yu-shin stood at the door to see them off and then returned to the hall. ¡°Scar.¡± Karin crossed her arms and looked at Jung Yushin. ¡°What¡¯s going on? What about Mion?¡± ¡°Mion went back. Oh! I forgot to mention it, but Mom called you.¡± If it¡¯s Karin¡¯s mom. Ingrid Redtail. Guardian of the Labyrinth City. One of the committee members. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Huh?¡± ¡°They told me to come tonight.¡± Oh, what¡¯s going on? ¡°Is there something bothering you?¡± ¡°No... They said it had something to do with Rin, but I don¡¯t know the details. Just go.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Jung Yushin felt a little puzzled, but he wasn¡¯t too worried. ¡®I gave you such a good massage. How could something like that happen?¡¯ Chapter 100: Visiting In the afternoon when the Iron Mask and the party members had left, Jung Yu-shin was sitting on the counter chair with his chin resting on his hand. Ingrid had decided to meet him in the evening. He had some free time and had a lot to do. He had to go to Ashur, the leader of the Swordsmanship Guild, to express his gratitude. He had to stop by the fox beast mother and daughter shop. He had to go to the Earth Mother Temple where Mi-on was and check for any possible imprints. All of these were things that had to be done. But they were also things that could be put off. ¡®It¡¯s annoying.¡¯ He felt a strange sense of weariness as the vitality that came with leveling up disappeared. Was it burnout? Or was his dopamine receptors crushed from rolling around in the labyrinth? In any case, it was good. It was possible that he unconsciously felt relief at having survived. He raised his hand and looked inside. His body had become stronger after leveling up, but nothing seemed to have changed. ¡®As expected.¡¯ I felt it the last time I leveled up, but the physical transformation was just a part of the magical adaptation that was revealed on the surface. I instinctively felt that my body¡¯s peak was being raised. I was strong even without training, but I was convinced that I could go higher with constant training. An example of this was Ingrid Redtail. When I fought Hans, who had turned into a monster, at the entrance to the labyrinth last time, I could clearly see her swinging her incredibly large sword like chopsticks. Her brute force that seemed to split the sky in two. It was definitely the realm of the superhuman. I was overwhelmed by that sight. ¡®Can I reach it?¡¯ I don¡¯t know. How many times do I have to level up and fight countless battles to reach the realm of the superhuman? Ingrid. Superhuman. Leveling up. Jung Yu-shin¡¯s thoughts wandered here and there and stopped at Ingrid again. Tall. A cold expression. An incredible sense of powerlessness. What if Ingrid were to suppress him with force? ¡°...¡± When he actually thought about it, his spine tingled. He had danced with swords many times, bordering on death, but he had never fought an opponent as overwhelming as Ingrid or Seamus. ¡®Should I prepare something else?¡¯ Jeong Yu-shin shook his head. ¡®No.¡¯ What would change if he took the sword? It¡¯s Karin¡¯s mother. It would be better to take a gift instead. He sat at the counter and blankly stared at Karin. Karin was working hard as a server despite the hot summer. Those who knew Karin¡¯s face were very embarrassed and treated her cautiously. Even those who didn¡¯t know Karin¡¯s identity were captivated by her beauty and showed a sweet attitude. A fluttering red tail. It was more shiny and moved more smoothly than when he first saw her. Jung Yu-shin crossed his arms and looked out the window. ¡®What should I bring as a gift?¡¯ He sat at the counter until dinnertime, thinking about this and that. He closed the shop and sent [N O V E L I G H T] Anne and Tarman away. Karin was staying at the inn anyway, so there was no need to go anywhere. ¡°Take this.¡± Karin handed him something wrapped in a bundle. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°I prepared it because you were sitting at the counter thinking about it. It¡¯s a gift for my mother. It¡¯s nothing big, just medicine and food.¡± Jung Yu-shin¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°How did you know?¡± ¡°I know everything!¡± Karin said with a smirk. ¡°Thank you. I hope Ingrid doesn¡¯t hate it.¡± ¡°She¡¯ll like it.¡± ¡°But was Ingrid sick?¡± Karin made a troubled expression. ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone else. It¡¯s a secret. He was very sick a few days ago. I went to visit him, but he wouldn¡¯t let me in.¡± Is that so? ¡°I¡¯ll be back.¡± ¡°Okay. Come quickly.¡± I left the inn with Karin seeing me off. The evening market was bustling with people. The atmosphere of the approaching festival and the hot summer night combined to create a hot atmosphere. Usually, when you think of bars, you think of the East Street, but there were many bars on the South Street as well. The sound of people chatting. The sound of glasses clinking and instruments could be heard here and there. People seemed excited already. My destination was the shelter in front of the Great Labyrinth. I walked slowly and arrived in front of the labyrinth. The city was crowded with people preparing for the festival, so most of the guards were in charge of security within the city. Perhaps that¡¯s why there were quite a few guards at the entrance to the labyrinth. I looked at the entrance for a moment and then went inside the shelter. The priest on duty confirmed Jung Yu-shin¡¯s identity and pointed to the back of the door with one hand. When he went out the back door of the relief center, he saw the yard. After passing the yard and walking a little further, he arrived in front of a secluded stone building. In front of the building door. The black cow man with sharp eyes folded his arms and looked down at Jung Yu-shin. ¡°Barbaroi, what is your business?¡± ¡°Ingrid called me here.¡± ¡°Leave the black one behind. What¡¯s in that bundle?¡± ¡°Food and medicine. Karin-sama gave it to me.¡± The black cow man looked startled. ¡°Ka...Karin-sama?!¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Are you that Barbaroi?¡± Jung Yu-shin made eye contact with the black cow man. ¡°That¡¯s it.¡± ¡°I see. How is Karin-sama doing?¡± ¡°Yes. It seems like she¡¯s doing fine.¡± I woke up today, what do I know? There didn''t seem to be any problems. Surprisingly, Tarman and Anne got along well. I was worried that she might be arrogant and overbearing because she was the daughter of the representative of the Suin Union, but that wasn''t the case at all. "I see. I''m glad to hear news from Karin. But." The black cow Suin''s expression hardened slightly. "The inspection is the inspection. Unpack your bundle." "Yes." I have to do as I''m told. The moment I was about to unpack, Ingrid''s voice was heard from inside the door. "Sky? Come in. Dolph, stay outside the shelter for a moment." The black cow Suin called Dolph let out a short sigh. "Whew. Come in. Be sure to be polite." "Understood." After the bull Suin left, I opened the door and went into the room. There was only a bed and a table in the room. I thought it would be full of expensive items because of his high status, but that wasn''t the case. ¡°What are you looking around for? This isn¡¯t my room, so I only put the bare minimum.¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s been a while. Ingrid.¡± Jung Yu-shin bowed his head to Ingrid and greeted her. Ingrid was sitting on a chair, dressed quite comfortably. She was wearing a white tank top and leather pants that were close to skinny jeans, revealing her voluptuous body. Similar to Karin¡¯s outfit. Honestly, it was hard to find where to look. The cold atmosphere from when we first met had faded. Instead, an unknown, alluring aura wafted out. In addition, Ingrid¡¯s thick body odor filled the room and prickled my nose. Should I say it was a thick, sticky body odor? My heart pounded strangely. Ingrid blushed slightly as she received Jung Yu-shin¡¯s gaze. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Sit down instead of standing.¡± Ingrid pointed to the chair. Jung Yu-shin nodded and sat down next to Ingrid. It was strangely close. Ingrid stared intently at Jung Yu-shin¡¯s face. ¡®Whew.¡¯ I experienced several things at once through Rin. I enjoyed the gentle massage. But. I thought it would end there, but I was wrong. ¡®...!!!¡¯ Suddenly, her whole body was crushed. An overwhelming weight that she couldn¡¯t resist. Ingrid was flustered and couldn¡¯t move. Humor. ¡®How dare you...!¡¯ As the representative of the Suin Union, she had always been proud, but it was humiliating to feel that way when a mere male body was crushing her. Again. She got hit in the butt. Since becoming the chieftain of the Red Wolf Clan and the representative of the Suin Union, she had never been beaten even once. Of course, she hadn¡¯t been beaten before either. Because they were all trembling and kneeling in front of the strong force. So when she got a slap on the butt. Ingrid was shocked. It was because the pain she felt from her hot buttocks caused a dark and smoky pleasure to surge through her brain. ¡®Ugh!!!¡¯ Becoming a mother of a child, she shook her butt vulgarly on the spot without any shame. Finally. Abyss massage. The massage, which usually ends briefly, never ended. This mixed-race Barbaroi''s massage continued all night. When my body relaxed, he pressed the embarrassing parts of my body that I couldn''t even talk about. When my body stiffened due to embarrassment, he relaxed it again with gentle hands. A hellish cycle. I clenched my teeth, but I couldn''t stop the drool from leaking out. I held on tightly to my thighs, but a part of my thin lace panties was soaked with a sticky liquid that was embarrassing to even talk about. ''Stop it...! No more...!'' Ingrid pleaded and struggled with a tearful voice, but it was no use. The man''s hands were driving her to the edge of a cliff. They were persistent and pathologically meticulous. ''Ah.'' That''s when I felt it instinctively. ¡®This man.¡¯ He wants to degrade himself into just a female. Every night, he fell asleep, clinging to this man¡¯s solid chest and smelling the male¡¯s scent. The baby room, which had finished preparing for ovulation because it had completely melted into the spicy and sweet massage, was crushed and crushed by this male¡¯s hands and crossed a river from which there was no return. ¡®S...my lord.¡¯ A mutter escaped Ingrid¡¯s mouth without her knowing it. Ingrid covered her mouth in surprise. There was no one around, but she was embarrassed. Haven¡¯t you already been married once? You lost your husband early and spent your time protecting your child and tribe. Even if you hadn¡¯t enjoyed the joys of being a woman, you had no regrets. No. I didn¡¯t know. It would be like this. ¡®S...my lord!¡¯ She blurted out the words again. A strange pleasure ran up her spine and penetrated her brain. ¡®T...stop it now! Please...! Stop it!!!¡¯ Dawn was breaking through the windows. ¡®No...no!!! Not like this again...!¡¯ Lying on the bed, she spread her legs wide and bounced her waist up and down in unison. As if wishing for something. ¡®No...no!!!¡¯ Ingrid¡¯s eyes rolled back. She lifted her chin high toward the sky and stuck her tongue out. ¡®S...Sir!!! Hoooooooong!!!¡¯ She let out a vulgar scream and shook her clitoris, which had popped out from the wet cloth, toward the air. There was no sight of her standing at the top of the Suin Alliance, swinging a huge sword and showing off her majesty. Instead. At the peak of her fall, she fell into the abyss, not knowing what to do, while struggling through the pitiful hole of the poisonous workshop. Thud. Ingrid, who had experienced a humiliating orgasm, trembled and gasped for breath. ¡®Hehe... Hehe... Ouch!!!¡¯ Ingrid¡¯s body froze. Even though her orgasm hadn¡¯t ended, she felt this man¡¯s hand once again. He was gently stroking the baby¡¯s room. Was it not over yet? Tears welled up in Ingrid¡¯s eyes. ¡®This man.¡¯ How far was he going to push her into the abyss? ¡®S...Sir, this...isn¡¯t...it...okay.¡¯ Shhhhhhh. Her lace panties were soaking wet. The noble leader of the red wolf clan and the guardian of the labyrinth city trembled and ended up incontinent. Ingrid. Unable to stop the sense sharing magic, he couldn''t endure the five-day massage torture. In the end, he called the half-blood Barbaroi his master and begged him, and not only did he climax humiliatingly, he even incontinently. And now. In the dark night. The two men and women faced each other again. Ingrid looked at Jung Yu-shin''s face once. ''He''s handsome.'' Calm eyes. High nose. A wild side was hidden in the soft atmosphere. He was originally a person who didn''t hide the ugliness of his face. However, now that he was here, he couldn''t help but look closely. He was the one who sent him to hell. Jung Yu-shin scratched his head. Because Ingrid was blushing and blankly looking up at him. "Uh... Ingrid?" "What, what is it?" ¡°Karin sent me. I brought some medicine here.¡± ¡°Really? Okay.¡± ¡°Um... Are you feeling unwell?¡± Jung Yu-shin¡¯s bewildered question. Ingrid¡¯s face turned slightly red. ¡®It¡¯s because of you!¡¯ But she couldn¡¯t blame him. ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay. Unwrap the bundle.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Jung Yu-shin unwrapped the bundle. ¡°Huh?!¡± Jung Yu-shin let out a strange voice when he saw the contents inside the bundle. Ingrid¡¯s face turned bright red as if she was going to explode at any moment. Inside the bundle. There was a leopard-print bra and panties. Cold sweat ran down Jung Yu-shin¡¯s forehead. ¡®Why is this here?!¡¯ Chapter 101: Ingrid’s Sigh A quiet room. Ingrid and Jung Yu-shin were looking down at the table at the same time. On the table was a set of yellow and black leopard-print underwear. ¡°...¡± Gulp. Jung Yu-shin swallowed dry saliva. ¡®Isn¡¯t this fucking crazy?¡¯ He brought the underwear Karin had been wearing wrapped in a bundle as medicine and food. From the mother¡¯s perspective, it was like Barbaroi, who had been thought to be pure, showing up. ¡®Wow! Your daughter enjoyed it! This is the underwear I like that your daughter wore when she was a corrupted woman!¡¯ A spoil of war that meant that you had taken your only daughter, whom you had raised with great difficulty, and dyed her with your own colors. And. A declaration of war that you would soon be like this. Is there a more vicious declaration of widowhood in the world than this? At this point, even readers who enjoy pornographic comics on some sites would shake their heads and back off. When I realized that, my body trembled. The other person wasn''t just a widow. The Labyrinth City Committee, the guardian of the Labyrinth. He was someone in a very high position. ''Karin...what kind of resentment do you have to assassinate me?'' The Chado Murder System. Death was right in front of me. No. I made up my mind. Even if I was caught in the red wolf''s den, if I just kept my wits about me, I wouldn''t be eaten. My head, which had escaped the line of death, began to spin quickly. "¡¤¡¤¡¤Listen, Ingrid. I can explain it well." "Stop it. This underwear is mine." "... Yes?" Jung Yu-shin asked blankly. Ingrid avoided Jung Yu-shin''s gaze. "It''s mine." ¡°...¡± Ingrid¡¯s red ears twitched. ¡®That¡¯s a joke.¡¯ A few weeks ago, this Barbaroi guy¡¯s massage made her feel dirty. So she secretly bought some underwear that she didn¡¯t wear. She usually wore clean cotton underwear. After buying it, it was too vulgar for her age. No matter how much she tried to wear it, the underwear with fancy embroidery was Ingrid¡¯s limit. So she never wore it and just kept it in the closet until her daughter stopped by after her house arrest. To be exact, it was more like Karin had taken it without permission. She confiscated everything her daughter had. It was the law of the Labyrinth City, so there was nothing she could do. In fact, it was stricter than other families, but since she was part of the Labyrinth City Committee, she had no choice but to set an example. Still, she couldn¡¯t help but ? N§àv§Öl¦Éght ? (Read the full story) feel sorry for it. She pretended not to know and told her to just take it. But her daughter used it cleanly and returned it. Karin knew that she would never wear such flashy underwear. But Karin insisted on giving it back to her. There was only one reason. It was a silent sign that she wanted to be completely independent as an explorer. On the one hand, she was proud of it. On the other hand, she wanted to die of embarrassment. She had to reveal her shameful side in front of this half-blood Barbaroi. Ingrid swept her hair from her ear and crossed her legs. ¡®Embarrassing.¡¯ If this man had laughed and said something like, ¡®Are you wearing underwear like this? It¡¯s outrageous,¡¯ she would have died right then and there. ¡°Scar, I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m showing you underwear like this.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤I think it¡¯s okay.¡± Ingrid¡¯s eyes widened at Jeong Yu-shin¡¯s soft words. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤What?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it a person¡¯s freedom to choose what kind of underwear to wear?¡± ¡°But isn¡¯t this underwear too flashy for a woman my age?¡± ¡°To be honest, when I first met Ingrid, I thought she was Karin¡¯s older sister. She¡¯s young and beautiful, so I don¡¯t think you need to worry too much.¡± ¡®I¡¯m not going to show it to anyone.¡¯ She swallowed her words. ¡°Oh... is that so? You¡¯re wagging your tail at my face.¡± Ingrid kept brushing the back of her ear hair with a blush on her face. Her wolf ears perked up. ¡°And I like leopard-print underwear.¡± Jung Yu-shin¡¯s sudden bombshell declaration. ¡°...!¡± Ingrid¡¯s mouth opened slightly. ¡®No way.¡¯ This man. Was he telling her to wear this underwear? With his innocent face and soft tone, he was trying to comfort her and then pushing forward with his ridiculous demands. ¡®Ugh...!¡¯ Not only did he play with my body like a rice cake, but he even forced his tastes on me. A dangerous man. An alarm bell rang in my head. He had driven me into a five-day hell of petting and made me say the word ¡®husband,¡¯ but now it was different. I had gotten through that hellish massage. Now that I had built up my tolerance, I couldn¡¯t just let him take it easy like last time. I won¡¯t be dragged around anymore. I have to make up my mind and refuse. Ingrid glared at Jeong Yu-shin with strong eyes. ¡°Ah... I understand. Do I just have to wear this?¡± Ingrid was shocked when she heard the words coming out of her own mouth. The reason why words completely different from her heart suddenly came out. ¡®Ugh...!¡¯ This isn¡¯t right. I have to be more aggressive. The words she had hurriedly blurted out were completely different from what she had thought. Jung Yu-shin, whose face was red, quickly waved his hand. ¡°Ah... no. That¡¯s not what I meant!¡± ¡°T-then?¡± ¡°It¡¯s about personal ¡®freedom.¡¯ If Ingrid wants to wear it, who can stop her?¡± Freedom. Ingrid swallowed dryly. ¡®You¡¯re a devil.¡¯ He was telling her to fall down of her own accord since he wasn¡¯t going to push her any further into the abyss. A thoughtless sentence to voluntarily fall down. A chill ran down her spine. This man, who never once asked for her body. He was telling her to open her own pitiful hole and flirt. How far must she be driven to the bottom before she¡¯s satisfied? But once again. ¡°I... I get it. Am I allowed to wear this underwear ¡®freely¡¯?¡± Ingrid¡¯s words came out contrary to her feelings. ¡°Yes. Whatever.¡± Barbaroi blushed and turned his gaze away. He pretended to be innocent, but inside he was a man of extreme sadism. Suddenly he became worried about his own daughter. ¡®Could it be that he was caught by this man...?!¡¯ Could it be that he was being subjected to all sorts of horrible things? If he died while exploring the labyrinth, it was inevitable. It would be heartbreaking, but those who try to stand above others inevitably experience this kind of hardship. Especially if he was alone in a high place, he would be directly exposed to all kinds of wind and rain. It was miserable and lonely. But there was something worse than that. What if his own daughter was raped by this man and gradually became accustomed to his obscene and sadistic demands that could not be expressed in words? So one day, when he retired as an explorer. What if she were to get a cheap tattoo on her stomach and chest, burn her flesh, and wear the outrageous clothes that only prostitutes wear, and then be in this Barbaroi¡¯s arms, giving up everything and becoming a semen collector who would be used for whatever he wanted? If that happened, she would collapse. Ingrid clenched her teeth. She couldn¡¯t just sit by and watch. For her daughter¡¯s sake or her own. She couldn¡¯t help her daughter directly. But what if she stepped in and took this man¡¯s sadistic desires instead? She was sure she could protect her daughter. Then, the place that she had never touched except when she was bathing became moist. It was as if it had been oiled, slippery, and warm, and it kept tightening and releasing. ¡°Hoo. Hoot.¡± Ingrid¡¯s breathing became rapid. Jeong Yu-shin made a worried expression. ¡°Are you okay? It seems like you¡¯re not feeling well.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay...it¡¯s okay.¡± I felt resentful. How could he make such a pitiful expression after harassing me so persistently for several nights? I wanted to pinch this man¡¯s cheek hard. But as a representative of the Suin Union and as a mother of a child, I had to endure it. ¡®Because he looks so shameless.¡¯ Ingrid took the leopard-print underwear with a red face. When the underwear disappeared, there was food and medicine underneath. A letter was also enclosed. Jeong Yu-shin opened her mouth. ¡°For now, Karin¡¯s request is over. Can I ask you something now?¡± ¡°Tell me.¡± ¡°Is there a reason you called me here?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that great of a reason.¡± Ingrid chewed her lips and finally said. ¡°Rin¡¯s massage gun" ¡°I see. I think I did it faithfully. We even slept together in my room.¡± Ingrid felt her pelvis sink down and stick to the chair softly. Like melting ice. ¡®I know. Your body odor, your sleep talk, all your gestures.¡¯ ¡°Lee...Lee said. She doesn¡¯t like massages that are too, too intense.¡± ¡°I see. I¡¯ll be careful.¡± A few scenes flashed through Jeong Yu-shin¡¯s head. The time he sat on Lin. The time he slapped Lin¡¯s butt. The time he massaged Lin all night because his hands moved on their own due to the side effect of sealing the virgin female corruption mark. ¡°B...Be gentle. Okay? Please. No more...¡± Ingrid blushed and couldn¡¯t continue speaking. Jung Yu-shin nodded. There was a reason why Ingrid said this. After all, who would like it if you treated it carelessly when it was a precious servant? ¡°I¡¯ll be gentle.¡± ¡°Hmph...!¡± Ingrid twisted her body. Jung Yu-shin scratched her head. ¡®It seems like you¡¯re really not feeling well.¡¯ In times like this, it¡¯s polite to quickly leave. He finished Karin¡¯s request and heard Ingrid¡¯s business. He thought it would be a nuisance to stay any longer. He got up from his seat. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll go in first.¡± ¡°Ah... I understand. Go in carefully.¡± Squeak. Thump. Ingrid lowered her head as she looked at Jung Yu-shin''s back as he walked out the door. Hopi-patterned underwear. She bit her lips tightly. If she didn''t wear it, he''d harass her more persistently. That smile. That expression. It was no different from the way someone spoke, who everyone already knew. ''If you don''t want to see your daughter become vulgarly corrupt, then you should take care of it instead. Is that what you mean?'' She couldn''t properly watch the entrance to the labyrinth because she had been subjected to humiliating torture for five days. She bit a pillow to hold back her vulgar screams, afraid that her daughter and her subordinates, who were worried about her, would find out, with only a door between them. "Whew... I got caught." The biggest mistake of my life was not being able to break the magic of sharing sensations with Rin, as I was immersed in the pleasure that I had never felt before, mercilessly slicing through my brain. I had no confidence in going back. What should I do? Should I wear this fancy underwear and flirt as that man wants? As the leader of the Red Wolf Clan and the Labyrinth City Committee? Deep in the night. Ingrid''s hot sighs deepened in the quiet room. Jung Yu-shin returned to the inn, feeling the warm night breeze. "Why are you here so late?" Karin rested her chin on her hand and glared at Jung Yu-shin. "We had a little chat. But." "Why?" "Why did you put your underwear in the wrapping bag?" "Huh... did you open the wrapping bag in advance?" "No. Ingrid told me to open it." "Is that so? That''s strange. Why did you do that? I thought you¡¯d just give me a bundle, but are you close with my mom?¡± ¡°No way. You¡¯re the representative of the Suin Union and one of the members of the Labyrinth City Committee. How could I become close with you?¡± ¡°But why did we talk for so long?¡± Jung Yu-shin tilted his head at Karin¡¯s question. ¡®Has that much time passed?¡¯ ¡°Even though we¡¯re not close, we have a connection.¡± ¡°What kind of connection?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you?¡± ¡°I was locked in the room the whole time.¡± Karin grumbled. ¡°That¡¯s right. The day I first met Ingrid was probably...¡± Jung Yu-shin crossed his arms and stared into space. ¡°Wait a minute.¡± Karin took a bottle of liquor from the cupboard behind the counter. ¡°Drink and talk.¡± Jung Yu-shin snickered. ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°And don¡¯t use formal language. What¡¯s going on between us... and you¡¯re the ¡®owner¡¯ of the inn.¡± Karin was the only one who emphasized the word ¡®owner.¡¯ Jung Yu-shin tilted his head and nodded. It probably didn¡¯t matter. He thought that Karin had made it up because she wanted to get close to him. Even though her words and actions were a bit aggressive, she was confident and thoughtful. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Okay. Keep talking.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s see... So we met Hans when we went into the labyrinth together last time, right?¡± ¡°Yeah. So?¡± ¡°That Hans guy...¡± An empty inn. As the night grew deeper, the glasses emptied, and the conversation between the two men and women grew twice as long. It was mid-summer. Chapter 102: Exorcism The sunlight streaming through the window. Jeong Yusin woke up, squinting. It was already well past breakfast time, more like lunchtime. "Oh, my head..." The hangover from the dwarf liquor he drank all night was no joke. He and Karin had been talking and drinking together, discussing various things. It hadn¡¯t been that long since he was separated from Karin, but quite a few things had happened in that time. The conversation lasted until dawn. He remembered getting drunk and climbing up to the second floor, throwing himself onto the bed. After that, it was all blank. Jeong Yusin slowly got up and opened the wardrobe. "Hmm." Inside the wardrobe, there were two or three linen shirts, two pairs of pants, a few tunics that he had taken from Oswald, and a fur-lined jacket Ingrid had given him. Mid-summer. Jeong Yusin was still wearing clothes meant for spring. ¡®I want to wear something different.¡¯ The reason for his hesitation was simple. The summer tunics Oswald had sent him looked... well, not great. ¡®The length is too long, isn¡¯t it?¡¯ It hung down to his thighs. And on top of that, he had to wear a belt with it. In short, it looked like he was wearing a boxy t-shirt and then cinching a belt around it. It looked ridiculous. With the linen shirts, he could tuck in the hem and wear a belt, and it would look neat. But the tunic, it just didn¡¯t suit modern sensibilities. ¡®Should I buy something new?¡¯ He quickly shook his head. He had enough funds, but he didn¡¯t want to waste money on something unnecessary. There were probably many well-known brands in the labyrinth city, but he had no money to spend there. Plus, with the festival approaching, the cost of living in the city was gradually rising. It was the perfect time to get ripped off. And while it might look ridiculous to him, other people might consider it normal. There were all sorts of people living in the labyrinth city, so fashion was diverse. Wasn¡¯t there a dwarf who walked around in nothing but panties? As a modern citizen, who respects diversity and life, he couldn¡¯t act narrow-minded. ¡®Alright.¡¯ Jeong Yusin took off the shirt and put on the tunic. The feel of the thin, soft fabric was surprising. He had asked for expensive material, and it seemed they really gave him just that. Just as he was about to put on the sword belt... Knock knock. The sound of knocking, and then the door abruptly opened. "What? Were you changing clothes?" It was a familiar voice. It was Karin. "Yeah. I¡¯m done, so no need to come out." "I can tell already. Are you putting on a belt?" Karin walked over confidently. "Yeah." "I¡¯ll do it for you." "You don¡¯t have to." "I want to do it." Karin came closer and took the belt, wrapping it around Jeong Yusin¡¯s waist. Soft. Because Karin was so close, her firm chest pressed against Jeong Yusin¡¯s, squishing against it. As Karin moved around, her chest squished against him and rubbed up and down. ¡®This is oddly close. Does Karin not realize her chest is touching me?¡¯ "Done!" Karin grinned and fastened the sword belt securely around his waist. As she looked up, their eyes met. "What?" "..." "Shy?" Karin smiled like a cat and pressed her body even closer. Their breaths were so close they could feel each other¡¯s warmth. Then Karin stepped back, her face slightly flushed. "Why... why are you looking at me like that? Your eyes... they¡¯re scary." Jeong Yusin turned his head. He had to resist. If he made a move on the daughter of the representative of the Beastmen¡¯s Alliance, there would be no place for him in the labyrinth city. His reputation would be completely ruined. "Let¡¯s go eat." "...Okay." Jeong Yusin and Karin went down to the first floor. They sat down and had a late lunch. "Skah, what are you doing today?" "The Earth Goddess Temple. I¡¯m going to check if I¡¯ve received the mark." "Really? Have a good trip. I¡¯ll watch the shop." After lunch, with Karin¡¯s cool send-off, Jeong Yusin headed to the Earth Goddess Temple. "Skah-sama." The receptionist at the temple recognized Jeong Yusin immediately and bowed his head. "I¡¯m here to check the mark." "I see. It¡¯s one silver coin." "Here you go." "Please wait a moment, someone will guide you." "Okay." Jeong Yusin sat down in the chair at the temple reception and waited for a while. A male priest approached. "Hmm? Skah-sama? It¡¯s been a while." Jeong Yusin looked up. Diego Perez. He was the intermediate priest who had temporarily taken over the orphanage¡¯s lessons when Mion had to take a break. He had been kind and a good teacher, so he was memorable. To see him here, though... "Priest Diego? I didn¡¯t expect to see you here. How have you been?" Diego adjusted his glasses. "Yes, I¡¯ve been busy lately with preparations for the festival, but I¡¯m doing fine. Are you going to see Priest Mion?" "Yes." "Please follow me. I¡¯ll guide you." "Thank you." Jeong Yusin followed Diego as they walked. "Skah-sama, how have your lessons been lately?" "They¡¯ve been good. Priest Mion has been kind in teaching me, so I¡¯ve learned a lot." "Do you visit the labyrinth often?" Why was he asking that? "Yes. I don¡¯t go too often, but whenever I get the chance, I try to go." "I see." Diego and Jeong Yusin continued their conversation as they walked through the temple¡¯s hallways. They soon arrived at Mion¡¯s room. Knock knock. Diego knocked. "Priest Mion, Skah-sama has arrived." "Come in." Creeeak. Jeong Yusin looked at Diego before opening the door. "Thank you, Priest Diego." "It¡¯s my pleasure." Diego answered with a smile. "Alright then. I¡¯ll see you later." As Jeong Yusin stepped inside, he didn¡¯t notice that Diego was staring at him. Right up until the door closed. Thud. Inside, Mion was sitting in a chair. It looked like she had just finished a class; there were several books stacked on the table. "Skah-sama." "Priest Mion." The two of them looked at each other. "I¡¯m glad to see you¡¯re feeling better." Mion gracefully walked over and stood in front of Jeong Yusin. She looked closely at the red hair on his chest. "Hmm." Mion made a soft noise as she removed the red hair from his chest. "Umm... Skah-sama?" "Yes, Priest Mion." "You came to check the mark, right?" "Yes." "There¡¯s a ¡®tradition¡¯ at the temple that increases the chances of getting a better mark. Would you like to try it?" Hadn¡¯t heard of that before. He didn¡¯t really understand it. Wasn¡¯t the mark something you just got when you left the labyrinth? He honestly didn¡¯t get it. The mark was already decided, so what was the point of doing this? Was this like Schro?dinger''s cat or something? "Is that something that exists?" "Yes." Mion smiled softly as she answered. ¡®If Mion says it exists, then it must exist.¡¯ Jeong Yusin nodded enthusiastically. There was no reason to refuse. In fact, he wanted to ask for it. "Please, go ahead." Mion sat in the chair and spread her arms. "Come closer, kneel on one knee, and bury your face in my stomach." Jeong Yusin looked at Mion. ¡®Is this really okay?¡¯ It must be. He didn¡¯t think Mion would lie to him. Slowly, Jeong Yusin knelt in front of Mion and buried his face in her stomach. The heavy chest pressed against not only his forehead but also his neck. And the smell of sweat. A mix of strong milk and vanilla scents entered his nose, tickling it. The sensations and smells from all sides. It felt like the whole world was Mion. Mion muttered something. Was she focusing? Instinctively, he sniffed. Mion¡¯s body flinched. "S... Skah-sama, when performing the incantation, please stay still." "Zzszgphn." Mion began the incantation again. Jeong Yusin held his breath and kept his face pressed against Mion¡¯s soft belly. "It¡¯s done." Jeong Yusin pulled his head away from Mion¡¯s chest and stood up. Mion¡¯s expression was calm. ¡®Is this a good mark?¡¯ He had rolled a lot. If there were a god of dice somewhere in this world, perhaps it would be moved by his sincerity and give him a gift. ¡®Please!!!¡¯ Mion opened her mouth. "Skah-sama¡¯s mark is ¡®Death Postponement.¡¯" "...What?" Jeong Yusin¡¯s expression stiffened. Death Postponement. Wasn¡¯t that similar to a death sentence reprieve? "...Shall I explain?" "Please." "Literally, it¡¯s a mark that delays death. When life is cut off, a bell sound is heard in the mind. How long it can be delayed depends on the person, so it¡¯s hard to know. But the maximum delay time is around 10 to 15 seconds." "I see." "..." Mion and Jeong Yusin were silent for a while. What should they say? A mark that postpones death... It sounded ominous. Mion seemed to be holding back her words. Jeong Yusin shook his head. ¡®It¡¯s not bad.¡¯ At least it wasn¡¯t some weird mark. Something like a mark that made him get aroused by frogs or a mark that made him die if he didn¡¯t walk around naked. "Good mark." "...Right." Mion smiled gently, but didn¡¯t say anything more about the mark. "Skah-sama, are you going to enter the labyrinth right away?" "No. I¡¯m planning to rest during the Blue Moon Festival." "I see." Jeong Yusin sat in the chair, chatted with Mion for a while, and then stood up. "I¡¯ll see you later." "Yes. Skah-sama, take care." "Yes." Jeong Yusin left the Earth Goddess Temple and walked through the streets. The strong sunlight of the afternoon beat down on him. After just a few steps, his back was already damp with sweat. "It¡¯s hot, so hot." He fanned himself with his hand as he slowly entered the inn. "I¡¯m back..." Crash!!! Before Jeong Yusin could finish his sentence, the sound of something breaking echoed through the inn. What was that? He snapped to attention and looked around the inn hall. Five burly men were confronting Karin. "Damn it, why does the food taste like this? Chef! Did you cook it with your feet?!" "Yaaagh! You call this food?!" Crash!!! A glass plate with food shattered on the inn floor. The men weren¡¯t just throwing food; they were spitting on the floor, kicking chairs, and causing all kinds of trouble. ¡®What¡¯s going on?¡¯ The men slowly closed in on Karin, surrounding her. "You bitch. Go get the innkeeper." Karin glared at them without responding. Could a mid-tier scout stand up to them like this? Was she brave, or just brainless? "Now that I look closely, your face isn¡¯t bad." A bearded man grabbed Karin by the chin. ¡®Oh my god.¡¯ Jeong Yusin took a step forward from the inn entrance. "What¡¯s going on?" His low voice echoed through the inn. Not only the burly men but also the customers turned their attention to Jeong Yusin. The bearded man removed his hand from Karin¡¯s chin and walked toward Jeong Yusin. The other four men followed, surrounding him. Jeong Yusin looked around at the men. Gambison attire. They had iron plates covering their private areas. They were armed with longswords, spears, and maces. Probably some mercenaries who had been through the ringer. "Are you the owner here?" Jeong Yusin nodded. "Yes." "You¡¯re young, so you probably bought this inn. Ever done business before? Want to make money with shitty food and a shitty attitude? You have no conscience?" "..." Jeong Yusin silently stared at the bearded man. "Look at those eyes. You don¡¯t even realize it. I was going to give you some consolation money, but forget it. Boys, grab that red bitch and the one in the kitchen." Just as the men moved, Jeong Yusin spoke. "How much consolation money are you asking for?" The bearded man sneered. "Hah! Now? About 10 gold coins would be enough." "Is that it?" "And I¡¯ll borrow that red bitch for a few days. I¡¯ll return her in one piece after having some fun. Damn, her body is a work of art." The bearded man¡¯s joke made his subordinates burst into laughter. Jeong Yusin was dumbfounded and let out a hollow laugh. He¡¯d never been treated like a black-haired barbarian to this degree, not even by the underworld. And now they were demanding 10 gold coins as consolation money? Was he possessed by something? If there were evil spirits in the labyrinth, surely there would be some in the outside world too. It was only a natural conclusion. There was no way these men would be doing such insane things without some evil spirit controlling them. Jeong Yusin scratched the back of his neck and came to a conclusion. "Gentlemen." The men snickered and looked at Jeong Yusin, as if daring him to say something else. "I think you¡¯re under the influence of evil spirits." "..." The inn fell silent in an instant. Not ~N§àv§Ölight~ only the men, but even the customers stared at Jeong Yusin with wide eyes. His words were far beyond what anyone had expected. They had expected him to offer money or start a fight with crude insults. Jeong Yusin raised his fist. "And so, from now on..." He paused for a moment, smiling at everyone in the inn. "I¡¯ll be conducting an exorcism ceremony." Chapter 103: Who is your father? The quiet inn. Everyone held their breath, alternately looking at Jeong Yusin and the burly men. ¡°Heh... hahaha!!¡± The bearded man let out a smirk before finally bursting into laughter. His subordinates started laughing along with him. ¡°Pfft... hahahaha!!!¡± ¡°G... pfft! An exorcism ceremony?! Is this guy completely insane?!¡± Jeong Yusin slowly ran a hand through his hair. ¡°Come outside.¡± The bearded man grinned menacingly. ¡°What a freak... fine!¡± Jeong Yusin stepped outside into the street. The men lazily followed him. The scorching midday sun. In the middle of the street, Jeong Yusin and the men faced off. The onlookers, not just in the inn but from the street, began to gather around, curiously peering at the confrontation. ¡°There¡¯s a fight!!!¡± ¡°Oh my, even though the festival is near, this is happening again?¡± ¡°I swear, I can¡¯t even do business because of these idiots before the festival even starts.¡± Grumbles and complaints echoed through the crowd. Soon, a considerable number of people gathered around Jeong Yusin and the men. One of them pointed at the men. ¡°Huh?!¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t those guys from the Pighead Mercenary Group?¡± ¡°Are they famous?¡± ¡°Not exactly. It¡¯s a mercenary group only those who know about it are aware of. I¡¯ve heard they¡¯ve been active in the Western Empire, but how did they end up here...?¡± ¡°They¡¯ve come a long way. Did they take the pilgrimage route?¡± Jeong Yusin overheard the murmurs, but he wasn¡¯t particularly interested in where these men came from. The bearded man kept grinning. ¡°Owner, are you scared?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°It¡¯s not too late. What we want is money and women. Let¡¯s end this quietly.¡± Jeong Yusin ignored the bearded man¡¯s words and looked around. In the middle of the street. The crowd had grown larger, gathering to watch the fight. He had heard people were flocking here because of the upcoming festival, but there were way too many of them. Jeong Yusin turned his head back to the men. They were all clearly newbies, possessed by demons. There was only one way to cure this. ¡°You filthy demon. Get out of their bodies.¡± At Jeong Yusin¡¯s declaration, the onlookers had question marks floating above their heads. ¡°What the hell is this half-blood barbarian saying?¡± ¡°Who knows? How could we understand, considering he¡¯s still a virgin at that age?¡± The bearded man chuckled. ¡°I¡¯ll beat you just enough to not kill you. Boys.¡± Four of the men charged at Jeong Yusin. Jeong Yusin stood still, carefully watching the men charge. ¡°Too scared to even move! What a pathetic bastard! Die!!!¡± The man shouted and swung his fist. The punch aimed at Jeong Yusin¡¯s chin. Whooosh!!! The man grinned. His face was annoyingly handsome. The kind of guy Jeong Yusin didn¡¯t like from the start. Imagining that chin getting shattered and rolling on the street made his heart race. At that very moment, the man¡¯s fist came close to Jeong Yusin¡¯s chin. Jeong Yusin turned his chin. Swoosh. The punch missed his chin completely and sailed past. And then. Jeong Yusin clenched his fist and stepped forward. The first hit was light. Holy one-two. Wham! Wham!!! A holy jab and straight punch shattered the man¡¯s nose and teeth. Broken teeth flew into the air. ¡°GAAH!!!¡± The man grabbed his face and screamed. Jeong Yusin nodded internally. Good. The demon was already trying to escape. With a middle kick, he sent the man flying, his face crushed. The next man lunged forward, throwing a punch. Jeong Yusin quickly pulled back. Sway. The punch barely grazed the tip of his nose. He could smell faint alcohol. Unbelievable. ¡®Did this guy drink before the fight?¡¯ The next guy seemed thoroughly possessed. With a slight bend, Jeong Yusin took a step forward and closed the distance between them. ¡°What... what?!¡± Like a flash of light. The man had no chance to react as his hands flailed helplessly. Holy body blow. Wham!!! His fist slammed into the man¡¯s ribs, crashing into his liver. Crunch!!! Jeong Yusin felt the ribs crack and splinter beyond his fist. ¡°Huugh!!!¡± The man immediately collapsed to his knees, struggling to breathe with bloodshot eyes. Jeong Yusin knew the feeling. The notorious liver blow; just a brush and all the strength drains from your body. A direct hit meant this man was done for. Jeong Yusin grabbed the man¡¯s hair. Even in the Bible, it was written: if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off, for it is better to lose one part of the body than for the whole body to be thrown into hell. ¡°You won¡¯t drink again. You¡¯re saved. I¡¯ve removed the suffering from your liver. From your body.¡± ¡°Ugh...!¡± The man foamed at the mouth, his eyes rolling back. In that moment. A straight punch aimed for his cheek. The next man. Jeong Yusin let go of the man¡¯s hair and raised his hand. Smack! Jeong Yusin caught the man¡¯s punch. The man¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. ¡°What...?!¡± The man grunted and tried to pull his fist away, but it was no use. Jeong Yusin exerted force. Crunch. ¡°Urrgghhh!!!!¡± The man screamed as his fist shattered, bones cracking under Jeong Yusin¡¯s grip. ¡°Look at that scream. He¡¯s clearly possessed. I told you, demons are inside them.¡± Wham!!! Wham!!! Wham!!! Jeong Yusin delivered three punches. With each punch, something smashed and blood splattered. There was no scream. The man collapsed unconscious to the ground. The last one charged in, wearing ominous knuckles. Jeong Yusin stepped back and delivered a Holy low kick. Swoosh!!! The whip-like kick hit the man¡¯s upper knee. The thigh bone shattered. The man fell like a ragdoll, his leg twisted in an unnatural direction. Screech. The bearded man drew a sword. Jeong Yusin clicked his tongue. ¡°Tch. Crossing the line.¡± ¡°You bastard!!!¡± The bearded man lunged at him. Had he learned swordsmanship? He exuded the aura ¡ô N§àv§Öl?g?t ¡ô (Only on N§àv§Öl?g?t) of someone who had spent a lot of time on the battlefield. But. [Sacred Weapon] The shining armingsword glimmered in an instant. Clang!!! The man¡¯s sword flew through the air. It wasn¡¯t a parry. He had simply lost his sword to Jeong Yusin¡¯s strength. Once more. [Sacred Weapon] The target was the knuckles. It was finally in front of him. Jeong Yusin took a step forward, closing the gap. The bearded man¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°W-Wait!!!¡± Holy uppercut. Hook. Wham!!! The bearded man flew backward, his jaw and teeth shattered by the cross combo. This can¡¯t end here. Jeong Yusin quickly reached out and grabbed the man¡¯s hair. ¡°Snap out of it.¡± Screech!!! A few teeth flew from the bearded man¡¯s mouth as he was slapped across the face. Only then did the man open his eyes. Jeong Yusin spoke. ¡°Why are you causing a ruckus at my place? With skills like these, what gives you the confidence to act tough? You¡¯re completely insane, aren¡¯t you?¡± Jeong Yusin shook the man¡¯s hair. ¡°Ugh!¡± The man groaned as he was shaken around. Jeong Yusin raised his hand again. He felt like giving one more slap to let out his frustration. The man flinched and waved his hands. ¡°Hands. Hands. Hands! Put your hands down.¡± ¡°Ugh!¡± ¡°You dumbass... you can¡¯t even speak properly. Hey, bearded guy, are you possessed by Satan?¡± Jeong Yusin stared into the man¡¯s eyes. The bearded man trembled and then wet himself. What an idiot. Jeong Yusin released the man¡¯s hair and looked around. No one had gotten up. The fight was over. Compared to the labyrinth, this was almost anticlimactic. ¡°Taruman, bring a chair.¡± Jeong Yusin looked around and called out to Taruman. ¡°Yes!¡± Taruman quickly brought a chair from the inn entrance. Jeong Yusin sat in the chair, crossing his arms. The men on the ground were wriggling like worms, shedding tears of remorse and joy. Well, they should be happy. They had gotten rid of the demon. Jeong Yusin sat in the chair and looked at the mercenaries. ¡°Karin.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Karin answered, her tail flicking. ¡°With your skills, don¡¯t you think you could just crush these guys easily?¡± ¡°... I didn¡¯t want to cause trouble for the shop by acting on my own.¡± Jeong Yusin nodded. It must have been hard for Karin, who was new to this shop, to act more aggressively. It was also his fault for not giving clear instructions. ¡°Karin, didn¡¯t the others stop you?¡± ¡°The customers? I told them to stop. I told them not to.¡± I see. Now it made sense why people who liked Karin hadn¡¯t stepped forward to help. ¡°Karin, next time, if guys like this show up, kick their asses. It¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°Ah, I understand.¡± Karin answered suddenly using formal speech. At that moment. The crowd parted, and people in plate armor appeared. They were the guards of the labyrinth city. But. There was something off about them. All of them had deep dark circles under their eyes. Their hair was a mess, and some guards had dried foam around their mouths. They looked like exhausted middle managers from a family-owned small business. Wearing plate armor under this blazing sun, holding heavy halberds... they must have been dying from the heat. Behind the guards, there were people tied up, lined up like sausages. Jeong Yusin immediately noticed. There were more of them causing trouble than he thought. One of the guards approached. ¡°Barbarian, thank you.¡± ¡°No problem. Taruman, bring us a cold beer.¡± ¡°No. Water, please.¡± ¡°Water it is.¡± ¡°Right!¡± Taruman quickly brought the water. The guard gulped it down and let out a long sigh. ¡°Phew. No stabbings, huh? Good fight. If it¡¯s okay, we¡¯ll take these guys with us.¡± ¡°Go ahead. But it looks like there are a lot of guys like this?¡± ¡°They come every festival, but this time, there are ¡®especially¡¯ many of them. Anyway, thanks for the water. Good work.¡± ¡°Yes. You too.¡± The crowd dispersed, murmuring, though they didn¡¯t forget to glance at Jeong Yusin. ¡°Let¡¯s go in. It¡¯s hot.¡± Jeong Yusin and Taruman, along with Karin, entered the inn. Jeong Yusin sat at the counter. Clunk!!! The inn door opened right away. Standing there was the Iron Mask. ¡°Skah, did you have a little scuffle? People are talking about you.¡± Jeong Yusin replied with an indifferent expression, crossing his arms. ¡°I just exorcised a few idiots possessed by demons. Nothing major.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± The Iron Mask was flustered and couldn¡¯t continue his sentence. ¡°Taruman, get Iron Mask some juice.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Taruman quickly brought juice to Iron Mask. Iron Mask skillfully drank the juice and nodded. ¡°Iron Mask, what¡¯s going on? Didn¡¯t you say we¡¯d meet after the festival?¡± ¡°I was going to, but I called you because it¡¯s an important matter.¡± ¡°What¡¯s it about?¡± ¡°It¡¯s related to your promotion.¡± ¡°Oh right.¡± Jeong Yusin had forgotten. With this trip into the labyrinth, he had met all the conditions for promotion. He could be promoted to mid-level scout at any time. ¡°I¡¯ve heard the scout guild is short-staffed. They say it¡¯s quiet. This is a great opportunity for a quick promotion.¡± ¡°What about the other party members?¡± ¡°Priest Kubo is busy with temple work. Mas...¡± ¡°Mas, why?¡± What happened to that guide rat? ¡°He got caught stealing the goddess¡¯s panties.¡± ¡°...¡± Jeong Yusin fell silent, not knowing what to say. What an idiot. Iron Mask continued. ¡°So he was sneaking through her pockets, and when the string got caught in her priestess¡¯s uniform, he pulled it out.¡± ¡°I see. Stop talking.¡± ¡°...¡± The two men sat quietly at the table. ¡°So what happened?¡± ¡°You said not to talk, right?¡± ¡°My mind¡¯s settled. Finish the story.¡± ¡°He got beaten up pretty badly. He¡¯s in prison. I just came back from visiting him.¡± ¡°How can we help?¡± ¡°Well, if Mas gets his mark checked, it might be considered a mitigating factor, but I¡¯m not sure.¡± I see. Thinking it over, it was despicable. Some people were fighting with demons, and others were getting caught trying to steal a priestess¡¯s panties in broad daylight. They had to atone for their sins. ¡°But is it okay for us to go alone?¡± ¡°Kubo and Mas confirmed it. They said it¡¯s fine. They¡¯ll be gone after the festival.¡± ¡°Really? Let¡¯s go.¡± It¡¯s better to strike while the iron¡¯s hot. Before leaving the inn, Jeong Yusin looked back at Karin and Taruman. ¡°I¡¯m going to the scout guild. If some trash shows up and causes trouble, don¡¯t hold back. Just beat them.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Jeong Yusin and Iron Mask left the inn and headed for the scout guild. There were just the right amount of people in the building. It wasn¡¯t crowded. They approached the receptionist. ¡°I want to get promoted.¡± The dog-eared receptionist wagged his tail and smiled. ¡°Oh! Four! Understood. Could I see your badges?¡± ¡°Here.¡± Jeong Yusin and Iron Mask handed over their badges at the same time. ¡°Are both of you getting promoted?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Got it. You¡¯ve both met the conditions for promotion. Please wait a moment.¡± ¡°Will it take long?¡± ¡°Oh! There are some documents that need to be reviewed. Plus, the guild master is currently out, so it might take a little longer. But it won¡¯t be too long.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Jeong Yusin and Iron Mask moved away from the counter and sat down at a table by the guild request board. They overheard murmurs. ¡°That half-blood barbarian¡¯s here again.¡± ¡°Tch. He won¡¯t die, huh?¡± Jeong Yusin ignored the comments and stared at the ceiling. Iron Mask stood up, but Jeong Yusin held his arm to stop him. There was no need to cause a ruckus since they weren¡¯t directly being harmed. They sat silently, waiting. How long had passed? Clunk!!! The door on the second floor of the guild burst open. The scouts, who had been loudly chatting, immediately quieted down. In the quiet silence, footsteps could be heard coming down the stairs. Thud. Thud. Jeong Yusin lifted his head and looked up. A huge man was carrying someone down the stairs. Familiar hair color? Jeong Yusin quickly stood up. ¡°Black hair?!!!¡± The man was over 2 meters tall. Thick muscles, pulsating with energy. Long black hair flowing down. A man wearing nothing but pants was carrying an unconscious woman on his shoulder. The woman¡¯s hips were facing forward, so her identity was unrecognizable. ¡°...¡± Every scout in the guild froze, holding their breath. The woman¡¯s hips twitched, and she vomited a thick, sticky substance. Splatter!!! Yellowish liquid splashed on the floor with a splashing sound, scattering in all directions. The black-haired man looked around and licked his lips. Slurp. His red tongue slid across his lips, causing several weak scouts to pass out and bang their heads on the table. Step. Step. With every step the man took, the scouts trembled, unable to move, as though they were prey in front of a wild beast. The man slowly approached Jeong Yusin. Jeong Yusin immediately stood up and glared at the man. Clack. The man stopped and looked down at Jeong Yusin. From his long hair, beast-like eyes gleamed. ¡°Are you that half-blood virgin?¡± His deep voice rumbled through the guild. ¡°...¡± Jeong Yusin silently glared at the man. The black-haired man spoke again. ¡°Crazy bastard. Who¡¯s your father?¡± Chapter 104: Have sex! Jung Yu-shin looked up at the black-haired man. Barbaroi. I¡¯m sure I saw one from afar at the last Karin party. ¡®This guy isn¡¯t the guy I saw last time.¡¯ But this guy right in front of me was worse than the guy I saw last time. The pressure was so intense. It was hard to even breathe. Why is he here? I heard he was sealed in the Eastern District brothel. ¡®Fuck.¡¯ The black-haired man didn¡¯t take his eyes off Jung Yu-shin. Instead, he narrowed his eyes and examined him closely. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤I heard a new recruit came after 3 or 4 years, so I wanted to see his face, but you¡¯re a virgin? Did you really receive proper upbringing?¡± ¡°Is there a problem?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a big problem. Do you have a problem with your body?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then why aren¡¯t you looking for a bride?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, I¡¯ll take care of it.¡± ¡°Are you crazy? I don¡¯t want to talk to you anymore, so leave a message for the union leader. Think carefully about our ¡®proposal¡¯.¡± The black-haired man passed by Jung Yu-shin. The smell of semen wafted from the woman hanging on the man¡¯s shoulder. ¡®This woman?!¡¯ Wasn¡¯t she the bespectacled receptionist I met at the first Karl party? Not only her hair, but her entire body was soaked in semen, so I almost didn¡¯t recognize her. I couldn¡¯t see where her glasses had gone. He kept mumbling something with his tongue stuck out and his eyes rolled back. The black-haired man opened the Explorer¡¯s Union door and went outside. Thump. The sound of the door closing. The surroundings were still in a heavy silence. Jung Yu-shin let out a long sigh. ¡°Hoo.¡± ¡°Scar.¡± The Iron Mask called Jung Yu-shin¡¯s name. Jung Yu-shin nodded and turned around. ¡°I have to go.¡± I can¡¯t just watch this. ¡°Let¡¯s go together.¡± ¡°No. This is the right thing for me to do. You, lend me your sword.¡± ¡°Yes...yes!!!¡± The guys who had been arguing with him in a sarcastic tone earlier answered politely in an instant. He received a longsword from a human man of similar height and put it on his waist. There was no need to delay. He immediately pushed open the door and went outside. The black-haired man was looking around a few steps away. As if he was looking for another hole. ¡°Kwaaaaah!!! That guy showed up!!!¡± ¡°Guards!!! Guards!!!¡± ¡°Ugh!!! Spirit God, please protect us with your eternal light....¡± The streets were in chaos. Those who seek God. Some shouted loudly, calling for the guards. Some even burst into tears. In short, a whirlwind of screams. ¡°Barbaroi!!!¡± Jung Yu-shin shouted with his sword in hand. Barbaroi, who was carrying the woman, stopped walking. ¡°Do you have anything left to say?¡± ¡°Leave the woman behind.¡± ¡°Is she a woman?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then why are you telling me to leave this woman behind?¡± ¡°You crazy bastard. Regardless of whether she is a woman or not, where in the world would someone attack someone in broad daylight?!¡± ¡°I did nothing wrong. This woman shook her buttocks and seduced me.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t listen to this anymore.¡± Slurp. Jung Yu-shin drew his sword. It didn¡¯t matter whether this guy was strong or not. Honestly, that woman was out of the question. How much discrimination and contempt did these guys have to endure? Just thinking about it made me furious. ¡°Die.¡± Jung Yu-shin rushed in. His physical abilities, which had been raised by a level, shone through. Ppaang!!! He kicked the ground with all his might, and cracks appeared in the bricks of the street. Top strike. Vertical slash. Swish!!! The sword flashed and cut through the air. The target was Barbaroi¡¯s head. Just before Jung Yu-shin¡¯s sword split the man¡¯s face. The man slightly bent his index finger. He flicked it. Taaaaaaaang!!! The sword split in two and Jung Yu-shin¡¯s two hands rose high into the sky. ¡®Crazy!!!¡¯ Incredible repulsion. The hands were tattered as if they were hit by the sword. ¡°I didn''t say this, but I saw a mirror recently?¡± "So what do you do?" ¡°Have sex.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Birds must fly in the sky, and fish must live in water. Have sex.¡± ¡°You have a lot.¡± ¡°Whew. Young half-blood, listen to my advice. If you get angry too much, you¡¯ll make mistakes. Your sword, your speech, and your actions. They all point to one thing. The end is near. It¡¯s precarious.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take care of it.¡± Barbaroi calmly looked down at Jung Yu-shin¡¯s face. ¡°Is that really so? Do you think you can endure the pressure of exploring the labyrinth with food and alcohol?¡± Jung Yu-shin¡¯s face crumpled. ¡®This bastard.¡¯ He felt like he had been watching him for quite some time. He remembered being nervous a few months ago when he was hanging around. Did he already dig everything up? As expected, it was the labyrinth city. There was nothing to let down his guard. At that moment. Thump! A person stepped forward, cutting through the crowd. Healthy tanned brown skin. Tank top and baggy pants. A familiar face. I had met her in the beginner explorer class. The leader of the Southern Area Explorers¡¯ Guild. Ursula. The crowd shouted. ¡°Chairwoman Ursula is here!¡± ¡°Where the hell have you been and why are you only coming now?!¡± Ursula ignored the people around her and stared at Barbaroi. ¡°Oh my. This happened after I went to headquarters? I really don¡¯t have time to rest.¡± ¡°You¡¯re here?¡± Barbaroi waved and greeted her. Ursula frowned at the sight. ¡°We¡¯re not in a position to exchange pleasantries. Barbaroi, leave our members behind.¡± ¡°Ugh... I see. It was a good hole.¡± Barbaroi gave up surprisingly coolly. However, he didn¡¯t stop there and brought up another matter. ¡°Chairman, what about the proposal we brought up last time?¡± ¡°I¡¯m thinking about it.¡± ¡°Time is passing. Don¡¯t do anything you¡¯ll regret. Isn¡¯t it a good proposal for both of us?¡± ¡°Did you sneak into my office to get that answer?¡± Barbaroi grinned. ¡°Our species is too shy to walk around in broad daylight.¡± ¡°Are you crazy? Go back to the brothel.¡± ¡°Understood. Take it. Half-blood.¡± Barbaroi threw the cum-covered union receptionist. Jung Yu-shin watched the receptionist flying toward him and then stepped aside. Blame! Ursula quickly jumped in and caught the receptionist instead of Jung Yu-shin. ¡°...¡± Barbaroi and Ursula looked at Jung Yu-shin in silence. The street people were also watching Jung Yu-shin¡¯s behavior with their mouths open. Jung Yu-shin scratched his head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. We¡¯re not that close.¡± ¡°But still, shouldn¡¯t people accept you?¡± Ursula frowned and scolded Jung Yu-shin. ¡°Come to think of it, I was a bit unkind. I¡¯m sorry.¡± The street people came to their senses and muttered. ¡°That¡¯s a bit... like that.¡± ¡°I saw you again because you were being fair. You¡¯re a bit broken.¡± Jung Yu-shin¡¯s face turned slightly red. Although he wasn¡¯t the type to be very neat, the naked receptionist was covered in semen all over her body. The sticky semen was still seeping out of her genitals. It was pouring out. For a sane person, it would be perfectly normal to avoid it for a moment and then look away. People¡¯s thoughts were different. Barbaroi looked closely at Jung Yu-shin and then turned around. ¡°Oh, really. The more I look at him, the more strange he is. Ursula, I¡¯ll hear the answer later.¡± ¡°Go quickly. Before I report to the committee.¡± ¡°Huh.¡± Barbaroi bent his knees and jumped up. Boom!!! The bricks on the street shattered and debris flew everywhere. Barbaroi¡¯s new form soared into the sky and landed lightly on the roof of a tall building. ¡®What is this?!¡¯ Jung Yu-shin¡¯s mouth fell open. Was it a dream or reality? How can a person reach the roof of that tall building with just one jump? He is a superhuman who has surpassed the limits of ordinary humans. The people on the street also gaped at the sight. ¡°Oh my. Just quietly go down the alley.¡± Ursula grumbled. Barbaroi, who had climbed up onto the rooftop, opened his mouth to look down at Jung Yu-shin. ¡°Your name was Ska? Let¡¯s meet often.¡± Jung Yu-shin¡¯s face hardened at Barbaroi¡¯s fierce greeting. ¡°Let¡¯s not look.¡± Jung Yu-shin¡¯s firm answer echoed through the streets. Barbaroi snickered and opened his mouth. ¡°Let¡¯s sleep.¡± ??? Barbaroi let out a questionable sexual slur and disappeared between the rooftops. ¡®What did I just hear?¡¯ Talking about genitals in front of everyone. He¡¯s not in his right mind. Has he also gone mad from the madness of the labyrinth? The villain of villains. They were scary guys that would appear in dreams. Despite Barbaroi¡¯s disappearance, the people on the streets were all groaning with anxious expressions. Many of them seemed to be new to the labyrinth city, tilting their heads with blank expressions. ¡°Chairman.¡± Jeong Yu-shin, who had come to his senses, nodded to Ursula. ¡°You¡¯re still alive? You¡¯re a half-blood with a long lifespan.¡± Ursula¡¯s words were endless. However, Jeong Yu-shin immediately understood and smiled bitterly. You have a long lifespan. That¡¯s true. Most of the people I took the beginner¡¯s exploration class with died during the Eldritch Wave. ¡°You were lucky.¡± ¡°In this world, luck is also a skill.¡± ¡°I see. You must be very busy, so I¡¯ll go first.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Jeong Yu-shin paused for a moment and looked at the receptionist who was being held by Ursula. ¡°Do you know me?¡± Ursula asked. ¡°I¡¯ve seen you often. I owe you a favor.¡± Starting with the Karl party, I owed you a lot. Of course, it wasn¡¯t in a good way. I almost died several times because of that receptionist. But. Now that I look at it, it¡¯s a bit sad. When I saw you being caught by Barbaroi and soaked in semen, I felt so sorry for you... ¡®No way. It¡¯s just karma.¡¯ Jung Yu-shin turned his head and looked for his friend standing on the side of the street. When Iron Mask waved one hand, Jung Yu-shin approached. ¡°Iron Mask, let¡¯s go. It doesn¡¯t look like I¡¯ll get promoted today.¡± ¡°I see. You¡¯re making me suffer for nothing. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Iron Mask apologized. Jung Yu-shin shrugged. ¡°I was going to see their faces anyway.¡± ¡°But that¡¯s really scary. How can he jump so high in an instant?¡± As Jung Yu-shin and Cheolgamyeon were talking about this and that and trying to walk away, A scout was standing blankly in a corner of the street. That¡¯s right. I forgot. Jung Yu-shin approached the scout and handed him the broken sword. ¡°Well done.¡± ¡°My sword...¡± The scout looked at the sword and cried. ¡®You¡¯re also suffering from karma.¡¯ Jung Yu-shin patted the scout on the shoulder once and left the street. He parted ways with Cheolgamyeon while walking and returned to the inn alone. Creak. As he opened the door and went in, a gruesome sight came into view. The inn was full of people, but it was as quiet as a mouse. Most of them were armed. They were dressed in shabby attire and had no uniform. A familiar sight. A middle-aged man with his hair slicked back slowly stood up from his seat after seeing Jung Yu-shin. ¡°Are you that young man with black hair?¡± Jung Yu-shin stared blankly at the middle-aged man and opened his mouth. ¡°That¡¯s me.¡± The middle-aged man smiled and opened his mouth. ¡°Master, I heard that our kids are in your care.¡± As soon as the man¡¯s words left his mouth, the inn was filled with a suffocating silence. The veins on Jung Yu-shin¡¯s forehead bulged. ¡°Hey, you bastards.¡± The idiots kept coming, and his anger boiled inside him. Wait. Is this enough to make you angry? He could have come for another reason. Isn¡¯t this too hasty? Suddenly, the words of the Barbaroi guy I met a little while ago /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ flashed through my mind. ¡®Have sex!¡¯ Chapter 105: Is death delicious? Jarik glanced around at the men sitting in the inn. Then, he turned his gaze last to the man with the slicked-back hair. He was about to say something but kept his mouth shut. Sex. It was a distant matter for him. As an outsider, struggling to find his way back, it was even more so. He had never been on the receiving end of kind looks since coming here. A few had believed in his innocence, but that was all. Contempt and ridicule had been his companions, at least in the early days in the maze city. "Owner, why the silence?" The man with the slicked-back hair, a middle-aged figure, asked. Jarik paused his thoughts and spoke. "Nothing to say. What''s the business?" The man with the slicked-back hair grinned. "I''m here to apologize. And, to see your face while I''m at it." Is that so. So, this was why Karin had let these guys off the hook. Karin was standing behind the counter. Tarman and Ann were next to her. ''Tarman and Ann are safe. Thank goodness.'' Karin knew what was in his mind. Without many words, she immediately understood his intentions and acted on them. "I''ll accept the apology. Just don''t show your face here again." "Ha!" The slicked-back hair man laughed as though it were absurd. "Hey, if you speak like that, how would we know if you actually accepted the apology? Our boys are new to the maze city and got carried away. Be a little more lenient." "So, who are you?" "The Pighead Mercenary Leader, Gaien." Jarik subtly nodded. So, he was the leader of the guys causing a ruckus at the inn earlier. "I see. Fine, go." The slicked-back man looked around with a smile and spoke to his subordinates. "Well, when he says go, we go. The owner¡¯s a cold one. Alright, boys, stand up." "Yes." One by one, the mercenaries stood up awkwardly and made their way out of the inn. Lastly, Gaien remained behind. "Young owner, can I offer a piece of advice?" "Don''t." "Hoo." The man with the slicked-back hair sighed deeply and scratched his head. "I should really watch my mouth. I almost couldn''t hold back." "Then come at me." "Hahaha!!!" Gaien burst into laughter. His loud voice nearly shook the inn. "I think we¡¯ll meet again soon... see you then." "You''re a real chatterbox." Gaien took a coin pouch from his pocket, tossed it on the table, and walked out. Thud! The inn door slammed shut, and ? N§àv§Ölight ? (Exclusive on N§àv§Ölight) only Jarik and the inn staff remained. Jarik approached the counter. "Did they cause any problems?" "No. They really just came to apologize, I guess." At Karin¡¯s reply, Jarik scratched his head. Could that be true? Something didn¡¯t feel right. Still, it wouldn¡¯t be right to grab someone by the collar just because they said they came to apologize. He decided to forget about it. He had also been unnecessarily short-tempered while speaking. Besides, there were countless other things to worry about. "Let¡¯s get ready for now. There¡¯s a lot to do for the Blue Moon Festival. I¡¯ll help." Jarik rolled up his sleeves as he spoke. The dark night. The man with the slicked-back hair was walking down a dimly lit path. It was the rundown neighborhood that Jarik would recognize at a glance. The outskirts of the eastern district, far from the center. The man found a run-down tavern and opened the door. Creeeak. Opening the worn-out door handle, he entered the tavern, where people wrapped in cloaks were seated. The tavern was also dark, and no one could guess the identity of the cloaked figures. "Gaien, did everything go well?" One of the cloaked figures asked. The man with the slicked-back hair sighed. "Hoo. That guy really had a nasty attitude." "In this area, he¡¯s called a barbarian. That guy is a mixed-blood." "A barbarian... might be right. That mixed-blood is causing trouble for our business at every turn, and there¡¯s been a lot of talk from the higher-ups. Honestly, I¡¯m starting to doubt if this plan will succeed." "It¡¯s a good time now, with the festival and all the people around." The cloaked figure asserted. Gaien rubbed his forehead. "They say nothing is easy, but this is really tough. We need to get slaves, but some ''strange guy'' from the Western Empire is ruining our business. It might even be more profitable to hunt inside the Eastern Union." "I¡¯ve heard a bit about it. That strange guy... he¡¯s the one..." "Tsk. They say he¡¯s a hero. I swear, all kinds of crazy people are popping up. I wonder what will become of the world." Gaien clicked his tongue and complained. The cloaked figure knocked on the table. "Wait comfortably until the festival. We still have some time before the plan is executed." Gaien leaned back in his chair and opened his mouth. "I remember that on the day of the festival, the plan was to cause a commotion in the city, right?" "That¡¯s right." "And you were going to take people from the arena and the black market while the confusion was happening?" "That¡¯s correct." "Where do you plan to draw attention?" "I¡¯ll let loose some of our monster friends in the southern district. The strong ones." "I heard there¡¯s an Elf Sword Master there?" "Even if there is, it¡¯s just one person. There¡¯s no way they can handle it alone." "I see. One more thing, though. Won¡¯t this increase animosity in the eastern district with this plan? Feels like a misstep." "We¡¯ve always been hated. It¡¯s no longer something of consequence. And not just monsters, we¡¯re thinking of sending one more. A human." Gaien¡¯s face stiffened. "Is it that guy? The one who got caught in the Giant Spider Cave and went half-mad?" "Yes. He¡¯s the one who was shouting about being a genius swordsman with a special engraving. I don¡¯t understand how someone with such an engraving ended up trapped there, but, well, it¡¯s not my business. We¡¯ve got one of our friends with a mind-control engraving, so we¡¯ve prepared well for it." "That guy is a poor soul. Tsk." Gaien clicked his tongue again and picked up his drink. The darkness outside the tavern deepened. A few days after the mercenaries visited. Jarik and his group were busy preparing for the festival. The most pressing concern was one thing. How to attract tourists? The maze city only had beastmen in human disguises as its specialty. It was a difficult problem to solve. Jarik, Tarman, Ann, and Karin were seated around the inn¡¯s table, each offering their opinions. "How about some delicious food? A local specialty?" Tarman scratched his short hair and suggested. "Local specialty sounds good. What kind of food do you have in mind?" Jarik asked, and Tarman stroked his chin before speaking carefully. "How about fish pies?" Jarik¡¯s eyes widened. Tarman seemed to interpret that as approval and broke into a big smile. "Boss, this is really good food. The maze city is located in the middle of the forest and plains, so seafood is very rare. There is a river, but how could freshwater fish compare to sea fish? Just leave it to me..." "No." "¡¤¡¤¡¤What?" "Tarman, why the sudden shift? Didn¡¯t you say you were trying to mend your ways? Why would you think of something like fish pies? Your heart must have been tainted by darkness." "Uh... I¡¯m sorry." Tarman apologized, looking confused. Ann, who had been quietly sipping water, spoke up. "Boss." "Speak." "It¡¯s not about the food, but I¡¯d like to participate in the festival with Mari and Dean." Mari. The girl who was raped by a group of hobgoblins in the maze and had her mind shattered. She had given money to dispose of the hobgoblin babies safely. And Dean. The boy consumed by the ''darkness'' of the maze, who had a mind full of flowers. He was said to be living in the Mage Tower now. Jarik hadn¡¯t heard any recent news about Mari and Dean. He hadn¡¯t asked either. It was a sensitive subject for Tarman and Ann, so he had intentionally avoided bringing it up. Jarik nodded willingly. "Sure. Let¡¯s do it. Are they coming to the inn?" "If you permit it, Boss." "Anytime. I¡¯ll gladly permit it." "Thank you." Ann bowed her head in gratitude. "Karin, got any brilliant plans?" Jarik asked Karin. "Huh? Sorry, I didn¡¯t quite catch that." Karin had been lost in thought and didn¡¯t respond properly to Jarik¡¯s question. Jarik sighed. "Ugh. What should I do?" This business was so difficult. Sitting in the inn, racking his brain, was pure agony. It was even harder not knowing what people might like. Just then. Clunk! The door opened, and a group walked into the inn. To be precise, it was two people and one creature. "Hmm? Who are you?" A waddling bakery owner teddy bear. A fox beastman Luna. Lyn. "Worried about what to sell, huh?!" Teddy Bear shouted. "Then we¡¯ll help!" Luna puffed out her flat chest and placed her hand on her waist. "Click!" Lyn struck the same pose as Luna. ''Hoo. Not even the soft friends.'' Jarik¡¯s stomach churned. He gestured. "Let¡¯s hear it. Come sit down." "Understood." "Can I get some juice?" "Click!" They brought chairs, but no one could sit properly. Jarik got up from his seat, lifted them one by one, and helped them sit. Karin, seeing this, chuckled. "Looks like our Boss can¡¯t resist when he sees something cute, huh?" Ann, who had brought the juice from the kitchen, smiled. "That¡¯s right. His love for cute things is clearly written all over his face." Jarik¡¯s expression stiffened. "Does it show?" "Well, when Boss¡¯s expression softens like that." Really? He thought he had hidden it well, but it was all noticed. By the way, when did Lyn become so close with Luna and Teddy Bear? He hadn¡¯t seen them for a while and was worried they might be causing trouble. Turns out, he was just overthinking it. Still, he had to say something. "Lyn, where the heck have you been wandering off to again?" "Click!" Lyn stood on the table, looking at Jarik with her belly sticking out proudly, hands on her hips. She faced Jarik boldly as if daring him to comment. Jarik glanced down at Lyn¡¯s soft belly, shaking his head. "Lyn, that attitude¡¯s not good. No massages for you for a while." "Click? Click click!" Lyn immediately relaxed her posture and clung to Jarik¡¯s hand, shaking her head. Karin looked at them, utterly confused. "What¡¯s going on?" "You shouldn¡¯t mess with Lyn!" Luna, who had finished her juice, chimed in. "That¡¯s right." Jarik looked at the three of them, raising his hands in surrender. "Alright, alright. I¡¯ll stop. Now, tell me the plan." "The plan we¡¯ve prepared is..." "Cre?me Slime Bread!" "Click!" Jarik scratched his chin. The cream was white, like Lyn¡¯s fur, and the slime was Luna¡¯s summoned creature. The bread was Teddy Bear¡¯s specialty. "I¡¯m not sure. The idea isn¡¯t bad, but without the real thing, it¡¯s hard to judge." "Real thing? What do you mean?" "Click click." "Don¡¯t worry. We brought the ultimate Cre?me Slime Bread!" Teddy Bear pulled something out of a paper bag. It looked like a round coffee bun. On the front, cute eyes and a bright smile were engraved. "Oh." "Looks cute." "Not bad." The inn staff sitting at the table each commented. "Alright, try it out!" Jarik took the bread and took a bite. As soon as the thin outer layer crunched, the heavy custard cream filled his mouth. The rich taste of milk and vanilla, along with the not-too-sweet cream, blended together in perfect harmony. "This." Jarik didn¡¯t even think to wipe the cream off his lips. "This is delicious enough to die for?!" Chapter 106: Suggestion The bread was crispy on the outside and filled with rich cream on the inside. It was a delicacy that even if two people ate it, one would die. ¡®It¡¯s touching.¡¯ My eyes stung. I had eaten all kinds of good bread while living in the labyrinth city, but nothing like this. The rich taste was good. However, it felt bland, so I mostly ate it with other foods. In short, it was a meal replacement. The sweet bear biscuit was the only drug allowed to me. Not anymore. Jeong Yu-shin jumped up from his seat and approached the teddy bear. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Why are you like that?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s hug it.¡± ¡°Hehehehe! Ha, don¡¯t do that, bear!¡± Teddy bear Su-in waved her fluffy arms around. ¡°I can be hugged!¡± Luna, with her mouth covered in cream, ran towards Jung Yu-shin, wagging her tail. ¡°Squeak squeak!¡± Rin also ran across the table. ¡°Luna, Rin. Everyone, you should wipe the cream off your mouth.¡± When Anne calmly pointed out, Luna and Rin stopped and nodded. ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Squeak.¡± Karin looked at Anne with a curious expression. ¡°Anne, the kids are listening well?¡± ¡°Yes. Maybe because I gave them food. I¡¯m not sure.¡± Anne tilted ? N§àv§ÖIight ? (Original source) her head and answered. Jung Yu-shin sat back down at the table. Then the bread is ready. I just need to prepare one more. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be boring if we only sold bread? Don¡¯t you need other things?¡± Tarman wiped the cream off his mouth. ¡°If you want to drink, there¡¯s milk. It¡¯s really fresh milk.¡± ¡°Really? Then let¡¯s do that. The last problem remains.¡± Everyone¡¯s eyes were focused on Jung Yoo-shin. ¡°How can we attract attention? How should we advertise?¡± ¡°...¡± While everyone was thinking hard, Luna stood on the chair and raised her hand. ¡°We¡¯re going to show you the slime dance!¡± Jung Yoo-shin looked worried. ¡°Won¡¯t it be hard?¡± ¡°Not at all! It is.¡± ¡°Tick tick.¡± Linda nodded next to him. ¡°Lin, do you plan on dancing too?¡± ¡°Tick!¡± Jung Yoo-shin touched his forehead. It was really a duo that was hard to stop. ¡°Do whatever you want.¡± In fact, it was good no matter what happened. They prepared the festival with the mindset that they would do their best, but if it didn¡¯t work out, there was nothing they could do. Tarman and Anne were no different from immature babies when it came to running the inn. They were barely avoiding a deficit these days. Perhaps failure was expected. However, there was something else important. Their priority was to enjoy the festival in good health. It was okay if they failed. If they were healthy, they could just get back up. ¡®I hope nothing bad happens.¡¯ She quietly hoped in her heart. ¡°We¡¯ll bake the bread! Please bring the cream!¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Teddy Bear left the inn. The people gathered in the kitchen and took their seats. They took out their tools one by one to make the cream right away after Teddy Bear sent them the ingredients. ¡°Hmm. It¡¯s summer, so the cream will spoil easily. I think we¡¯ll need a magic tool that emits cold air.¡± Karin muttered while stroking her chin. Jeong Yu-shin suddenly came to his senses. He forgot. Dairy products spoil easily in the summer. ¡°Was there a magic tool like that? How much does it cost?¡± ¡°Well... about 15 gold coins?¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Do you know where they sell it?¡± ¡°I saw it for sale at the magic tool shop in the central area. I¡¯ll buy it.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Jung Yu-shin handed Karin a purse and looked around. For some reason, tears were on the verge of coming out, so he forced a smile and opened his mouth. ¡°Shall we begin?¡± ¡°It¡¯s about making delicious cream!¡± ¡°Squeak squeak.¡± People chattered happily as they entered the kitchen. Karin took the money she received from Jung Yu-shin and went to the central area. It was a place she always went to, so she was familiar with it. She entered the alley and went into the magic tool shop. ¡°I¡¯m looking for a magic tool that emits cold air.¡± Karin said to the shop owner. The gnome sitting at the counter went into the warehouse for a moment and came out. ¡°I have one. 10 gold coins. The magic stone costs about 2 gold coins.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take this. Can you send it separately?¡± ¡°Yes. Where should I send it?¡± ¡°Do you know the inn run by Barbaroi in the southern district?¡± ¡°Oh... that place? I heard about it through rumors. Is it true?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I have to pay hazard pay?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not dangerous at all?! I work there!¡± ¡°Oh, really? She¡¯s a woman with a lot of courage. Hmm? Let¡¯s see... What?! Are you Karin?¡± ¡°Do you understand now? And don¡¯t call me by my honor. I¡¯m just an explorer now.¡± ¡°No... even if you say that.¡± ¡°Anyway, don¡¯t gossip about our Ska. Send the stuff quickly.¡± ¡°Yes, yes.¡± The gnome master scratched his head and muttered to himself as he watched Karin''s back as she turned away. "Karin-sama has become so gentle that I don''t recognize her. It''s amazing, it''s amazing." Karin bought a robe in the central area, put it on, and went to the eastern area. As she passed the gate and entered the eastern area, she saw many monsters. Karin walked through the monsters with her familiar steps and entered a dark alley in the corner. After walking for a while, she found a wooden house with a suspicious potion picture engraved on it. Gulp. This is it. The dark shop. It was a place that sold items that were difficult to sell in the sunny areas of the city. I felt sorry for Scar, but I couldn''t stand it anymore. Going through Scar''s laundry basket like a thief. Sniffing vulgarly at the underwear she found. That wet, oily priest was after Scar. While Scar was unconscious and asleep during the last labyrinth expedition, he had made a non-aggression pact with Mion. However, the pact was broken. He had planned to take Scar first. And this festival was the perfect opportunity. ¡®I won¡¯t give in.¡¯ Karin opened the door and went inside. Squeak. The inside of the store was filled with strange magical tools. ¡°Oh my. We have an honored guest.¡± Someone muttered while sitting at the counter. A dark elf, who had covered only his private parts with soft silk cloth, was smoking a pipe at the counter. Karin¡¯s face wrinkled at the pungent smell of cigarettes. ¡°Huh. What are you looking for?¡± ¡°Weak.¡± ¡°With such a lewd body? Who are you going to use it for?¡± ¡°Man.¡± The dark elf snickered. ¡°The other person must be quite the slut.¡± It was true. No matter how much she tried to seduce him with her body, Scar was an iron wall. On that subject, her chest would glance at her again and when she turned around, she would glare at her butt. As sharp eyes that seemed like they were going to devour her passed through her head, her stomach suddenly tightened. ¡°No, no, give me one of the potions.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± The dark elf woman sniffed and looked down at Karin¡¯s pants. To be exact, the area between her plump thighs. ¡°Are you too impatient? And you have a little bit of a curse wrapped around you.¡± ¡°I know.¡± ¡°Do you know exactly what that is?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Whew. Okay. Just wait a minute.¡± The dark elf turned around and rummaged through the cupboard. ¡°Hmm. This is good.¡± The dark elf handed Karin a vial filled with yellow liquid. Karin took it carefully and sniffed. It smelled strangely good. Should I say it smelled delicious? ¡°What...what is this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a paralyzing potion that immobilizes the opponent. And on top of that, it can make that place stand upright. Howl like a wolf in heat?¡± Gulp. Karin swallowed dryly once again. ¡°The important thing is not to overuse it. One drop is enough.¡± ¡°Okay. One drop.¡± ¡°Be careful. One drop. Anything more is dangerous.¡± ¡°Okay. How much?¡± ¡°I¡¯m in a hurry. Three gold coins.¡± ¡°It¡¯s too expensive.¡± ¡°Would you like a discount on the rum? Two gold coins and fifty silver coins.¡± ¡°Okay. Here.¡± Karin emptied her coin pouch and handed it to the dark elf. ¡°Here. Have a nice festival. Red wolf.¡± The dark elf chuckled. ¡°Keep on it! You knew that? You¡¯re really mean.¡± Karin glared at the dark elf and left the shop. Tingle. As Karin¡¯s red tail disappeared with the sound of a bell, the dark elf took another sip of his long pipe, sucked the smoke into his lungs, and exhaled it into the air. ¡°Whew... a laxative. You don¡¯t need that. You¡¯re so short-tempered. You take after your mother.¡± A quiet store. Only the dark elf''s soliloquy echoed quietly. Karin passed the Eastern District Gate and returned to the inn. As she entered the kitchen with her pounding heart, people were talking and stirring something. It was cream in a large pot. "You''re here? The magic tool just arrived. Where have you been?" Jung Yu-shin asked with a bright smile. Karin stared at Jung Yu-shin''s face for a moment. Why is he smiling so brightly? Usually, he would exude a sexy scent to tempt her. When he was working or concentrating, he would act innocent. He felt resentful for no reason. "I have a place to stop by." Jung Yu-shin tilted his head for a moment at the cold tone, but soon agreed. "Well, you want to see our competitors during the festival, right? I know how you feel. But don''t worry too much. We''ll win." ¡®You don¡¯t seem to know my heart at all.¡¯ Karin suppressed her sigh. Then she rolled up her sleeves. ¡°I¡¯ll help you.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Karin got angry for no reason and clung to Jung Yushin. Then Jung Yushin¡¯s body stiffened. ¡°You, are you too close?¡± ¡°So? Don¡¯t you have to stir it together anyway?¡± Karin whispered in Jung Yushin¡¯s ear. At that moment. ¡°Snap!¡± Someone stood at the kitchen entrance and coughed in vain. Jung Yushin, Karin, and the others turned their heads in the direction of the sound. ¡°Dalchangko, why are you so late?¡± The boar Suin scratched his head with an embarrassed expression. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ve been so busy with work lately that I haven¡¯t had time to open my eyes.¡± ¡°Come on. I have to work.¡± ¡°Ska-nim, can I talk to you privately before that?¡± Jung Yu-shin nodded, sensing an ominous atmosphere in Ddeulchangko¡¯s voice. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Okay. I¡¯ll go.¡± ¡°Come quickly.¡± Jung Yu-shin left the kitchen while Karin saw him off. ¡°Ugh.¡± Karin let out a deep sigh. Then she joined the group of people who were busy stirring the spatulas. Jung Yu-shin was startled by the sight he saw as soon as he left the kitchen. ¡°What is this...?¡± Several people with unusual atmospheres were sitting solemnly at the table. Ashur Startri, the head of the swordsmanship guild. Ursula, the head of the southern area explorer¡¯s guild. A dwarf wearing expensive-looking clothes. And. Mi-on. The strange lineup of people confused his mind. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you stop by once you get back? Make sure I come?¡± Ashur waved his hand and said. Ursula nodded. ¡°Ska.¡± Mion smiled and waved her hand slightly. ¡°Ska-nim.¡± ¡°We¡¯re old friends, right?¡± The dwarf in expensive clothes said with a grin. Jung Yu-shin tilted his head. Hmm? Where have you seen this dwarf? ¡°Ah.¡± I met him when I interviewed to find a cook after killing the slave hunters. That was also the day I first met the fox beast Luna. ¡®That dwarf who asked me if I was a non-rapist Barbaro.¡¯ I thought he was some kind of crazy guy. ¡°Old man, I remember now.¡± Jung Yu-shin answered and approached the seat. ¡°The head of the Southern Merchant Association, Sorgin Goldhand.¡± When the dwarf reached out, Jung Yu-shin grabbed his hand and shook it. ¡°He¡¯s short, but he¡¯s a tall man.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤He¡¯s a good feeder.¡± The dwarf replied with a trembling expression. Jung Yu-shin crossed his arms and looked around at the people. ¡°So why are all these great people gathered in this shabby place?¡± Ursula quietly looked up at Jung Yu-shin. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤You were there, so you know.¡± Jung Yu-shin frowned. You were there? What on earth are you talking about? ¡°Barbaroi brought a proposal.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Is he suggesting that we offer up a woman?¡± Jung Yu-shin responded lightly. However, the atmosphere became even more subdued. ¡°That¡¯s right. He said that he would control the crowd instead of the guards, but he wanted the ¡®hole¡¯ in return.¡± Shit. You crazy bastards. Was that really the offer? ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤But why are you telling me that? I¡¯m just...¡± ¡°There was one condition to the offer.¡± What condition? Ashur leaned back leisurely on his chair. ¡°You¡¯re saying you¡¯ll take the ¡®hole¡¯ you pulled out.¡± What?! Jung Yu-shin froze in shock. Then he barely managed to utter a single word. ¡°What the fuck.¡± Chapter 107: The Bad Luck Man Jung Yu-shin Barbaroi. They were completely incomprehensible bastards. They showed up out of nowhere, urging him to engage in sex, and now they were telling him to find a "hole." "Crazy bastards." What in the world were they doing? In order for humans to live together, there must be a minimum of decency and law to establish civilization, but these crazy barbaroi seemed to have none of that. All they saw was a hole, and if they found one, they''d shove something into it. That seemed to be the extent of their thinking. Maybe that''s why they''re called barbarians. Could it really be okay for people in the city to act like this? Joo Hyuk¡¯s expression grew harsh. "Are they insane? To put it bluntly, they¡¯re asking us to sacrifice people, offering to control the crowds in exchange, aren¡¯t they? Are we just supposed to sit here and watch?" Ursula swept her hair back. "Because they¡¯re strong. You know this better than anyone, right? They snapped a mid-tier scout¡¯s sword with just a flick of their fingers. Still don¡¯t get it? Who in the city would risk their own loss to kick them out?" "I know they¡¯re strong, but so many people are suffering, aren¡¯t they? If things keep going like this, who would want to stay in the city?" Ursula¡¯s expression tightened slightly. "Enough. You¡¯re just starting to reach the edge of mid-tier scout level, and you¡¯re trying to dig too deep." "I actually think it¡¯s a good thing they¡¯re acting like this." Joo Hyuk¡¯s mouth dropped open at Ashur¡¯s words. "...What do you mean by that?" "Sigh. Now that you¡¯re a mid-tier scout, you should understand some things." Ashur sighed deeply and continued. "There are several clans formed by monsters in the eastern district. Among them, there''s a large clan called ''Pandemonium.'' Their goal... you could say they want a world where monsters can live freely." "Ashur, you should correct yourself. It¡¯s not monsters, it¡¯s people who¡¯ve received monster engravings, right?" Ursula interrupted with a challenge. "Right. My mistake. I should start by explaining why such clans even exist... Let me think. In the eastern district, there are good monsters and bad monsters. Of course, the criteria are whether they¡¯re beneficial to humans or not." Out of nowhere, good monsters, bad monsters¡ªhe was lost. "Please, explain it more clearly." "Listen a little longer. For example, let¡¯s say there¡¯s a half-human, half-spider monster named Arakne. This Arakne monster produces fine threads, which can be used as raw material for high-quality fabrics. There¡¯s a profit. Even the slimes, who are busy cleaning the city¡¯s sewers right now, are like that." "What about basilisks? They spew poison nonstop from their mouths. You can¡¯t even look them in the eye because of their petrifying gaze. They live deep underground in the eastern district, unable to even see the sunlight." While listening to Ashur, a question arose in Joo Hyuk''s mind. "Can¡¯t you just cancel the engraving?" "That¡¯s right. But there¡¯s no money, right? There¡¯s no way to earn it either. And would that person even want to remove the monster engraving? That¡¯s another issue, so let¡¯s leave it." "..." "Do you know what happens to a person who is treated unfairly and left alone in a dark place?" "..." "Anger builds up. Can it be relieved? No, it can¡¯t. There¡¯s no ¡®monster¡¯ who understands and can communicate. In the end, it all boils over. Do they stop there? No. They want to vent what¡¯s in their heart and show it. Why? Because that¡¯s human nature. Now, let¡¯s go back to the story of the person who was engraved with the basilisk¡¯s mark. If you were that basilisk, there are three choices." "..." "Will you live like this? Or will you fight for freedom? Or, will you reveal your anger? Pandemonium is a group that wants to gain freedom through anger. And then, the barbaroi get involved. They¡¯re truly vile creatures." "Could it be..." "That¡¯s right. There¡¯s a chance they¡¯ll join Pandemonium." The more Joo Hyuk listened, the more confused he became. "Wait a minute. So, aren¡¯t there people who can stop those monsters in the eastern district? They¡¯re almost in a dominant position, aren¡¯t they?" "A lot of people are banding together to suppress them. Ingrid and Luke are at the forefront. And there¡¯s Shimus too. But the numbers aren¡¯t that great." Ashur paused, then sighed deeply again. "Hoo. Also, one of the members of the Maze City Council is none other than Lilith, the monster queen." What? There¡¯s a monster in the Maze City Council? Joo Hyuk couldn¡¯t accept it at all. "How on earth can those evil creatures hold a council seat? This sounds absurd." "Skah, be careful with your words." Ashur¡¯s eyes turned cold in an instant. "They¡¯re people who received monster engravings. And someone has to control the eastern district. Queen Lilith is at least relatively moderate." "I¡¯m sorry." He realized his mistake immediately. The barbaroi¡¯s suggestion was so shocking that his mind couldn¡¯t properly process things. "I got too excited. Calm down." He took a deep breath and started to organize his thoughts. The Maze City was currently in a tense balance of power. The barbaroi were stepping over boundaries and doing whatever they pleased. He thought carefully about the barbaroi''s suggestion. The lawless ones of the Maze City. The cold-blooded, hole-loving bastards. They¡¯d probably had their fill of intercourse by now. It was obvious their tastes were higher than his. But then, why would they want to get something in return for choosing a "hole"? "Hmmm." Had they ruined their brains with too much intercourse? Maybe they wanted to try something new. He understood. He had a friend who would get excited watching a comic called ¡®You¡¯re Piled Up.¡¯ It was about a married woman, after all. "The world is wide, and tastes run deep?" Hmm. Was this just a simple prank? They were the kind of guys who would grab anyone and do anything, so maybe it was just a soft prank. But with human trafficking going on, how could this be a joke? Just because the barbaroi were joking didn¡¯t mean Joo Hyuk could accept it lightheartedly. "What the hell are they doing?" His head throbbed. No matter how hard he thought, he couldn¡¯t come up with a reason. If he were stronger, he wouldn¡¯t have to think so hard; he would just smash everything. Joo Hyuk¡¯s eyes suddenly lit up. Of course. Could it be a culture? Maybe there was a barbaroi-specific culture he didn¡¯t know about. Maybe the hole chosen by the virgin had some special meaning. It could be like the tradition of placing various items in front of a baby during a doljanchi (first birthday) and watching which one they pick. "Hoo. Let¡¯s have an open mind." There were many cultures in the world. Some cultures circumcised a baby¡¯s foreskin on the eighth day of birth. There were even stranger customs. He shouldn¡¯t be surprised by any of it. "No. But cutting the foreskin at eight days is still a bit much, right?" "Aigoo, my head." Joo Hyuk rubbed his head. There was no need to complicate things. "You could just refuse, couldn¡¯t you?" "We think the same." "Right." Ursula and Sorgin nodded, agreeing. Joo Hyuk slumped in his chair. "So, what¡¯s the point of this proposal?" "The barbaroi pointed you out, so they came to see your face." Sorgin replied in a sly tone. "It doesn¡¯t seem like that, though." It looked like they were testing him to see what he would say. Really. Everyone around him seemed to be trying to push him into a test. It felt like standing on a narrow bridge right before the festival. Then. Someone gently took his hand. A hand quietly approached from under the table. It was soft and warm. Mion. "Skah, don¡¯t worry too much. I may not know about the others, but I know what¡¯s in your heart." Mion smiled and said. Joo Hyuk nodded. "Thank you." The merchant guild leader, Sorgin, got up from his seat. "Let¡¯s go. There¡¯s a lot to do for the festival." "Skah, your scout license will be ready in a few days, so take your time and come by." "I¡¯ll see you later." "Understood. Safe travels." Everyone spoke their goodbyes and left the inn, leaving only one person behind. Ashur, the swordsmanship guild leader. "Skah, how have you been?" "Busy with the festival preparations." "I heard you almost died again?" "Thanks to them, I¡¯m alive. If the deer beastman hadn¡¯t saved me in time, it would¡¯ve been a disaster. But..." "How did you know?" "Yes. It seemed too coincidental." "Well, it was a coincidence. ? N§àv§Öl?§Ôht ? (Don¡¯t copy, read here) That friend who turned into a Giant Spider Monster was one of our guild members. I taught him, so I¡¯m responsible." "..." "His name was Simon. A human boy from the southern Lionel kingdom. He must be about your age now." "He went mad living underground in the eastern district. He couldn¡¯t survive outside because if he left, he¡¯d be hunted down and killed. So, he ended up in the maze. I heard he and a few friends went in when Ingrid got sick. A few of them died, and Simon got hurt, but they somehow made it inside." "But didn¡¯t monsters usually get to enter the maze?" "Right. Anyone can enter freely. But Simon killed a priest. That¡¯s a serious crime. So, I asked that deer friend to chase him." "Shit." The taste in his mouth turned bitter. But he had no regrets. If he hadn¡¯t fought, he would¡¯ve died. It was impossible to go easy. "Well, it was still a coincidence. To run into him in such a vast area." Ashur chuckled. "You always seem to survive, don¡¯t you? Isn¡¯t it time to admit it?" "What do you mean?" "My old instincts tell me. You carry bad luck." Joo Hyuk furrowed his brow. Suddenly, a curse. "Have you lost your mind?" "This bastard?" Ashur glared at Joo Hyuk before getting up from his seat. "Are you going to enter the maze right after the festival?" "Yes." "Stop by before you go." "Understood. Ah! But by the way." Joo Hyuk explained the death delay engraving he had recently obtained. "...Is it possible that the death delay and revenger engravings can work together? Like delaying death and then recovering as a revenger to fight again." As Joo Hyuk gestured and explained earnestly, Ashur tilted his head. "I¡¯ve never heard of someone with both death delay and revenger engravings. But I¡¯ll look into it, just in case." "Thank you, Master." "I¡¯ll take my fee." "Guild leader, what money between us? We¡¯re bound by friendship. Don¡¯t do this." "One gold coin." "Guild leader, you shouldn¡¯t do business like this." "You¡¯re a scary one. If you keep this up, you¡¯ll be called a money-grubber. Fine, I¡¯ll make it thirty silver coins." "Thank you, Master." "Take care." "Yes." Ashur gave Joo Hyuk¡¯s shoulder a tap, turned around, and left the inn. Joo Hyuk escorted Ashur out of the inn and came back inside. The shopkeeper was standing at the counter. Joo Hyuk walked up to him and slung his arm around his shoulder. "Shopkeeper." "Yes?" "Can you lend me some money?" "...Alright." "Relax. I¡¯ll pay you back. I spent a lot on festival preparations. You know? I keep my promises." "Yes, yes." "Let¡¯s go. Time to work." Joo Hyuk firmly gripped the shopkeeper''s shoulder and headed toward the kitchen. Joo Hyuk and his group worked tirelessly on festival preparations for the next few days. And then. The Blue Moon Festival was just one day away. Chapter 108: Return of the Old Soldiers Evening at the Inn. Jeong Yushin and the others gathered and sat down. Tarman opened his mouth with a determined expression. "I¡¯ve worked hard, saving on sleep to prepare everything. Now, with the official opening just ahead, the sound of the wind and the eerie sound of rain tapping against the window are the only things we hear. Many merchants mocked us, but whether they¡¯re the ones who are pathetic or if it¡¯s us will be decided by the results." Jeong Yushin made a face of mild displeasure. ''Why is this guy acting like this all of a sudden?'' "Tarman, I remember that the merchants never mocked us. I¡¯ve never heard them call us pathetic. It¡¯s not even raining. It¡¯s summer right now. Isn¡¯t this a bit too sentimental?" "..." When the others silently stared at Tarman, he scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "It just means I worked that hard, okay?" "That¡¯s true." They had spent the last few days setting up the inn and preparing food. They baked bread and filled it with cream. They went through failures and self-reflection with each step. Honestly, the word "hard work" didn¡¯t even do it justice. They worked to the bone. "So, Tarman, you decided to bring Mari, huh? What happened to Dean?" "Dean will be coming in a few days." Jeong Yushin stood up and clapped his hands. "Alright, then let¡¯s finish up here and take a break." The next day. The Labyrinth City was overwhelmed with an unprecedented crowd. Every alley in the streets was packed with tourists. As a result, the guards'' vigilance was slowly fading. The reason people had gathered like this was simple. It was because of the blessing of the Spirit God. On festival days, the Spirit Gods would fly through the night sky, blessing a few selected people, which had become a famous event. For some, it granted long life, for others, wealth and power. It was even said that it could help people find love, though that wasn¡¯t certain. Despite the extremely low chances, with only a few people receiving the blessing, many gathered, hoping for a miracle. The festival lasted about five days. During that time, perhaps a few people would be blessed. Jeong Yushin thought little of it. What mattered to him was not that, but the Cream Slime Bread. Since it was the first day, he had to make sure it went well. Jeong Yushin set up a wooden stand in front of the inn and piled the special Cream Slime Bread one by one. "Look at the slime shape! The eyes and the mouth¡ªit''s so cute!" "Yeah, it¡¯s unique. I wonder what it tastes like...?" Curiosity sparked in some people because of the odd shape of the bread, and one by one, they bought a piece and put it in their mouths. And then. "Woah!!! Could bread be this delicious?!" "Look at this cream!" "Housekeeper!!! Bring more!!!" "The taste of heaven!" Those who tried the bread started to rave about it, and soon, the attention of others was drawn to them. "It¡¯s cheap!!! So cheap!!! Only 30 Donghwa per piece of bread!" Jeong Yushin didn¡¯t miss the opportunity and shouted. "Isn¡¯t that a bit expensive for bread?" When someone expressed their dissatisfaction, another person pushed their way through the crowd. "Stop whining about the price and get lost! I¡¯ll buy it all!" "Ah... I didn¡¯t mean that..." Soon, the man who had complained was pushed away, and only customers with shining eyes remained. "Give me everything you¡¯ve got!" "Only five per person." "Oh, is that so?!" People sighed in frustration. Some hurriedly devoured the bread right after receiving it. Others quietly tucked it away in their arms. ¡®Rubbing the bread on their cheeks, that¡¯s a bit much.¡¯ Jeong Yushin carefully observed the expressions of the customers as he sold the bread. Most of them looked satisfied. He felt strangely proud. The bread sold out in no time. There was no need to worry about advertising. Since it tasted good, people started talking about it, and as they talked, more people gathered. An overwhelming positive cycle. "Uii. I wanted to dance." "Chirp... chirp chirp." Luna and Lynn carried the bread with sad expressions. Since Lynn¡¯s body structure made it difficult to carry the bread, she had a small basket strapped to her back. Jeong Yushin smiled faintly and patted their heads. "We¡¯ll have another chance tonight. We can do it then." "Understood." They hurriedly carried the bread to the stand, but even faster, the bread was sold out. In less than 10 minutes, all the Cream Slime Bread was gone. Jeong Yushin grinned from ear to ear. "Thank you, customers. Thanks to your passionate support, all the Cream Slime Bread has been sold out!" "No!!! Is this really the end?!" "Owner, bake more bread!!!" "I haven¡¯t even had a bite yet!" ¡®Wipe your cream-covered mouth before you speak.¡¯ Jeong Yushin scratched his head. "We¡¯ll have more bread out tonight, so it¡¯s better to wait for then!" "Promise?!" "If you don¡¯t bring the bread tonight, I¡¯ll burn down the inn!" "Housekeeper! We¡¯ll wait here until dinner! I won¡¯t be satisfied with just one!" "A-a lady...!" Jeong Yushin, leaving the disappointed customers behind, went inside the inn. Inside, it was bustling with people. There were those who had been drinking and enjoying food since morning. It was a sight one would usually only see at night, but it was now happening in broad daylight. ¡®Hehe. Money is rolling in.¡¯ Jeong Yushin¡¯s smile deepened. For the festival, he had only raised the prices slightly compared to other restaurants, but people seemed to appreciate it and flocked in. On top of that, since he didn¡¯t skimp on the ingredients and cooked everything deliciously, it was only natural that people would gather. This was his first festival, so there was some uncertainty, but it was going surprisingly well. Entering the kitchen, Tarman, Ann, and Karin were working hard. "Alright, alright, keep working hard. Money is coming in. Money!" "Ska! You should work too!" Karin shouted while sweating profusely and cooking. "Got it. Tarman, go outside and keep an eye on the shop with the snout. I¡¯ll stay here to work in the kitchen." "Yes." Tarman put on his apron and rushed outside. "Money is coming. Money. The day I see the light in my life has finally come." Jeong Yushin hummed a tune and began moving eagerly. Contrary to the festive mood, the entrance to the labyrinth was quiet and lonely. Ingrid Redtail sat quietly, feeling the hot summer breeze. It was the same spot where Ska had sat last time. The spot directly facing the labyrinth''s entrance. ¡®What¡¯s that half-blood barbarian doing now?¡¯ Ingrid pondered for a while and suddenly stood up. Hooaaang. There was a flash of light at the entrance to the labyrinth. Then. A group of black-haired men appeared. Old and battered armor. Their axes and swords, worn from use, gleamed slightly. Dirty eyes and long beards. Among them stood an old barbarian, nearly gray-haired. Ingrid¡¯s eyes widened in shock. "Could it be... Ragna Hellblade?!" The elderly barbarian smiled faintly. "Has it really been 40 years? Yulne Redtail. You look younger than the last time I saw you." "That¡¯s my mother¡¯s name." The old barbarian, known as Ragna, looked at Ingrid with surprised eyes and then laughed heartily. "Heh heh. Has there already been a generation change? It really has been a long time." "...It¡¯s truly been a long time." The elderly barbarian raised his head and stared at the dark sky for a long time. The people around him also followed his gaze and counted the stars. For a long time. Suddenly, Ragna lowered his head and looked at Ingrid. "I have a question. Can I ask?" "Yes, Ragna. Feel free to ask." "How is it that after 30 years, none of our tribe has reached the depths of the labyrinth?" Ingrid looked troubled at Ragna¡¯s question. "Well..." "What happened?" Ragna asked, rubbing his beard with a curious expression. Ingrid explained the current situation with the barbarians. After a long time, Ingrid finished speaking. "...They¡¯re currently in the eastern district. We¡¯ve tried to accommodate them as best as we could according to the ¡®pact¡¯, but now it¡¯s getting difficult. In recent years, their behavior has gone too far." Ragna¡¯s expression hardened with a terrifying intensity. "Is that so? I¡¯m sorry. Yulne, you must have had a hard time." Ingrid couldn¡¯t say a word as Ragna kept calling her by her mother¡¯s name. She couldn¡¯t speak because an overwhelming pressure emanated from Ragna¡¯s body. The air vibrated. ¡®Is this the power of the previous labyrinth committee?¡¯ Even Ingrid, who had experienced many hells, couldn¡¯t help but feel tense, with her hands shaking. Ragna softened his expression. "Who¡¯s leading the barbarians now?" "Kaizel." "I don¡¯t doubt your words, but not all of our people would act like that. I¡¯ll go and take a look. I¡¯ll check secretly, so you don¡¯t need to follow." "Do you want to go now? You could rest a bit and go later. Since today is the Blue Moon Festival, it might be better to relieve your fatigue first..." Ragna waved his hand, cutting off Ingrid¡¯s words. "We don¡¯t have much time. Get me my robe." "Understood. But may I have a moment before that?" "It won¡¯t be long." "Yes." Ingrid called her subordinates. "Tell the committee, the inner city¡¯s commander, and the outer city¡¯s guard captain to keep quiet. Tell them to seal their lips tightly." "Understood. What should I tell them?" "Tell them that the true barbarian has returned." "S-ska! There¡¯s a commotion outside!" Tarman came running in a panic. "What¡¯s going on?" Jeong Yushin, drenched in sweat from working in the kitchen, asked. "They... they say the bread hasn¡¯t come out yet." "Tell them it¡¯s ready. I¡¯ll be out soon." "Yes!" When he went outside, a huge crowd had gathered. "Owner! Bring the bread!" "We¡¯ve waited too long!" "I¡¯ll pay anything! Just sell it all!" ¡®Am I really going to become rich? Maybe I should open a bakery when I get back.¡¯ Jeong Yushin thought idly and opened the stand. "Alright!!! Cream Slime Bread for sale!!! Only 30 Donghwa! Line up! We also have fresh milk!!!" "Waaaa!!!" The crowd cheered and rushed forward. Donghwa was flying through the air, and heated arguments broke out, with some even grabbing each other by the collar. Jeong Yushin grinned and worked hard to deliver the bread. ¡®Let¡¯s make some money.¡¯ An hour later. All the bread, stacked high on the stand, was sold out. "Oooh!!! So this is the taste?!" "Owner! Sell the recipe!!!" "Crazy... All the bread I¡¯ve eaten until now was fake...!" "I ate 10 and can¡¯t fit anymore. Belly, you bastard! Put the cream bread in!" The people gathered around the inn¡¯s stand, all with cream smeared on their faces, smiling happily as they patted their full bellies. ¡®Was it really that good?¡¯ Jeong Yushin scratched his head. It felt a bit over the top. "That¡¯s it for today¡¯s sales. See you tomorrow!" Whatever happened, he was happy to have sold so much. With a bit of time left, he planned to help others prepare ingredients for tomorrow¡¯s sales. At that moment. Someone approached the stand. A man over 2 meters tall. A muscular build that couldn¡¯t be hidden by a robe. A cold sensation in the air, a smell that was beyond description. His body was sending out warning signals. Jeong Yushin immediately recognized who he was. ¡®A barbarian!¡¯ "Hey, do you have any bread left?" An elderly voice came from above. "..." Jeong Yushin stayed silent for a moment, carefully examining the inside of the robe. An old barbarian with more white than black hair. He was momentarily surprised but quickly calmed down. ¡®It¡¯s the same thing.¡¯ "Get lost. I don¡¯t give bread to criminals." Jeong Yushin growled at the old barbarian. "...Criminal? What do you mean?" The old barbarian paused and asked again. Jeong Yushin¡¯s expression twisted like a demon. This bastard. His earlier joy over the successful sales evaporated ? N§àv§Öl?§Ôht ? (Don¡¯t copy, read here) instantly. He couldn¡¯t stand those who thought their strength made them above others, committing crimes without even realizing it. He couldn¡¯t stand to watch it any longer. "Didn¡¯t you used to talk about supplying holes?! You must have lost your mind with age. Get out and go to the brothel. Cough! You came all the way here just to beg for a supply, even in your old age? Get a grip, you bastard!!!" "..." Ragna Hellblade. The elderly warrior who had faced the depths of the labyrinth with his companions for 30 years. He had never heard such harsh words during all his trials. ¡®Ah, my sin is great.¡¯ How much must he have suffered under that Kaizel fellow for this young half-blood to be screaming in fury like this? He couldn¡¯t help but feel devastated. Once he realized it, a tear rolled down his cheek. Jeong Yushin saw it. "What...?!" The barbarian... crying? ¡®Did I go too far with my words...?¡¯ Chapter 109: City Raid Old Barbaroi was crying. Jung Yu-shin blankly stared at him. Because the robe was covering Barbaroi¡¯s face, only Jung Yu-shin, who was standing right in front of him, could see the tears. However, because of the verbal abuse he had just let out, the atmosphere had become strange, and several people in the crowd began to glance at him. Some even came closer. ¡°Uh...that.¡± Jung Yu-shin had no idea what to say. He had only tried to persuade him politely when he was being forced to pay a bribe, but he suddenly burst into tears. ¡®Did he gain some kind of emotional imprint?¡¯ When he saw old Barbaroi shedding tears, he regretted not having conveyed his feelings without a filter. ¡°Uh...I spoke a bit harshly. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Jung Yu-shin apologized meekly. Now that he looked at him, he was different from the Barbaroi he had seen so far. It wasn¡¯t a lustful expression with sparkling eyes. Of course, I don¡¯t know because I haven¡¯t seen it much. Even so, should I say that the atmosphere he gave off was different from other guys? He didn¡¯t suddenly tell me to have sex. It was a bit more rational. Was it because he was old and had become a wise man? Still, he couldn¡¯t let his guard down. ¡°Just wait. I¡¯ll go and see if there¡¯s anything left.¡± ¡°Big! Okay.¡± Jeong Yu-shin went inside the inn and came out with the last piece of bread. It was his share of the food the inn workers had prepared for him to eat. ¡°Here it is.¡± When Jeong Yu-shin handed him a slightly larger piece of cream slime bread, the old Barbaroi smiled brightly. ¡°Thank you. How much is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s free. I¡¯m sorry for speaking rudely just now.¡± ¡°Thank you. Actually, I didn¡¯t have any money.¡± ¡°...¡± Jung Yu-shin shook his head and concluded. Suddenly crying and saying he doesn¡¯t have any money? ¡®He¡¯s a bit senile.¡¯ I wish someone would take this old man away quickly. ¡°Mixed-blood child, can I ask you something?¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Be honest with me.¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m always honest.¡± ¡°Have you ever seen other races? Let me ask you more specifically. Are other pure-bloods living like you?¡± Jung Yu-shin¡¯s expression crumpled. A pure-blood Barbaroi who lives a life of hard work, sweating blood, and realizing the value of labor? There weren¡¯t any like that among the black-haired. There used to be a lot of them in the world. Rather, they lived too hard and suffered. The world¡¯s 5th longest working hours? It was right to see that they were grinding their lives into labor. Jung Yu-shin opened his mouth calmly. ¡°To answer your first question, I¡¯ve seen about two. And I¡¯ve only been here for a short time, so I don¡¯t know for sure, but I¡¯ve never seen anyone who lives like me.¡± Old Barbaroi¡¯s expression hardened terribly. ¡°I see. I heard that our people are staying in a brothel. Is that true?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve never been there myself, I¡¯ve only heard about it. There must be a brothel somewhere in the eastern region.¡± ¡°Okay. Let me ask you one last question. What¡¯s your father¡¯s name?¡± ¡°...¡± Jung Yu-shin closed his mouth. What a strange old man. I don¡¯t know why he wants to know someone else¡¯s father¡¯s name. The crazy Barbaroi I met at the Explorer¡¯s Guild last time was the same. ¡°I can¡¯t tell you that.¡± ¡°I see. I¡¯m sorry for asking such a sensitive question.¡± Jung Yu-shin tilted his head. It wasn¡¯t a particularly sensitive question. He just felt awkward telling the other world people about his true origins. ¡°Yes...what.¡± Jung Yu-shin vaguely mumbled. Talking to the rational Barbaroi, whose peppers were drooping, brought up one question. Why does this old Barbaroi strictly distinguish between purebloods and mixed-bloods? It¡¯s true that it¡¯s obvious. There¡¯s a huge difference between the savages of this world and myself. You can tell right away when you see them in person. Should I say it¡¯s the difference between a muscular, bald, tattooed black man and an intelligent black man with horn-rimmed glasses who looks like a judge? The old Barbaroi raised his hand and patted Jung Yu-shin on the shoulder. ¡°You must have had a hard time. You must have often been discriminated against by other tribes because you¡¯re mixed-blood.¡± Jung Yu-shin¡¯s head snapped up at the unexpected words. ¡°What are you talking about? That¡¯s never happened.¡± ¡°I see? There are a lot of good people.¡± I hadn¡¯t met Barbaroi that much in the first place. I had only recently spoken to one person. I had heard a crazy suggestion, but I had just assumed that Barbaroi was like that. If it was discrimination, it was from the people living in the labyrinth. And from the beginning, they treated me like Barbaroi. I had heard that I was a half-blood, but I hadn¡¯t heard that much either. ¡®I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on.¡¯ Jeong Yu-shin stopped thinking deeply. No. In fact, he wasn¡¯t really curious. He was doing just fine as he was. There was no need to dip his feet in the sewage and swim. ¡°I¡¯ll go now. Do your business well. Ah! Take this.¡± Old Barbaroi took something out of his bosom and put it in Jeong Yu-shin¡¯s hand. ¡°What is this?¡± He suddenly gave me a ring. ¡°It¡¯s a gift.¡± When did he suddenly give me a gift after seeing me? My suspicions grew. Was it some kind of talisman of stamina? ¡°I can¡¯t accept something like this.¡± ¡°Take it. I¡¯m giving it to you because I¡¯m grateful, so don¡¯t refuse.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll sell it well and make it a boon for the store.¡± Old Barbaroi grinned. ¡°You¡¯ll regret it if you sell it.¡± ¡°You should be the one to regret it. They say that if you laugh after crying, hair will grow on your butt.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤I wonder who your father is in another sense. Let¡¯s meet often.¡± Old Barbaroi made a bewildered expression and barely managed to say a word before walking away. Jeong Yu-shin briefly looked at the old man¡¯s back as he walked away, then closed up his stall. Today¡¯s business was over. There was nothing more to see. The noisy night that had been brightening up the city became quiet only when dawn came. The people who filled the inn hall had all left, leaving only Jung Yu-shin and Karin. As they sat at the counter and shared a drink for a while, Karin said. ¡°Do you want to take a tour of the city tomorrow?¡± ¡°Suddenly?¡± ¡°What do you mean suddenly? Are you going to work all the time during the festival?¡± That¡¯s a bit much. It wouldn¡¯t be good to just work like everyone else and let the festival pass by. ¡°Okay. Is there anywhere you want to go in particular?¡± ¡°Um...um.¡± Karin¡¯s face turned slightly red. ¡°Let¡¯s just take a look around the southern and central areas. I heard there are a lot of things to see.¡± ¡°Okay? Okay. Then we should adjust our schedule.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve done everything. Ddalchangko said he¡¯ll bring his friends to help.¡± Karin. She¡¯s really thorough. Jung Yu-shin laughed and giggled. ¡°What? Why is this so meticulously planned? Are you trying to eat me?¡± Karin¡¯s face instantly turned red. ¡°What...what?! Absolutely not?!¡± Karin¡¯s red tail twirled like a fan. ¡°Why are you so flustered?¡± At Jung Yu-shin¡¯s question, Karin drank down her glass and stood up. ¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯re talking nonsense. Oh, anyway, we have a date, right? Let¡¯s meet tomorrow.¡± ¡°Okay. Got it.¡± Jung Yu-shin turned his head and looked down at his glass as he watched Karin¡¯s swaying butt as she left. ¡°What?¡± Karin¡¯s incomprehensible actions made his head spin. But he soon let it go. He didn¡¯t know Roynel¡¯s feelings as he became a duck. He didn¡¯t know the feelings of the Barbaroi guys who were telling him to give up his hole. Su-in¡¯s feelings were even more difficult to understand. The human mind is a labyrinth, isn¡¯t it? ¡®That¡¯s right.¡¯ Jung Yu-shin drank his glass and got up from his seat. It wasn¡¯t bad to get to know Karin¡¯s heart little by little. Since we¡¯d seen each other¡¯s faces a lot, he was sure she was someone he could trust. ¡®Would she do something bad?¡¯ Knock knock! The next day. Someone knocked on the door early in the morning. ¡°Who is it?¡± Jung Yu-shin woke up, rubbed his eyes, and raised his head. Bam! Karin, wearing hot pants and a white tank top, opened the door wide and came in. ¡°We were supposed to go on a date today. Why did you wake up so late?!¡± Since when did we start dating? ¡°Just a little bit. Wait. I¡¯ll change my clothes and go.¡± Jung Yu-shin sent Karin out and changed into comfortable clothes. When they went downstairs, Anne greeted them with a smile. ¡°Have a nice date, Ska.¡± ¡°Uh-huh. Okay. I¡¯ll check out the store. I¡¯ll come early.¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s okay if you come late.¡± ??? Jung Yu-shin scratched his head. It seemed like Karin and Anne had exchanged meaningful glances just now. Was it his imagination? Karin wrapped herself around Jung Yu-shin¡¯s arm like a snake. ¡°Anne, I¡¯ll go.¡± ¡°Yes. Karin, cheer up.¡± Jung Yu-shin walked around the southern district, led by Karin¡¯s hand. The streets were filled with people. A play was being held in the park, and every alley was filled with people playing instruments and performing various magic tricks. ¡°Cheap! Cheap! 20 fairy tales for one chicken skewer!¡± ¡°Numek meat sandwich for sale!!! Buy now and get one more for free!!!¡± On the street, there were various street vendors selling food. Jung Yu-shin and Karin wandered around the city without realizing how much time had passed. How much time had passed? Before they knew it, the city was filled with the glow of the sunset. Jung Yu-shin looked up at the sky. The sun was gradually setting. Even though the sun sets slowly in the summer, I had already spent this much time. I had never imagined it and enjoyed it. The time I spent with Karin was one of the most comfortable and enjoyable moments in the past few months. The most important thing was. I was able to learn about Karin¡¯s side that I didn¡¯t know about. ¡®She surprisingly liked feminine things.¡¯ She liked cute stuffed animals, accessories, and sweet desserts. Especially. ¡°How about this?¡± When I saw Karin wearing silver earrings and glaring, my heart raced. When she was serving at the inn, she acted easygoing, but at this point, she hesitated. ¡°Pretty.¡± ¡°Hehe.¡± Such a silly laugh. Now that I think about it, how did our fates become so intertwined? My first impression wasn¡¯t so good. Maybe Karin was like that too? I still vividly remember being captured by slave hunters and having my head buried in blood-mixed mud. When I entered the Labyrinth City with Simus, I had my head buried first. Now that I think about it, there were a lot of things going on. ¡°Why are you absentminded?¡± When Karin asked with a smile, Jung Yu-shin snapped out of his thoughts. ¡°Thank you. Today was the most comfortable day I had in the Labyrinth City.¡± ¡°Really? Then... shall we go for a walk together often later?¡± ¡°Good.¡± As we returned to the southern park, leaning on each other''s shoulders, the sun had set and the night sky had spread out. The stars and the blue moon hung over Jeong Yu-shin and Karin. The little girl pointed to the sky. "Oh! Dad! Look over there!" The man who seemed to be her father also raised his head. "The spirits have appeared." In the empty city, a multicolored halo of light was slowly flying. It was like a jellyfish swimming in the ocean or a firefly flying through the reeds. Red. Gold. Green. Blue. A variety of dazzling lights decorated the city sky. Lights that could not even be compared to the city lights. They were filled with divinity. ¡®Is this really another world?¡¯ People closed their eyes and prayed quietly. Jeong Yu-shin also closed his eyes. And he wished. For the peace and happiness of those around him. And also, for a safe return to his original ~N§àv§Ölight~ world. At that moment. The ground shook. It wasn¡¯t that big, but Karin and Jeong Yu-shin felt it. Kuuuung!!! And with a huge explosion, a red flame rose from far away. It was too far away to see clearly. The people who were watching the spirit spirit hovering in the empty space turned their heads and looked in the direction of the flames. ¡®Over there, ¡®It¡¯s the east.¡¯ Jung Yu-shin thought to himself. ¡°That¡¯s definitely a red-light district...¡± A middle-aged man who had enjoyed a lot of entertainment muttered. Jung Yu-shin¡¯s expression crumpled. So that means Barbaroi is staying there. ¡®What the hell is going on?¡¯ I was curious, but put it down. It¡¯s not like a nuisance has been going around like that for a day or two. I didn¡¯t want my comfortable time to be interrupted in the first place. At that moment. ¡°Gyaaaaaaah!!! A monster... A monster appeared!!!¡± A piercing scream filled the park. Jung Yu-shin and Karin¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°What...?!¡± Chapter 110: Who are you? "Wh-where are the monsters?!" "Dad, I''m scared!" "Why are the monsters here all of a sudden...?" Confused people began murmuring in a panic. Jeong Yushin also turned his head from side to side, observing his surroundings. All he could see were ordinary people. There were no monsters in sight. Where...? Then. A black mass flew through the sky, arcing in a parabolic shape as it descended into the park. "The sky!!! It¡¯s coming from the sky!" Karin was the first to notice. Then Jeong Yushin realized what was happening and shouted, but people couldn¡¯t hear him and kept moving around frantically. "Move out of the way!!!" Jeong Yushin reached out and shouted as he quickly ran toward the scene. But it was too late. The monster had fallen among the crowd of people. Thud!!! Crunch, crack... The pavement shattered, and broken bones and torn flesh sprayed in every direction. A giant praying mantis, 2 meters tall. At the mantis¡¯s feet, the bodies of the broken were writhing, already lifeless. Jeong Yushin''s eyes widened. Just moments ago, a young brother and sister were laughing and playing among the crowd, but now their bodies were twisted together, covered in blood. The boy, who had been holding his mother¡¯s hand with small, delicate fingers, stared blankly at his mother¡¯s torn corpse. The tragedy struck in an instant, and the crowd fell silent. And then. "AAHHH!!!" "Run!!!" The people screamed, panicking, and began scattering in every direction. Jeong Yushin looked down at the mutilated bodies before him. Ordinary people who had been enjoying the festival just moments ago were now broken beyond recognition. The world in front of his eyes turned white. It felt like the children¡¯s bodies from the box inside the inn, staring at him, had overlapped with the scene. He couldn¡¯t. He couldn¡¯t let them live. "Fucking bastard!!!" Jeong Yushin screamed as he charged toward the mantis. "Ska, calm down!!!" Karin shouted, but her voice didn¡¯t reach him. [Sacred Weapon] His anger prevented him from manifesting his weapon clearly. Instead, he grabbed something that scattered like lightning and swung it. SWOOOOSH!!! A sword of light cut through the mantis¡¯s leg. CRASH!!! Thick, green blood splattered, glimmering like stars. The mantis twitched, swinging its front legs. [Sacred Weapon] Once again, he couldn¡¯t form the weapon properly. The lightning-like shape was crooked and unstable. It wasn¡¯t quite a sword, but its edge was sharper than any other weapon. Jeong Yushin¡¯s lightning sword clashed with the mantis¡¯s front legs. CRAAACK!!! Golden sparks flew like embers. The mantis¡¯s front leg was sent flying, and it was knocked upward. The mantis¡¯s eyes widened. "You bastard!!!" Jeong Yushin cursed, swinging the golden lightning horizontally. SWWOOSH!!! With his newfound strength, reflexes, and a significant boost from leveling up, his sword mercilessly slashed through several of the mantis¡¯s legs. HISS!!! Losing its balance, the mantis staggered and screamed. Without stopping, Jeong Yushin jumped and struck the mantis¡¯s neck. SWWOOSH!!! The mantis¡¯s head flew through the air, rolling across the ground. "Did... did he just take down a Giant Mantis that easily?" "Find the injured!!!" The people began to murmur. "Help!!! There¡¯s a monster on the streets!" "I''m going!!!" "I¡¯ll go too!!!" Jeong Yushin ran with Karin, immediately leaving the park. As they ran, he thought. ¡®Who are these bastards?!¡¯ Monsters shouldn¡¯t have ¡ô N§àv§Öl?g?t ¡ô (Only on N§àv§Öl?g?t) appeared from the labyrinth, so the cause had to be something else. The eastern district. Had the people from there finally lost their minds? How could humans do something like this to other people? He ran with all his might and arrived at the street. It was close to the inn he operated. As he spotted the familiar street, Jeong Yushin felt like his mind was about to snap. A giant toad was positioned in the middle of the street, swinging its long tongue, wrapping it around people and tossing them around. The people wrapped in the tongue were already reduced to unrecognizable piles of flesh. Without hesitation, Jeong Yushin sprinted toward the monster. SQUEEEEK?!! The toad monster flinched when it saw Jeong Yushin rushing toward it. [Sacred Weapon] SWWOOSH!!! He swung his sword, cutting off the toad¡¯s tongue. Once more. [Sacred Weapon] He formed a one-meter-long spear of light and plunged it directly into the toad¡¯s head. CRACK!!! The toad monster screamed in agony as its body twisted. Jeong Yushin ignored the pain and thrust deeper with all his strength. GURRRGHH!!! With a dying scream, the toad collapsed onto the ground. "Thank you!!! Thank you!!!" "You saved us!!!" People he recognized approached, expressing their gratitude. Some of them had once looked down on him, while others had treated him normally without any particular interest. Now, however, they all bowed their heads, speaking politely. Jeong Yushin shook his head. "This is dangerous, so it¡¯s best to take shelter inside the buildings. Hurry!" Urging them on, the crowd scattered. From the end of the street, someone approached. One person. And a monster. "...You?" "Ughhhh." It was that genius swordsman from before. He looked abnormal, groaning in strange ways. His name was Let. He had been reported missing from the labyrinth, but how did he get out? And why was he standing so casually with a monster? "You bastard, what are you doing here?" "Hehehe." Let gave a response without words, letting out a chilling laugh. His eyes were completely wild, only the whites showing. He wasn¡¯t in his right mind. ¡®No sword. His magic¡¯s almost gone.¡¯ At least if he were wearing proper gear... Jeong Yushin gritted his teeth. At that moment. The guards rushed into the park, shouting. "Everyone evacuate!!!" People who had hesitated to leave began following the guards, making their way safely out of the street. The guards surrounded the monster next to Let. A man who appeared to be the captain approached Let. "Hey, why are you with a monster? Are you controlling it? Come with us to the guard post." From the guards¡¯ perspective, Let must have seemed like the one controlling the monster. Swooosh. Let, grinning, drew his sword. The guard captain¡¯s expression turned rigid. "Don¡¯t resist! This will only make things worse..." PUFF!!! A flash of light. The guard captain¡¯s head was severed in one clean strike. THUD!!! The head of the guard captain rolled across the ground. "..." A cold silence. No one saw the trajectory of the sword. Before they knew it, Let was holding a worn-out iron sword. The guards stood frozen, staring blankly at the sight. "Everyone, get away!!! He¡¯s not normal!!!" Jeong Yushin shouted as he stepped forward. "The guard captain with Stone Skin was killed in a single blow..." "Huh!!! Hey!!! This is too dangerous!!!" The guards were all in disarray. They looked like clueless rookies. Jeong Yushin quickly picked up the guard captain¡¯s sword. Karin stood next to him. "Ska, are you going to fight alone?" "No. But that monster next to Let is bothering me." "I¡¯ll take care of it." "I trust you. Don¡¯t get hurt." "Don¡¯t worry." Karin moved to the side and grabbed two daggers from the guards. "Newbies? These guys are the worst. Should I call for reinforcements?" "How dare you!!! Who orders the Labyrinth City guards?!" A clueless rookie yelled at Karin, who seemed like an easy target. Then, a beast-man guard, who knew Karin, stepped forward. "No. This one here, Karin, is Ingrid¡¯s daughter." "Wh... What?!" The rookie trembled, immediately bowing his head. "I-I¡¯m sorry!" "Don¡¯t worry about it. Call for reinforcements. I¡¯m asking as a scout, not as Ingrid¡¯s daughter. Don¡¯t get confused." Karin turned her back as she spoke. "...Understood. Let¡¯s go!" The guards, still confused, quickly realized the severity of the situation and scattered. Jeong Yushin looked at the monster next to Let. He knew it after studying with Mion. Coincidentally, the monster was a Skin Walker from the forest region. A monster that wanders alone in the woods, wrapped in animal skins, scattering dark mist. At least three mid-level scouts were needed to kill it. Jeong Yushin was deeply concerned. "Don¡¯t make that face. I can¡¯t kill it, but I can hold it off." Karin reassured Jeong Yushin. "I believe in you." Jeong Yushin responded briefly, and Karin smiled. "Alright." The two of them faced their respective opponents. Swooosh. Jeong Yushin drew the guard captain¡¯s sword. ¡®Can I win?¡¯ The opponent had the mark of a genius swordsman. He had seen Let fight before¡ªan overwhelming swordsmanship. It was hard to predict a victory. But. There was no backing down. If Let made it out and ravaged the southern streets, it would be a disaster. ¡®Guess my luck is good after all.¡¯ He swallowed a sigh inwardly. "Hehehe." "How amusing." Jeong Yushin slung the sword over his shoulder and approached slowly. Let took a stance and thrust forward. The target was Jeong Yushin¡¯s neck. SWWOOSH!!! ¡®Here it comes.¡¯ With the longsword resting on his shoulder, Jeong Yushin gripped it with both hands and swung diagonally. KA-CLANG!!! The swords collided, and sparks flew. Let immediately brought the sword down. A strike aimed at Jeong Yushin¡¯s wrist. The fluid change in direction sent a chill down his spine. Jeong Yushin quickly stepped back, gripping his longsword with one hand. [Sacred Weapon] Swoosh!!! A dagger of light shot toward Let¡¯s neck. THUD!!! Let nonchalantly batted the dagger away and charged toward Jeong Yushin with a downward strike. From above. CRASH!!! Jeong Yushin blocked the strike and aimed for Let¡¯s head. Let immediately blocked with his sword and aimed for Jeong Yushin¡¯s head. CLANG!!! CLANG!!! Let¡¯s sword grazed Jeong Yushin¡¯s cheek. Blood!!! [Revenger] A blue aura flared in Jeong Yushin¡¯s eyes. Blood from his cheek trickled down, but he couldn¡¯t wipe it away. Because Let¡¯s sword was relentlessly aimed at his life. KA-CLANG!!! KA-CLANG!!! KA-CLANG!!! The swords locked, and the two men circled each other like dancers. The fierce back-and-forth battle stretched over a dozen exchanges. THUD!!! Let¡¯s sword pierced Jeong Yushin¡¯s shoulder. "FUCK!!!" The aura inside him deepened. Jeong Yushin swung his sword wildly. Let grinned, stepping back. The demonic talent from the genius swordsman¡¯s mark. In less than a year of wielding a sword, Jeong Yushin could clearly feel the difference in ability. Let swung his sword again. Jeong Yushin moved faster, like an injured beast, but it was still not enough. His skills were no match for Let¡¯s sophisticated swordplay. And in an instant. Jeong Yushin missed Let¡¯s movement. The consequences were severe. SNAP! His left fingers were severed, leaving only his thumb intact. The intense pain froze his body for a moment. SWWOOSH!!! Let¡¯s strike aimed for his heart. In desperation, Jeong Yushin raised his arm. CRACK!!! The cold blade pierced through his flesh, broke his bones, and lodged deep inside. The unimaginable pain of the bone shattering shook his brain. Bloodshot veins appeared in Jeong Yushin¡¯s eyes. FUCK. CRUNCH. He gritted his teeth. This couldn¡¯t be the end. He had saved his heart. He avoided instant death. There had to be a way. His left hand was useless, the fingers severed and the bones shattered. He couldn¡¯t grip the sword. With his one good hand, he swung the longsword. His intent was to sever Let¡¯s throat in one strike. But Let withdrew his sword and immediately thrust forward. Right before Let¡¯s sword pierced Jeong Yushin¡¯s throat. At the moment of life and death. The world began to slow. A bright golden light from the night sky shot toward Jeong Yushin like a bullet. "...What?" "Skaaaa!!!" Karin¡¯s horrified voice echoed slowly from somewhere. Jeong Yushin turned his head. Karin, drenched in blood, was slowly running toward him. Running while leaving the enemy behind. Karin¡¯s condition was beyond words. And then. A golden spirit collided with Jeong Yushin¡¯s head. At that moment, the slow world came to an end, and darkness took over. Jeong Yushin opened his eyes. "What... is this?!" A pitch-black darkness. Just like when he had been transported to another world, he realized he was now surrounded by darkness. He had been struggling in the park just moments ago. The brain-pounding pain was gone, and his severed fingers were now whole. As Jeong Yushin looked around, a woman surrounded by golden light slowly descended from above. She had long, blonde hair. She was dressed in a flowing cloth, resembling the ancient Greek peplos, worn by women of that era. The skirt was notably short around her thighs, reminiscent of Spartan women¡¯s attire. Her aura was similar to Mion¡¯s¡ªwarm and divine. Her chest was similar to Mion¡¯s, perhaps even slightly larger. "Child, you are disrespectful." The woman spoke. Unlike Mion¡¯s half-lidded gaze, this one had sharp, stubborn eyes. Jeong Yushin tore his gaze away from her chest and looked at her face. "Who are you?" Chapter 111: Joo Bak-kom The blonde woman was shining alone. It seemed as if a divine light, pushing away the darkness, surrounded her body. "Don''t you know who I am better than anyone else?" the blonde woman said with a smile. Jeong Yusin''s expression hardened. "Please, speak clearly." After rolling around in the labyrinth city so much, it was hard to trust anyone. Especially someone he was meeting for the first time. Wasn¡¯t the guy he just fought, Rett, also someone he met frequently in the labyrinth? The woman made a bewildered expression. "I am the Earth Mother Goddess. I govern fertility, mercy, and abundance." ¡®Is that so?¡¯ Jeong Yusin tilted his head inwardly. Her words had a certain persuasiveness to them. Her aura was somewhat similar to Mion¡¯s. Glance. Her chest was enormous. It was the biggest he¡¯d ever seen. Was this what they meant by the goddess of fertility and abundance? "How dare you!!!" The blonde woman covered her chest with one hand and glared with an angry expression. But no matter how she tried, her breast sagged, and her side boob bulged out like well-melted cheese. No. Even so, it was hard to be convinced that this woman was the Earth Mother Goddess. She could easily be a wicked, lewd goddess of breasts. "Ha! You claim to be a goddess, but what should I believe you with?" The woman was once again taken aback. She kept covering her chest while brushing her side hair repeatedly. "Did I not save you? I think that sufficiently shows my abilities and intentions. To be exact, I entered your inner world, and time did indeed stop." Inner world. It felt dark in there. But that was a side note. "I was fighting just fine." Jeong Yusin¡¯s natural response caused the woman¡¯s mouth to slightly open. Her luscious lips and red tongue were faintly visible. "...What?" "I was fighting just fine." "Didn¡¯t your finger get cut off and your bones shattered? And that sword from that Rett kid was aiming for your throat." "Sometimes that happens in a fight. Besides, I¡¯ve been stabbed in the throat before, and I didn¡¯t die. It¡¯s the mystery of the human body, I guess? Anyway, that¡¯s how it is." "..." The woman closed her mouth and glared at Jeong Yusin, her eyes sharp. ¡®That haughty look from the lady¡ªmy spine is shivering.¡¯ "So, why did you call me?" It was fascinating and surprising, but he wanted to get to the point. There were things he needed to resolve, and staying here talking with this woman wasn¡¯t helping. "I want to give you a blessing." "Why?" "..." The goddess glared at Jeong Yusin once more. "Shouldn¡¯t you overcome your crisis?" Jeong Yusin tilted his head. "I did fine on my own. I don¡¯t think anything will change by having gods interfere now." He had been outmatched in swordsmanship during his battle with Rett. So what? It didn¡¯t matter. If he had prepared better, he was confident that he would have killed Rett by any means necessary. Even if not, he was determined to endure and take the lead by sheer force. ¡®A weak brat like him, only good at using a sword.¡¯ "...So, you don¡¯t want it?" The blonde woman asked. "Let¡¯s see what you can offer." "Ha! Everyone else is bowing down and expressing their gratitude, but you¡¯re different." The woman cleared her throat and stretched out her hand. Pwaaah!!! Light flashed, and a small bonfire appeared before Jeong Yusin. But it didn¡¯t stop there; five different shapes emerged around the bonfire. Jeong Yusin¡¯s eyes widened. "...What is this?" Golden symbols. Flames burning blue. Green bubbles. A giant rusted bell. And a pink heart. He¡¯d never seen them before. But they felt familiar and comforting. It felt like symbols he had known for a long time. At least some of them did. "These are the marks you possess," the blonde woman said. "Ah." Jeong Yusin stared at the marks around him. ¡®As expected.¡¯ The golden symbol was Sacred Weapon. The blue flames were Revenger. The green bubbles were Venom Protection. The old, rusted bell was Death¡¯s Pardon. The heart was Virgin Female Corruption. Jeong Yusin reached out and touched the golden symbol. He felt a warm energy. He also realized that the marks were responding to his gestures. Perhaps it was the lifeline mark, but it felt more appealing to him. No matter how others thought or treated it, to him, it was a lifeline. Why? Because he had survived the Valley of Death with this. The blue flames approached slowly. Jeong Yusin smiled and stroked the blue flames. They weren¡¯t hot; in fact, they were pleasantly cold. The flames also responded to his hand, swaying. Revenger was there with him. At every critical moment, it had been with him. He could call it a comrade. Venom Protection seemed hesitant, unsure whether to come closer. They hadn¡¯t been together long, so it was uncomfortable. He left it be. The rusted bell-shaped Death¡¯s Pardon remained silent, standing where it was. The heart slowly approached. It was a suppressed, sealed mark. A mark he had intended to erase. As the heart slowly approached his leg, rubbing against it, he looked down and smiled bitterly. "Sorry." Perhaps because they had been through some time together, he reached out and patted it. The woman watched this and opened her mouth. "Skah, I¡¯ll give you one choice." "What is it?" "Choose which mark you want to receive my blessing on." Jeong Yusin pondered deeply. A blessing. Did that mean his mark would become stronger? It wasn¡¯t exactly a random thought. He had heard of such a thing before in passing. If the woman¡¯s words were true, which choice would be the best? "Can I ask something?" "Ask away." "Can Revenger and Death¡¯s Pardon be connected?" "Tell me more." "Can I recover my life if death is ¡®certain¡¯?" "You¡¯ll reach that point if you get stronger through Mass Adaptation and consistently use Revenger. If you receive my blessing, you could do it right now." Hmm. That sounded like the best choice for now. "What benefits would strengthening Sacred Weapon bring?" "Your casting speed will increase, and you¡¯ll be able to materialize the weapons in your inner world more clearly. Moreover, if you go further, you can give your Sacred Weapon a special ¡®ability.¡¯" "What kind of ability?" "Abilities that exist in magic swords or artifacts." "Such things exist?" "They do. But people don¡¯t know. To reach this point, you¡¯d need to train for a very long time." "I see. Understood." Jeong Yusin sat down before the bonfire and thought quietly. Should he strengthen Sacred Weapon? Or should he strengthen Revenger? He left Death¡¯s Pardon for later. It was obviously just an extension of the pardon period. It was useless for now. And to think of death against someone like Rett? ¡®My pride won¡¯t allow it.¡¯ He also pushed Venom Protection and Virgin Female Corruption marks to the back for the same reason as Death¡¯s Pardon. The answer was clear. If he wanted to live, he would strengthen Revenger; if he wanted to kill, he would strengthen Sacred Weapon. Jeong Yusin thought for a while and then made his decision. When he lifted his head, the woman was sitting across from him, quietly staring into the bonfire. Looking at her like this, she did look somewhat like a goddess. Her atmosphere was similar to Mion¡¯s, and for some reason, it made her seem more trustworthy. "Are you ready?" The woman asked. "Yes." "Come here." She stood up and said. Jeong Yusin also got up and walked toward her. "Place your hands together in front of me and kneel on one knee, then say which mark you want to receive my blessing on." After taking the position as the goddess had instructed, Jeong Yusin spoke. "Sacred Weapon." The woman frowned slightly. "Not Revenger?" "..." Jeong Yusin lowered his head without answering. Then, with a sigh, the soft hand gently stroked his head. A divine energy passed from his head to his toes, then disappeared. "...It¡¯s done." Already? Jeong Yusin raised his head and then froze, looking at the woman¡¯s lower body reflected in the bonfire. Her lower half was clearly visible. She had on a simple flowing cloth, so it was essentially a semi-see-through outfit. A round, plump mound was covered by a purple lace T-panty, and a familiar symbol was faintly visible on top. "...Huh?" "Ah!" The woman hastily covered her lower abdomen. ¡®...Why?¡¯ For a moment, doubt crossed his mind as the woman hurriedly spoke. "Then, will you keep this a secret from Mion?" "What for?" "Isn¡¯t Mion your faithful follower? There¡¯s no reason to hide it, right?" "..." The woman fumbled, unable to answer. Jeong Yusin furrowed his brow. ¡®What¡¯s the deal?¡¯ It was already strange that she was showing interest in him. What could be so beautiful that she would give him such a blessing? If she were truly the Earth Mother Goddess, it would make sense to bless her followers. Moreover, she was dressed and looked too indecent for a goddess. Though it might be blasphemous to think so... ¡®Does she remind me of Ingrid?¡¯ She gave off a similar vibe to ¡ï Novelight ¡ï Mion but seemed more mature and somewhat repressed. Jeong Yusin shook his head. It wasn¡¯t his business. She probably just wanted to give him a blessing. Honestly. He had been dragged into his inner world unexpectedly during the fight and was disoriented. "Can I ask one more thing?" "What is it?" "Have you ever heard of Transmigration? For example, someone from another world coming to this one?" The woman placed her hand on her cheek and thought for a moment. "...No. That hasn¡¯t happened. Though there were a few missing persons cases that were suspected to be due to ¡®transmigration¡¯ long ago." ¡®Does she know nothing? Just has ridiculously big boobs...tch.¡¯ "Does the Transmigration mark exist?" "It does." The goddess answered firmly. Jeong Yusin nodded. Now he had confirmation. The next step was to survive and enter the labyrinth. "Time is running out. Prepare yourself and make sure you survive." "Yes." Jeong Yusin nodded and looked at the goddess. Her personality was a bit frustrating, but she had helped him. ¡®Am I lucky?¡¯ The goddess stretched out her hand. Jeong Yusin¡¯s body stiffened. For a moment, several facts flashed through his mind. The fact that the goddess knew his name. The familiar symbol on her lower belly. The fact that she had asked him to keep this from Mion. Perhaps. He didn¡¯t have enough evidence. It might have been an overblown assumption, a delusion. But he had to check. Jeong Yusin stepped forward quickly and grabbed the goddess¡¯s arm. "Huh?!" The goddess¡¯s eyes widened, looking up at Jeong Yusin. "Boy, what are you doing?!" "Earth Mother Goddess." "Wh-why?" Jeong Yusin grabbed her soft belly roughly. "Huff?!" The woman flinched, her body trembling. He didn¡¯t stop. He pressed firmly on it. She shook, and her plump chest pressed against Jeong Yusin¡¯s body. Jeong Yusin leaned in close to her ear. "Does Mion have the ¡®Descent¡¯ or ¡®Possession¡¯ mark?" "Ah?! Get away!!!" The woman pushed Jeong Yusin with all her might. He was pushed into the darkness and fell. As he continued to fall, he rested his hand on his chin. "Is it right? Or not?" He had wondered why the usually gentle Mion would do something so out of the blue. If he assumed the goddess had acted, things made a bit more sense. Though the most fundamental part still remained a mystery... ¡®Why has she been so kind to me?¡¯ She had treated him like a soft, docile cow. Soon, tiny Jeong Yusins appeared and muttered beside him. ¡®Hmm. Confirmed.¡¯ He finished his thoughts. He had no intention of expanding on mere assumptions. ¡®If I don¡¯t understand human hearts, how can I understand the heart of a goddess?¡¯ There were many questions, but they were left aside. This wasn¡¯t the time for such concerns. It was time to return to the brutal reality. His fingers had been severed, bones shattered, and he had to face a world where he¡¯d fight while a sword was buried in his throat. ¡®It feels like a dream.¡¯ Was it a midsummer night¡¯s dream? Or was it real? He closed his eyes as he fell through the darkness, then opened them again. Rett¡¯s sword was right next to his throat. ¡®As expected.¡¯ The enormous pain he felt in his left arm heated up his brain in an instant. He twisted his neck slightly. As long as the carotid artery wasn¡¯t hit, it would be fine. Whooooosh!!! As Rett¡¯s sword stabbed his throat, he felt sharp pain. "Grrrk!!!" With a flash of light, blood filled his throat. From afar, the afterlife appeared to beckon. His life was hanging by a thread, but Jeong Yusin smiled brightly instead. He dropped the sword and clenched his fist. He had already thought of how to use the mark. [Sacred Weapon] What did he want? What should it be? Half-Ogre Power Gauntlet. He visualized it and imbued it with power. From deep within his soul, he felt the golden symbol vibrate. In an instant, all the magic power was sucked out. He could see Rett smirking. Did he think he had died because his throat had been pierced? ¡®Foolish bastard.¡¯ Jeong Yusin stepped forward and threw a straight punch. The perfect cross-counter. Bwaaaack!!!! An incredible sound swallowed the street. Jeong Yusin¡¯s fist, surrounded by platinum-colored brilliance, landed under Rett¡¯s chin. His jaw, cheekbone, and zygomatic arch were shattered all at once. Crash!!! Rett spun and flew through the air, crashing to the ground. "Gck...!!! Grrr!!!" Rett writhed as he struggled to get up. His broken teeth mixed with the thick blood and fell to the ground. Jeong Yusin, silently watching the scene, smiled and spat the blood that had come up his throat onto the ground. "Kaaak! Spit!!! Rett, are you a genius? You lowly bastard... hit you with a punch, and you can''t even move." One of the brave onlookers who had stayed around muttered in a daze. "Wh...who¡¯s the villain here?" Chapter 112: The Crisis of Jeongjo A chaotic street. Everyone on the street avoided the situation. Only a few bystanders who had jumped out of their tents were hiding and watching from afar. Karin was fighting the Skin Walker, covered in blood all over her body. Jung Yu-shin was standing in the middle of the street. Blood welled up in her mouth and she spat it out on the floor. ¡°Tch!!!¡± Fortunately, the wound on her neck gradually healed thanks to the healing effect of the Revenger seal. She was completely exhausted because she had used up all her magic power. However, she couldn¡¯t stop here. ¡®I have to kill Lett.¡¯ Jung Yu-shin stumbled and tripped over something as she walked. ¡°Fuck!¡± It was a corpse that was so crushed that her shape was unrecognizable. She wriggled like a bug on the blood-covered floor and got up again, picking up the longsword that had fallen next to her. Lett kept getting up and falling down, as if he had a concussion. ¡®You idiot.¡¯ The sight of him not coming to his senses after being hit with a single punch was so pitiful. At that moment. Suddenly, something came rushing at him from the side. A foul stench. The swaying animal skin. A hideous figure with a human form but a long, sagging jaw. Skinwalker. ¡°Don¡¯t stop me.¡± Jung Yu-shin swung his broken left arm. It was all cut off, and only his thumb remained, swinging a club. It was so funny that he smiled. ¡°Scar!!!¡± Karin screamed and jumped in front of Jung Yu-shin. Kaaaang!!! Karin barely managed to block Skinwalker¡¯s claws with her two daggers crossed, gritting her teeth. ¡°What are you doing?!!!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. You¡¯re a little out of your mind.¡± ¡°Come to your senses!!!¡± There was a hint of crying in Karin¡¯s voice. Jung Yu-shin shrugged and continued walking. He knew how Karin felt. It must hurt to see his comrade hurt. But Karin didn¡¯t know. What kind of fights she had been through. And who she had to kill. She left Karin¡¯s battle behind her and continued walking. She slowly stood in front of Lett with a turtle-like gait. Lett kept struggling to stand up. Every time, she failed. When she finally stood in front of Lett, she had nothing to say. She threw her longsword into the air and caught it with a counterattack. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Die.¡± ¡°Shit...Shit!¡± Lett raised his hand while babbling. Did he come to his senses when he saw the gun in his eyes? ¡°Let¡¯s go quietly.¡± ¡°I...I was kidnapped!!! I was brainwashed!!!¡± Lett waved his hand and shouted. ¡°So?¡± When Jung Yu-shin asked again, Lett made a dumbfounded expression. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Huh?¡± ¡°Look around you. What have you done?¡± ¡°This...isn¡¯t this a disagreement...¡± ¡°You cut off the head of the security captain so easily? This isn¡¯t the first or second time you¡¯ve done it. Are you a genius prosecutor?¡± ¡°...¡± Lett was silent. He paused for a moment, out of breath, as he spoke. You wielded a sword like this in such a close proximity to the inn you run? And you brought a monster to cause trouble? I¡¯ll never let you live. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Bueeek!!! Bueeek!!!¡± Lett waved his arms wildly, as if he were waging his last fight. But to Jung Yu-shin''s ears, it sounded like the sound of a pig being slit, and it was just so disgusting. Phuuuk!!! He plunged his longsword deep between Let''s collarbones. He felt the tip of the sword piercing through his flesh and tearing his heart through the handle. "Keep on!!!" Let''s eyes widened as blood bubbled out. And then he stopped breathing. Death. There was nothing left to see. Let''s body, which had lost its strength, tried to fall backwards. He thrust his sword deeper and fixed it firmly. Looking at it like this, it was like a stuffed insect. He stuffed a commoner wearing the mask of a genius on the street. "Do you know a commoner who has become a stuffed animal?" He let out a word in a cheerful mood. At that moment. The guards came running from the other side of the street. "Over there!!!" "Catch that monster!!!" Despite his wavering mind, Jung Yu-shin bent down, picked up Let''s iron sword, and approached Karin. He couldn''t leave Karin, who was fighting hard, alone. He had killed the top priority that he had instinctively felt, so the next one was left. Jung Yu-shin slung his longsword over his shoulder and ran towards the skin walker. "I''ll join in." "Scar!!!" Karin shouted, but he ignored her. ''How can I catch something like this alone?'' I need help. It''s Dong-byeol. Kaaaaang!!! He swung his longsword, knocked away the skin walker''s claws, and stabbed it straight into his heart. Thump! The tip of the sword pierced only the skin walker''s chest. The skin walker flinched. Karin didn''t miss the gap and threw her dagger. Ssaeeek!!! The dagger flew like a ray of light and pierced the skinwalker''s eye. Boom!!! "Kyaaaaaaaah!!!" The skinwalker screamed with his eyes bursting open. ''This is urgent.'' Throwing the weapon right away, is he trying to finish it off right away? Good. He carefully watched the glowing skinwalker and decided on the timing. [Sacred Weapon] He squeezed the weakly flowing magic to the bottom to create an arming sword. There was only one chance, but in this situation, it was enough. ''Now.'' He ran and swung it like a bell. Swish!!! The deep golden blade cut through the skinwalker''s face like tofu. Poopduck. Boom! The skinwalker fell to his knees, spilling brain fluid and sap. Jung Yu-shin, whose body lost its strength, also collapsed on the floor. ¡°Scar!¡± Karin ran over and hugged Jung Yu-shin. ¡°Karin.¡± He barely managed to speak, holding on to his hazy mind. ¡°Wait a minute!!! Guard!!!¡± ¡°Give me my finger.¡± ¡°Okay!!! I know!!! Don¡¯t tell me!!!¡± He laughed as he looked at Karin who was trembling. ¡°If you don¡¯t know which finger is mine, touch it. The finger with the most calluses is mine.¡± ¡°...¡± Chuuup. At that moment. His lips were shut. Jung Yu-shin¡¯s eyes opened wide. It was because Karin suddenly smacked his lips. Karin¡¯s tongue slithered in like a snake and licked the inside of his ? N§àv§Öl¦Éght ? (Read the full story) mouth stickily. Chuuup. Blood-mixed saliva hung on his lips and stretched out. ¡°Shut up. You idiot.¡± ¡°I-Is this right? Is this where we¡¯re kissing?¡± Jung Yu-shin muttered, blankly staring at Karin. ¡°What, what! I did it because you kept losing your mind and talking nonsense?!¡± Karin screamed with a red face. ¡°Huh?¡± Jung Yu-shin lost consciousness after saying a single word. I had a dream. Life in another world passed by like a panorama. I heard for the first time at an inn that I was cute while on a pilgrimage. I was caught by the guards and almost died, but thanks to Simus¡¯ grace, I got a chance to prove my innocence. I accompanied Simus to the Labyrinth City. Didn¡¯t I say it had been a long time since I traveled with Barbaroi? Fortunately, I entered the Labyrinth City, but the city was not an easy place. People also criticized and despised her without any basis. However, even in the dirty mud, lotuses existed. Just like outside the labyrinth city, she met good people here. Darmon, Ashur, Einhofer, Mion, and Karin. She opened her eyes. A familiar sight. It was the ceiling she saw every day. The hot summer wind blew through the window and swept across Jeong Yu-shin¡¯s forehead as she lay in bed. She felt stiff because she had been lying down for quite some time. She lifted her left hand. It was cleanly attached. The virgin female corruption seal ring was also properly attached. ¡°Thank goodness.¡± She must have used some kind of healing magic because even her fingers were attached well. She looked to the side and saw someone burying their face in the bed. Red ears and a tail. It was Karin. She lifted her right hand and stroked Karin¡¯s head. The playfulness didn¡¯t stop there, and he continued fiddling with his pointy ears. ¡°Ugh.¡± Karin let out a strange groan and quickly opened her eyes. ¡°Scar...!!!¡± Karin ran to Jung Yushin and hugged him. ¡°It¡¯s heavy.¡± ¡°You¡¯re awake! I was so worried!¡± Karin¡¯s eyes turned red again. ¡°You¡¯re not a crybaby, stop crying.¡± ¡°Keep on crying!!!¡± ¡°How long have I slept?¡± ¡°All three days.¡± ¡°Is today the last day of the festival?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. But don¡¯t overdo it. That wet priest said you overused your magic power so much that it¡¯s temporarily empty. Just rest at the inn.¡± ¡°Okay. But I¡¯m hungry.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll get it.¡± ¡°No. Let¡¯s go down and eat.¡± When Karin helped them down to the first floor, it was bustling with people. Despite the tragedy, people were still enjoying the festival atmosphere. Tough or familiar with death. Anyway, it was a city that was difficult to understand. Some of the guests got up from their seats when they saw Jung Yu-shin. They were familiar faces. There was one person in particular that was memorable. The innkeeper, Rat Su-in, who had rejected him when he first came to the labyrinth city. ¡°Scar, thank you for saving my child. Thanks to you, I survived.¡± Rat Su-in approached him and bowed deeply. Jung Yu-shin tilted his head. ¡®Did I do that?¡¯ He was so flustered that he couldn¡¯t remember who he had saved. ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. I just did what I had to do.¡± He didn¡¯t know, but he showed humility for now. The people around Rat Su-in also bowed deeply to Jung Yu-shin. There was also the president of a clothing store and the owner of a general store. ¡°Scar, thank you for saving the street.¡± ¡°Thanks to your noble actions, I saved my life. My wife is grateful too.¡± Anyway, they were people I saw coming and going from the southern street. I thought it was fortunate that they understood my feelings even now. Jung Yu-shin smiled faintly. Still, he couldn¡¯t help but wonder about one thing. ¡°By the way, can I ask you something?¡± ¡°What? Feel free to ask.¡± ¡°Why did you reject me back then? No matter how I look at it, I look different from the Barbarians.¡± Jwi Su-in scratched his head as if embarrassed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s too late to make excuses now, but the Barbarians were so violent that they even did things to you, a mixed-blood.¡± ¡°Did you know that I was mixed-blood?¡± ¡°I knew. I couldn¡¯t help but notice the difference in size. It¡¯s just that you looked like a slob. I¡¯m embarrassed, but I took it out on you.¡± ¡°Do you really know? Wasn¡¯t there a chance that I was a young Barbaroi? What if I was some kind of mastermind hiding my power?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been working in the inn business in Labyrinth City for eight years now. I think I have a good eye for it. And didn¡¯t you have a bushy beard back then? Even though you¡¯re young, you could tell that you were an adult.¡± Is that so? Well, even in the world of martial arts, after eight years, even the white, black, ronin, and open-minded people would have accumulated experience, so it wouldn¡¯t have been unreasonable. Then there was only one reason for discriminating and despising him. As the rat Suin said, he was taking out his anger on himself from the Barbaroi he had suffered. At least in Labyrinth City, the word Barbaroi meant a derogatory term, so whether he was half-blood or not would have been secondary. He was small and not strong, so he was an easy target. It was like a few muscular tattooed black men carrying guns and taking out their stress on a passing black-white mixed race. Oh my. I thought there was some great reason, but there wasn''t. All the problems were caused by his weakness. Jung Yoo-shin approached and put his arm around Rat Su-in''s shoulder. He put his mouth on Rat Su-in''s ear. "Did I look like that much of a piece of shit?" "¡¤¡¤¡¤A little bit?" Rat Su-in said honestly. "Huh." Jung Yoo-shin sighed and asked again. "Do you still see me like that?" "Not at all!!!" "Let''s do our best." Jung Yoo-shin patted Rat Su-in''s shoulder and sat down at the table to look around at the people. The people living on the southern street, in a way, were his neighbors. ¡°I¡¯ve told you many times what kind of person I am, and you¡¯ve seen me, so you know? Go back comfortably and let¡¯s meet again with smiles.¡± ¡°Thank you. I won¡¯t forget this favor.¡± ¡°If you have any reason to visit the store, come here. I¡¯ll give you a discount.¡± The people on the southern street each greeted each other and left the inn. Jeong Yu-shin looked around and sat down at the counter. Because he had heard so much about the infamy of Barbaroi, he thought all Barbaroi were strong and great. However, he discovered a subtle difference in perception during his conversation with the rat Suin. ¡®Is there a Barbaroi that isn¡¯t that strong, regardless of whether they¡¯re half-blood or pure-blood?¡¯ It was possible that a few particularly strong ones had been wandering around the labyrinth city. It was a problem that couldn¡¯t be confirmed right away. ¡°What are you thinking?¡± Karin asked, placing oatmeal porridge on the counter. ¡°No. I didn¡¯t think much of it.¡± Jung Yu-shin replied while scooping up the porridge with a spoon. Night fell and everyone left. The atmosphere was full of passion, perhaps because it was the last day of the festival. Anne and Tarman also went out to meet Dean and Marie. The dark inn was completely empty. Jung Yu-shin and Karin were the only ones left, sitting at the counter drinking. ¡°You¡¯ve already finished a bottle.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Just wait a minute.¡± Karin got up from her seat. ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°I bought some good alcohol for this festival. I hid it in the kitchen. Let¡¯s drink it.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you drinking too much?¡± ¡°You should drink a lot at times like this. Aren¡¯t you going to go straight to the labyrinth after the festival?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true...¡± Karin went into the kitchen and came out. She was holding an expensive-looking bottle of alcohol in her hand. Karin smiled broadly. ¡°Elf Isuljuya. It¡¯s really expensive. I tried a little and it was good.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Jung Yu-shin, who was very drunk, nodded without thinking. Slurp. The golden liquid filled the glass. Jung Yu-shin and Karin made eye contact and laughed. ¡°¡°Cheers.¡±¡± Jung Yu-shin drank the glass down. It went down smoothly and made his stomach burn hot. ¡°Whew. It¡¯s a good drink, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Right?¡± Karin¡¯s smiling face exuded a seductive sexiness. Jung Yu-shin ran his hand through his hair. The events that happened around lunchtime kept coming to mind. ¡°Karin, let me ask you something.¡± ¡°What, what is it?¡± Karin looked at Jung Yu-shin with an expectant expression. ¡°When I first saw you.¡± ¡°Yeah yeah.¡± ¡°Did it look like that much of a shitty meal?¡± ¡°...¡± Karin was silent. Just as Jung Yushin, who was feeling frustrated, opened his mouth again. ¡°T-Tell me... huh?¡± Her body wouldn¡¯t listen to her. Her strength drained away and she fell into Karin¡¯s breasts. It was so soft. Jung Yushin¡¯s eyes grew as big as lanterns. ¡°Eh...?! Th...is this Mushuuun?!¡± Karin laughed, showing her teeth. ¡°It was shitty meal? Yeah. Actually, it still is.¡± ¡°Heh, heh heh...!!!¡± Jung Yushin¡¯s weak scream echoed through the quiet inn. Chapter 113: I’m a pure Barbarian, so what? Karin patted Jeong Yu-shin on the head. There were no strong and upright men. There were only males who were paralyzed and drunk and were fooling around. There were no clear eyes. When she looked into Scar¡¯s eyes, which had grown as big as a rabbit due to embarrassment, her spine shiver. She hugged Scar like a princess and quickly went up to the second floor. ¡°Ka...Karin.¡± Scar called her name in a pleading tone, but Karin ignored her. Thump!!! She opened Scar¡¯s room, threw Scar on the bed, and locked the door. Thump. Karin slowly approached the bed. Her red tail swayed over her tight leather pants. ¡°Ka, Karin. Don¡¯t do this.¡± Karin¡¯s anger suddenly flared at Scar¡¯s pleading. ¡°Scar, it¡¯s too late. You seduce me every day by emitting a thick, savage sweat. Stop doing this?!¡± Karin growled and ripped off Scar¡¯s shirt. Crack!!! His firm abs were revealed under the moonlight. Sniff sniff!!! She put her nose in and sniffed. The strong male scent entered her nostrils and shook her brain. This isn¡¯t enough. She unbuckled Scar¡¯s belt and pulled down his pants, revealing his panties. ¡°W...wearing such savage panties...huh? You expected it too, right?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just panties.¡± ¡°That...lie!!! Why do you keep saying no when you¡¯re wearing such savage black panties?!¡± Karin lost her temper and stared at Scar¡¯s panties. A strong, damp male scent rose up. Drool dripped from Karin''s mouth reflexively. Karin took off her top. Swaying. Her heavy breasts were revealed under the moonlight. She rubbed her purple thin lace bra against Scar''s face. "Ugh...Ugh!!!" "Why? You always looked like you were going to eat me. Are you scared because I suddenly thrust in?" Karin snickered and got up from her seat and took off her leather pants. Her small purple lace panties were revealed between her plump thighs. Karin smiled and showed off her panties over Scar''s head. The bottom of her panties were wet in a circle. "See here? It''s because of you." Karin pointed to the stain on her panties with a bright red face. As soon as she felt Scar''s gaze, her stomach started to pound. ¡®Doing such a perverted thing to a man I like.¡¯ When she realized her own ugliness, her spine tingled once again. She was so happy that her brain melted at the reality that the man she had been fighting so manly was staring at her panties while unable to move beneath her. ¡°Okay. Now that I showed you mine, it¡¯s your turn, Ska?¡± Karin smiled seductively and knelt down between Ska¡¯s groin and grabbed her panties. Judging by the way they were sticking out, she was clearly horny. Karin¡¯s panties got a little wetter as if she had taken some kind of aphrodisiac at the fact that Ska was horny. When it was revealed that they were horny for each other, the two men and women uncontrollably gushed out hot heat that heated up the small room. ¡°Hoo. Hoo.¡± Karin gasped and pulled down Ska¡¯s panties. ¡°Ugh. Why aren¡¯t these going down?¡± It didn¡¯t come off properly as if it was caught somewhere. Slurp. I pulled down my panties with all my might. Clap!!! Something thick hit Karin¡¯s cheek and passed by. Karin rubbed her flushed cheek and faced the awl shining under the moonlight. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤ Huh?¡± A penis as thick as her forearm. Gulp. Her heart sank when she saw the glans spread out so viciously and the colorful veins. It was five times thicker than she had vaguely imagined. Slap. Karin lay down and gently kissed the penis. The lipstick mark on her lips remained on the stiff pillar. She carefully and respectfully kissed it several times as if she was worshiping it. Karin had no idea why she was doing this. But instinctively, she felt strongly that she had to show her respect in this way. Every time they kissed, her vagina twitched and vomited out her sticky, heart-fluttering juice because of the strong male scent that came out. ¡®This...this kind of thing doesn¡¯t go in.¡¯ But contrary to her thoughts, her body quickly threw off her panties. Unlike when she masturbated while smelling Scar¡¯s panties, her panties were soaked with sticky love juice. Karin¡¯s plump vagina was revealed under the moonlight. Her swollen clitoris stood erect. Karin climbed on top of Scar¡¯s body and lifted her butt as high as she could. ¡°I¡¯ll...put it in.¡± ¡°Ka...Karin, if you get pregnant...!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, don¡¯t worry.¡± Karin searched through the pants she had taken off and took out a small bottle. ¡°It¡¯s a slime condom.¡± Karin took out the slime that stretched like rubber from the bottle and put it on Scar¡¯s dick. However, the condom only wrapped the glans cutely and didn¡¯t stretch any further. ¡®This was the biggest one.¡¯ There¡¯s nothing I can do. Next time, I have no choice but to buy a bigger one. ¡°Jin, I¡¯m really putting it in.¡± Karin rubbed her pussy on Scar¡¯s body. ¡®It doesn¡¯t go in well.¡¯ She rubbed her plump pussy against his sturdy dick and tried to insert it, but it just wouldn¡¯t accept it and only coated the pitiful glans with her love juice. ¡°T...yikes!¡± Karin made a cute sound and shook her hips vulgarly. She was held in Scar¡¯s arms and rubbed her breasts, trying her best to somehow insert it. Tssupong! Tseueuppong! Karin gritted her teeth and placed her dick against her vaginal hole. ¡°Huhhhhhhhhh!!!¡± Karin¡¯s expression as she clenched her teeth and gasped for breath was an expression that a woman should not make, but Karin, lost in her lust, did not realize it. Chuut? Finally, satisfaction appeared on Karin¡¯s face as she worked hard to press down on her waist. ¡®It went in.¡¯ The huge pillar entered the vaginal opening. Karin¡¯s eyes rolled back for a moment at the feeling of the vicious glans forcibly widening the vaginal opening. In the end, she couldn¡¯t hold it in any longer and buried her face in Scar¡¯s manly chest and stuck her tongue out. ¡°Heeeeek. Keeeeek.¡± The missing person hanging from the cliff, waiting for a rescue request, did not look as desperate and urgent as Karin. Karin, who came to her senses, smiled at Scar. ¡°You put it in?¡± ¡°Ah...yeah.¡± Scar¡¯s expression was subtle. ¡°Um, I¡¯ll move.¡± ¡°...¡± Scar didn¡¯t answer. ¡®I¡¯ll show you. The status of the red wolf. No matter how cool and kind you are, you¡¯re still below me!¡¯ Karin, filled with gloomy thoughts, smiled triumphantly and shook her waist up and down. Pitter-patter. Pitter-patter. Is this the feeling that fills your vagina? Karin shook her waist in unison, feeling pleasant. Karin¡¯s love juice splashed onto the bedsheet. A few wet hairs stuck to Karin¡¯s plump lips. On a hot summer night, the room was as hot as a steamer as the two men and women were moving hard against each other. ¡°Heeeeek. Heeeeek!!!¡± Karin buried her face in Scar¡¯s chest, gasping for breath and shaking her waist vulgarly. The smell of this man clung to her entire body, making her brain dizzy. Her uterus throbbed. Her vagina tightened as she was about to climax. ¡®Hit!¡¯ Karin opened her eyes wide and her body shook. Something warm liquid poured out from deep inside her vagina. ¡°Hoooooo?!¡± Karin screamed and her body shook, then collapsed on Scar¡¯s chest. Strangely, Karin¡¯s butt seemed to be floating in the air. ¡°Hoo...Hoo...That was good? Did you cum? Did you cum?¡± Karin asked with a faint smile. But Scar¡¯s expression was frozen hard. ¡°Why...Why?¡± Scar closed his eyes for a moment and then opened them. ¡°Hoo. It¡¯s loose now.¡± ??? What¡¯s loose? ¡°Karin, this isn¡¯t sex.¡± ¡°T-what are you talking about?¡± What we''ve been doing up until now isn''t sex? Then what the hell? For a moment, he wondered. Scar''s body moved. "Eh?!" Karin, panicked, let out a single scream, but it was too late. Scar grabbed Karin''s body like a snake and flipped her over. The position where the woman was on top and the man was on the bottom changed. This time, the woman was on the bottom and the man was on top. Normal position. "You... How are you?" The magical power that had been drained finally filled her body. Starting with the venom protection, Karin had no idea. ¡°That¡¯s not the point. Karin, look here.¡± Scar pointed to one side with his finger while speaking softly and politely. The shape of the glans halfway hanging on her vagina. I thought it was definitely filled with vaginal fluid? It wasn¡¯t? A chill ran down her spine when she realized it. Karin looked up at Scar with trembling eyes. ¡°...¡± ¡°Karin, you think rubbing it with only the glans hanging like this is sex? Don¡¯t talk nonsense. And I didn¡¯t even cum.¡± Scar looked down at Karin with his eyes burning brightly, and eventually burst out in frustration. ¡°Karin, you... how much do you think I¡¯ve endured?! Do you know how hard I¡¯ve worked to maintain a good reputation?! Ugh!!! And on top of that, you said it was good after I drugged you and had quasi-sex with you? Take responsibility for my virginity!!!¡± ¡°Uh... how?¡± ¡°Take responsibility for your vagina! This betrayal!¡± A declaration that made you feel the deep resentment of her virginity. Immediately, the huge penis began to burrow into her vagina. ¡°Hic?!¡± Karin shivered. She felt the vicious glans scraping her precious, soft vaginal walls with her whole body. ¡°T... stop now!!! I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯ll stop!!!¡± ¡°It¡¯s too late.¡± Sizzle. ¡®Ah.¡¯ She realized. Her hymen had been torn. Strangely, it didn¡¯t hurt. The virgin female depraved energy that was staying in Karin¡¯s body had the effect of relieving the pain of the breakthrough and amplifying the pleasure, but Karin, who was in a hurry, didn¡¯t realize it. ¡°Ha... Don¡¯t do that!!! Sleep, just stop for a moment!!!¡± Karin twisted her body, but Scar continued to thrust in without an inch of hesitation. ¡°Scar!!! Just stop for a moment...!¡± Scar¡¯s mouth tightly covered Karin¡¯s mouth. Churp. Churrrp. Karin, who had been greedily sucking on her mouth as if she was going to be devoured, exhaled through her nose and struggled. When her overlapping lips parted, sticky saliva dripped from her lips. Karin¡¯s face, reflected in the moonlight, was a sight to behold. A little snot was leaking out. Her mouth and cheeks were covered in sticky saliva. ¡°He... It¡¯s not Hiron Kish.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a kiss.¡± Scar replied with a smirk and overlapped his lips again. Karin felt the cock digging into her vagina while receiving another predatory kiss. Slowly and overwhelmingly, unable to ignore it. The precious vaginal wall that she had proudly protected was completely dug up and widened. And. ¡®Ah.¡¯ It touched. The precious baby room. The precious uterus that should not hold anything other than the baby. The cock gently tapped the entrance to the uterus like a gentleman, but instead of stopping there, it dug upward into the uterus. Karin, sensing something strange, quickly escaped the predatory kiss. The alarm bell in her brain rang as her alert boji rang. ¡°Stop!!! Stop!!! Stab me there...!¡± Karin struggled with all her might to protect her dignity as a woman. But it was too late. As the squirt rose upward, Karin''s lower abdomen bulged out. Only then did the squirt stop. Karin trembled and let out a breath as she felt her whole body being pierced. "Poohaaaat!!! Heeeeek. Heeeeek." Karin, who was gasping for breath while her nose was running, shouted in a snarl. "I won''t give up! The pride of the Red Wolf Clan here! Huh?!" Contrary to Karin''s declaration, the squirt that was constantly spitting out her heart juice clung to the squirt tightly, acting all coquettish. "Karin, is your vagina twitching? It hasn''t even moved yet?" "T... ? N§àv§ÖIight ? (Read more on our source) That." "Hmm?" Scar pulled the squirt back with a devilish smile. The penis was sticky and spit out sticky fluid, but it couldn''t be stopped. The vicious glans mercilessly scraped the soft vaginal wall and slipped out. "Hoooooooooo?!" Karin screamed strangely and flinched. The violent pleasure of slowly and meticulously scraping the vaginal wall tore at Karin''s rational brain. The penis pushed in again without stopping. Karin even forgot her noble status and let out a vulgar moan. "Hoooooooo?" A moan that boiled up from the bottom of her stomach, a moan that a female could give, showing the bottom of her bottom. Every time the penis went in, sticky fluid bubbled out from the joint. In just two piston strokes, a soft, hard part slowly popped out from a corner of her vagina. Karin''s body stiffened. She realized. The already defeated and sloppy Boji revealed her most vulnerable part as a female and surrendered. "No...! Just that...?!" The pitiful vaginal wall, against her will, told the sturdy penis all her pleasant places. Not only that, she showed off all her erogenous zones that drive females crazy by twisting her vaginal folds. ''Bo...Boji won''t listen to me!'' Karin''s heart grew cold as she faced the climax from which she could not return. She felt it instinctively. If she were to be stabbed here, she would definitely surrender without dignity as a female. As a woman, as Scar''s comrade, there was a line she wanted to keep. Karin, who had come to her senses, calmly opened her mouth. "Scar, will you listen to me?" "Please tell me." ¡°You just touched a hard, squishy part.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t stab there.¡± ¡°What happens if you stab it?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll let out a vulgar moan and orgasm with a disgusting face. You don¡¯t want to see that miserable sight, do you? Let¡¯s just think of it as a fun encounter and stop here. Okay?¡± ¡°Huh.¡± Scar sniffed and stared intently at Karin¡¯s face. ¡°Here?¡± Chupit. A little way inside the vaginal opening. The sharp glans lightly scratched Karin¡¯s precious hard, squishy part. ¡°Hit?!¡± Karin clenched her lips and flared her nostrils. Barely. Barely, she held back the orgasm that was about to fall into the abyss. ¡°Whoa. Whoa. Whoa. Are you really going to do this?! This is the bottomless pit sex that pushes women to the bottom!!! There¡¯s no going back. It¡¯s the end!!!¡± Karin screamed in a hysterical voice. Scar gently stroked Karin¡¯s head. ¡°Karin.¡± Her heart raced at the soft voice. Karin¡¯s face was filled with anticipation. Was Scar finally going to listen to her plea? ¡°Why, why?¡± ¡°Get off.¡± ¡°Ouch.¡± The sharp glans mercilessly scratched Karin¡¯s delicate g-spot. ¡°Ah.¡± As a follow-up, the bumpy shaft massaged the g-spot viciously. ¡°Huh?¡± The shaft didn¡¯t stop there, but went all the way in, completely crushing Karin¡¯s baby room. ¡°....?¡± Blood gushed out of Karin''s nose. "Hooooooooong?" Karin rolled her eyes and lifted her waist up. Chiiiiiiiiik!!!!! A strong stream of water shot out from her vagina and hit Scar''s body hard. "Hueeeeek. Hooooooh!!!" Sticking out her tongue. Rolling her eyes. Shaking her tits. With her penis stuck in her uterus. Karin climaxed, revealing her bottomless state that no virtuous woman should ever show. "Keuheuung. I''ll lose... I''ll lose? Now that''s enough." A declaration of complete female submission burst out of Karin''s mouth. Then a soft hand stroked Karin''s head once again. "Karin." "Yes." "I''ll kill you." Just hearing the devil''s voice whispering in her ear, a tear flowed down Karin''s eyes. "Die...die!!!!" "Stop. Stop it. Sleep tight, sleep tight!!!" "Hoooo? Kkuoooooo!!!" "Don''t spin it around!!! Don''t bite it!!!" "I...I''m sorry. Now go to the baby''s room, thump thump thump...?" He had sex while pressing down on Karin''s body until the night passed and morning came. He didn''t thrust violently. Instead, he inserted his penis deep inside and moved it rhythmically, putting his weight on it and squeezing it. In the middle of it, Karin went crazy. I begged, but it didn¡¯t stop. Karin, who was crying and snotting and moaning strangely, was somehow cute, and I wanted to tease her more. ¡°Ugh. I¡¯m tired.¡± Jung Yu-shin collapsed on the bed. After having sex hard, he finally lost strength in his body when he realized that it was daylight. Karin¡¯s body was a disaster. Red bite marks were all over her chest, nipples, and stomach. Many slime condoms filled with semen were hanging on her thighs. Her pussy, with its red hair neatly shaved, was swollen and sticky with white fluid. The bed sheets were soaked with urine and fluid, so much so that it was impossible to look at them with my eyes open. ¡°Hyuuu. Hyuut.¡± Karin covered her face with one hand and exhaled quickly, causing her clitoris, which had expanded to its limit, to tremble slightly. ¡°Ugh.¡± Karin lay down, half-asleep. Scar was lying right next to her. ¡®Ugh!¡¯ Karin bit her lip. It wasn¡¯t the traditional married sex life where you spend a long time exploring each other¡¯s bodies and getting to know each other¡¯s erogenous zones, bonded by love. A destructive pit of sex. Her precious vagina was dug up and all her weaknesses were revealed in just one night. And when her weak baby room was crushed mercilessly by Scar¡¯s cock over and over again. Karin realized that she had crossed a river from which she could not return. ¡®I¡¯m finished.¡¯ Karin barely managed to control her trembling body and lifted one leg. She used two fingers to spread her plump pussy, as if she was a dog urinating, in a vulgar posture. Before Scar could turn his head and say anything. He sprayed a sticky stream of water. Cheeeeek!!! The stream of water hit Scar''s body and genitals. Karin realized it right away. Scar was watching her form with his eyes wide open. Scar wouldn''t know. The meaning of this action. It wasn''t an ordinary treasure. It was a love juice full of pheromones that said, ''I had humiliating, submissive, orgasmic sex with this person.'' If they were from the same tribe, they would know what happened just by smelling it. A tradition that was passed down only to the female leaders of the Red Wolf Tribe. It was a ritual that showed the utmost affection and submission that a female leader who had been irrevocably and cruelly subjugated could show. It was embarrassing, but it was a tradition, so she had to keep it. She also thought about marking it so that other females wouldn''t touch it. She calmly thought about the ritual and felt Scar''s gaze. Pewt!!! She got excited again and ended up squirting sticky climax pheromone juice. ¡°Karin, this kind of perverted behavior is a bit...¡± Jung Yoo-shin said, wiping the love juice that splashed on her face. ¡°Hoooo. Hoot? Oh... I can¡¯t help it. It was a ¡®ritual¡¯ that had to be done.¡± Karin blushed and collapsed on the bed. ¡°And please move me to my room. I can¡¯t move.¡± Jung Yoo-shin sighed and got up, took a long dress shirt out of the closet, put it on Karin, then lifted her up and went to Karin¡¯s room and laid her back on the bed. ¡°Kiss me.¡± ¡°Cheek?¡± ¡°Anywhere.¡± Peck. Jung Yoo-shin kissed Karin on the forehead. ¡®This is the completion of pure love sex.¡¯ She finally felt like she had accomplished something. After releasing the sexual desire that had been held back for a long time, peace filled her heart. What was the point of protecting sympathy so far away? She had a sticky, innocent sex, so she had no regrets even if she died. ¡°Get some rest.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Karin fell asleep right away because they had been making love for a long time. She was curious about the ¡®consciousness¡¯ that Karin had mentioned, but she deliberately did not ask. She planned to have a calm conversation later when she had time. She covered Karin with a blanket and left the room. Squeak. Thump. Just as she was about to close Karin¡¯s room and go back to her room in the hallway, she ran into someone coming up the stairs. Shiny hair. It was Tarman. ¡°Ska-nim!!!¡± Tarman approached her with a smile and stopped abruptly. ¡°Why?¡± Jung Yu-shin asked. ¡°Why are you taking off your top?¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s hot?¡± Tarman nodded and then suddenly turned around. ¡°Ah! That¡¯s not important! There are a lot of guests downstairs right now!!!¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Not only the guards, but also the merchants on the southern street and those who received help from Ska-nim have all gathered. To express their gratitude to Ska-nim!!!¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you happy?¡± Tarman asked cautiously. ¡°I¡¯m happy. People are finally understanding my feelings. I¡¯ll change my clothes and go down, so wait.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± I sent Tarman away and returned to my room. I roughly wiped Karin¡¯s body soaked with love juice and sweat with a towel, changed my clothes, and went down to the first floor of the inn. Step by step. I came down the stairs and stood in the inn hall. There were many familiar faces. There were also a few unfamiliar faces. They seemed to be people who had received favors during the last monster attack. Jeong Yu-shin scratched his head. ¡®Now that I think about it, there are so many people.¡¯ Thinking back, he had built up many relationships with people. The first benefactor he met was also Darmon. As he slowly approached them with a smile, the faces of the people began to change from moment to moment. From smiling faces to stern faces. From stern faces to surprise, and then to astonishment. The people sniffed their noses and opened their mouths with expressions of disbelief. ¡°...¡± Suddenly, a quiet silence fell over the inn. ¡®Why is this happening?¡¯ The atmosphere was so gloomy that he wondered for a moment, but he soon realized. It must have been because of the damage caused by this attack. He thought he should lighten the mood with a joke. He opened his mouth with a smile. ¡°Hello? I am Scar, a pure man from the Labyrinth City.¡± ¡°...¡± The atmosphere in the inn grew even colder. Chapter 114: Promotion In the atmosphere of the dimly lit inn, In the southern district, Geremu, who made a living by selling belts, did his best to control his trembling heart. As a beastman, he might not know much, but his sense of smell was incredibly sharp. Yet, in this moment, he wanted nothing more than to pinch his nose shut. From that barbarian, a terrifying scent was emanating. ¡®Ka... Karin-nim.¡¯ He didn¡¯t know the specifics, but the pheromones of Karin¡¯s humiliation, tears, and pleas clung to the man¡¯s body. ¡®Why...?¡¯ It was natural for men and women to share love, a part of nature. But, how could anyone speak of ¡®purity¡¯ after relentlessly tormenting the dignified and valiant Karin-nim through the night? It was absurd. Had his wife not been saved by that barbarian, she would have never come here. The smell was so dreadful that it made him sick. No. Maybe, he thought it might be a blessing. If his wife had smelled this, her modest and innocent walls would have been shattered into pieces, completely destroyed. Even a few beastman guards were flustered, panting heavily with flushed faces. Geremu thought for a moment. ¡®After Karin-nim suffered this much, would Ingrid-nim remain silent?¡¯ No matter how much explorers were said to be equal, Ingrid-nim wouldn¡¯t simply sit back after enduring this level of humiliation. She was not the type of person to do so. Geremu¡¯s thoughts didn¡¯t continue. Jeong Yushin cleared his throat loudly. Jeong Yushin realized his joke hadn¡¯t landed. ¡°I was joking. The atmosphere was so heavy, I thought I¡¯d try to lighten things up with a laugh.¡± ¡°Hahaha...!¡± ¡°Cough... Ahem! You¡¯re too funny! Oh! My belly!¡± People burst into strange smiles and laughter. ¡°Ahem! Let¡¯s get to the point.¡± The male lion beastman cleared his throat. Dressed in plate armor, with thick dark circles under his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m Ricky Coleman, captain of the southern district¡¯s guard. I¡¯ve heard about you from my subordinates. Now I finally get to meet you. You¡¯re more than I expected.¡± ¡°I see. I¡¯m Ska. By the way, what exactly did you hear from your subordinates?¡± ¡°Some of my subordinates were on night patrol in the labyrinth. They said they fought bravely when high-ranking explorer Hans turned into a monster.¡± Jeong Yushin scratched his head. ¡®Looks like rumors are spreading after all.¡¯ The captain of the guard continued. ¡°After the monster attack, many were injured, but thanks to your actions, many people were saved.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Bang!!! The captain dropped a pouch onto the table, and the jingle of coins filled the inn. ¡°Many people owe you their lives. Because of that, the guards, merchant guild, and a few others pooled their resources and prepared a reward.¡± Jeong Yushin smiled. ¡°Nice. Thank you.¡± He reached over to grab the pouch, intending to put it into his coat, but paused. ¡°How many people died in the southern district this time?¡± ¡°A few.¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to give half of this money to the families of the deceased.¡± ¡°...Were you that close?¡± ¡°No. But I thought it would be a small consolation for them. They¡¯re neighbors, after all.¡± ¡°...I see. Thank you. I won¡¯t forget this kindness.¡± The guard captain bowed his head in gratitude. No matter what that barbarian¡¯s sex life was like, many people had been saved. Everyone had their own private tastes, so he decided to understand with an open heart. Besides, Karin-nim was of age and had the right to choose a man who suited her. The guard captain reached out his hand to accept the pouch Jeong Yushin was returning. At that moment, their hands brushed briefly. ¡°Huff!!!¡± The captain staggered and dropped the pouch onto the floor. ¡°...What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± The captain swallowed dryly. ¡®This is too much. Such a devastating smell... I can¡¯t understand it.¡¯ The captain racked his brain. ¡®Karin-nim is already involved. It¡¯s a huge problem if I start talking about this. I¡¯ll have to stay quiet for now.¡¯ Of course, it wouldn¡¯t last long. But for now, he decided to repay the favor he owed to this black-haired barbarian by keeping his mouth shut. He wasn¡¯t afraid of this beastman with such a monstrous sexual wall. It was just... To repay the favor. The guard captain decided to ignore this issue. ¡°Ugh!!! I... I liked him first!!!¡± A few young beastmen and townspeople stood up from their seats, their faces filled with frustration and tears as they rushed out of the room. Jeong Yushin tilted his head. ¡°What¡¯s going on with them?¡± ¡°Probably because the person they liked has crossed the river that can¡¯t be crossed, the sense of loss is overwhelming. Understand it.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Jeong Yushin nodded, scratching his head in response. There was one thing he was curious about. ¡°May I ask one thing?¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± ¡°Do you know who was behind the monster attack?¡± ¡°It seems that a few monsters from the eastern district caused some trouble. I can¡¯t say the details, it¡¯s confidential. The higher-ups will likely resolve it among themselves.¡± ¡°Does this happen often?¡± ¡°I heard it used to happen occasionally in the past.¡± While Jeong Yushin and the captain of the guard were chatting, the beastmen began to stand up and leave. ¡°I... I¡¯ll go ahead. Ska, take care of yourself, and I¡¯ll see you later.¡± Jeong Yushin looked up. ¡°Are you leaving already? Stay a bit longer.¡± ¡°Ah... no. I have business at the shop, so I have to go.¡± ¡°My wife is alone, I need to go back. People will talk about me if I¡¯m out having fun!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been busy lately, you know. Please understand.¡± The beastmen responded mechanically, as they made their way out. Even those who couldn¡¯t smell the scent seemed to sense the odd atmosphere, quietly standing up, bowing their heads, and leaving the inn. Jeong Yushin sent them off with sincerity. ¡°Please come back to the inn and help increase the sales.¡± ¡°Ah, of course! Who said that?! I¡¯ll definitely come back!¡± ¡°Thank... thank you. I won¡¯t forget this kindness!¡± People left the inn with tense expressions. Jeong Yushin scratched his head as he watched them go. ¡®Is it really that hard? Well, a lot of people got injured and died, so I guess they¡¯re not in a good mood.¡¯ He decided to understand it with an open heart and let it go. A day passed since the people from ? N§àv§Ölight ? (Exclusive on N§àv§Ölight) the street left. The labyrinth city, now after the festival, felt strangely chaotic. Meanwhile, Jeong Yushin, Tarman, and Anne sat at the inn¡¯s table, gathering to settle the earnings from the festival. ¡°We made about 30 gold coins in profit this time. This doesn¡¯t include the payment to the bakery owner.¡± Tarman said. Jeong Yushin opened his eyes wide in surprise. ¡°That¡¯s a lot.¡± In just five days, they earned about 300 silver coins. Considering the low margin of food service, it was an impressive amount of revenue. ¡°The cream slime bread sold like hotcakes. The merchants and tourists are all talking about it.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes. I think the fresh cream flavor, the crispy and savory bread, and its cute shape are the reasons for its popularity.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± The frozen magical tools he had bought last time had clearly paid off. ¡°So, what should we do with this amount of money?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s keep 10 gold coins for the inn¡¯s expenses and split the rest.¡± Tarman and Anne widened their eyes in surprise. ¡°But... didn¡¯t you buy the frozen magical tools this time? We¡¯re fine, but doesn¡¯t this mean you¡¯re at a loss?¡± ¡°Not at all. I bought it for the inn¡¯s benefit. Money is something we can earn again. And you all worked hard. Plus, I got some money from the guard captain and the people in the southern district.¡± ¡°Still...¡± Despite their objections, Jeong Yushin decided to distribute 4 gold coins each to the group. He also decided to give gold coins to Karin and the fox beastwoman, Luna. After the meeting, Jeong Yushin fell deep into thought. The 6 gold coins he received from the people. And the 4 gold coins earned from selling the cream slime bread. Altogether, it amounted to around 10 gold coins. He needed to replenish the supplies consumed during the labyrinth trip, repair his armor, and buy new weapons, so he planned to stroll around the district slowly. He thought of going shopping with Karin, but Karin refused. She seemed to be unwell, staying in bed all day. ¡°Sorry, I don¡¯t feel well.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Should I buy you some medicine?¡± Karin¡¯s face turned slightly red. ¡°It¡¯s... It¡¯s nothing. I think I just need to rest a bit.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Although Karin said so, she looked like she needed medicine. Seeing her lie in bed groaning made Jeong Yushin worried. He had heard that it was painful during the first time. ¡®I should visit Edel after a long time.¡¯ Luna¡¯s mother, the fox beastwoman. She ran a small pharmacy in the southern district. He decided to visit her to give Luna some money and buy medicine for Karin. He left the inn and walked slowly toward the pharmacy. Ding. As he entered the pharmacy, Luna¡¯s mother was turning her back to the counter, moving potions. ¡°Edel, long time no see.¡± ¡°Oh! Ska, long time...?¡± Edel turned around to look at Jeong Yushin and suddenly started bleeding from her nose. Jeong Yushin widened his eyes. ¡°Huh?! Edel, are you alright? Is your illness coming back?¡± ¡°No... No.¡± As Jeong Yushin got closer, Edel covered her nose and took a small step back. ¡°What... What do you need?¡± ¡°Karin doesn¡¯t seem to be feeling well. She needs painkillers or fever reducers.¡± ¡°Y-Yeah, she looks like she needs that.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Edel mumbled softly, but Jeong Yushin couldn¡¯t hear it and asked again. ¡°Ah... Never mind.¡± Edel hurriedly prepared the medicine. Unlike her usual calm demeanor, her hands trembled as she placed a bottle of potion on the counter. ¡°This... This should be enough. It¡¯ll cost about 3 silver coins.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Jeong Yushin took the gold coins from his pouch and handed them to Edel. Then their hands brushed. ¡°Yikes!!!¡± Edel jerked back, startled. ??? Jeong Yushin was also surprised and took a step back. ¡°Why... Why are you like this?¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing. Actually, I¡¯m not feeling well either. Sorry, Ska.¡± ¡°I see. By the way, Luna really worked hard this time. It¡¯s a small amount of money, but I¡¯ve included what she deserves.¡± ¡°Ah...! Thank you. You didn¡¯t have to do this...¡± ¡°No. Luna worked hard. If she hadn¡¯t helped, we wouldn¡¯t have made this much profit.¡± Jeong Yushin said what he needed to, and then left the store. He had taken the medicine for Karin and given Luna her due reward. Seeing that Edel wasn¡¯t feeling well, it seemed inappropriate to chat further. Ding. As Jeong Yushin left and the store door closed, Edel looked at her hands. She clearly recognized the smell¡ªKarin-nim¡¯s pheromones. As someone who could identify all kinds of herbs, Edel naturally knew without wanting to, more specifically than any other beastman. ¡°How...¡± She couldn¡¯t believe it. The always calm and selfless Ska-nim had done something so devastating. Her head spun with the huge twist, and her heart pounded heavily. Edel waved her fan in front of her face, trying to cool down. ¡°Whew.¡± Karin-nim¡¯s face, plastered under Ska-nim¡¯s sturdy body, was a pitiful sight. It was not the face of a brave warrior protecting people on the eastern border. It wasn¡¯t even the face of a revered idol in the Beastman Alliance, known for her beauty. Karin-nim, once a model of virtue, had turned into something completely unimaginable. Her once modest and graceful demeanor had given way to desperate pleading, her body spread wide, spraying in frantic abandon. Edel had never heard of such a thing in her life. How intense was those pheromones? Edel imagined the scene, replacing Karin-nim with herself, crushed under Ska-nim¡¯s weight. ¡°Ah! No!!!¡± Edel shook her head, lifting her yellow tail in an attempt to snap herself out of it. That was a path she shouldn¡¯t go down. As a woman and a mother, it was a path that only led to destruction. ¡°Ska-nim... what happened?¡± Edel sighed and muttered. Edel didn¡¯t realize it, but her underwear was damp. When Jeong Yushin returned to the inn, a figure in an iron mask waved at him from across the counter. ¡°Ska, I heard you¡¯ve had a success this time.¡± The voice of the iron-masked figure had a trace of laughter in it. ¡°I thought I was going to die. It wasn¡¯t easy.¡± Jeong Yushin mumbled as he sat at the counter. ¡°By the way, did you hear the news?¡± ¡°What news?¡± ¡°I heard the brothel in the eastern district was partially destroyed. They say a white-haired warrior appeared and beat up the barbarians. The city¡¯s been in a frenzy over the news more than the monster attacks.¡± Jeong Yushin crossed his arms. He wasn¡¯t really interested. It didn¡¯t matter to him what happened to the crazy barbarians. ¡°There¡¯s one more piece of news. Actually, that¡¯s why I stopped by.¡± The voice of the figure in the iron mask was full of excitement. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°The Explorer¡¯s Guild contacted me. You¡¯ve been promoted. They want you to come pick up your silver badge.¡± Jeong Yushin grinned. ¡°Nice! When do they want me to come?¡± ¡°As soon as possible.¡± Jeong Yushin stood up from his seat. ¡°I¡¯ll go now.¡± Chapter 115: No sex Jung Yu-shin''s heart was pounding with anticipation. He couldn''t think of anything. ''Promotion.'' He had struggled for a long time as a novice explorer, escaping the labyrinth. If he hadn''t met Iron Mask, Rat Suin, and Naked Dwarf, it would have taken even longer to get promoted. Someone said. Meeting good people is also a blessing. That''s right. Iron Mask shook his head. "Scar, you go first. It''ll be hard to go together." "Are you saying I should be promoted to intermediate explorer alone? Why on earth? We applied for promotion together." Iron Mask tapped the counter table in response to Jung Yu-shin''s question. "Mars is still locked up in prison. I think it''s my duty as the party leader to watch over him. This is just my personal opinion, so you don''t have to worry about it." ¡®This guy.¡¯ When you leave the labyrinth, the party is over, but he¡¯s still very generous. In particular, he keeps his distance when it comes to personal and intimate matters, but if something difficult happens to his party members, he takes off his shoes and steps forward. When that¡¯s not possible, he at least tries to share the burden with them. Is he quite attached to the party? Or is it the noble nature of the royal family? ¡®People are nice.¡¯ Jung Yu-shin sat back down. If they were ordinary party members, he would have just ignored them. But since we¡¯ve been through thick and thin together, he couldn¡¯t just ignore them. He decided to join Mars in his suffering. ¡°If the leader says so, I¡¯ll wait too. By the way, how¡¯s Mars? How are you?¡± ¡°He seemed to be doing okay.¡± ¡°Is that so? When did he say he¡¯d be able to come out?¡± ¡°He said it would take about a week.¡± ¡°Do I really have to wait that long?¡± ¡°Crimes against priests are serious.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°The crime is even more serious because the other party is a high-ranking priest.¡± ¡®Mars, you bastard.¡¯ He took off the priest¡¯s thong panties. He was quite the daring ? N§àv§Öl?§Ôht ? (Don¡¯t copy, read here) bastard. Of course, it was something he did unintentionally because of the engraving of the wall. ¡°Okay. When Mars is released, let¡¯s meet up and go together. It doesn¡¯t matter if the promotion is delayed a little.¡± ¡°Is that so? Thank you, Scar. I¡¯ll tell the Explorers¡¯ Guild in advance.¡± Iron Mask stayed for a while and chatted with Jeong Yu-shin before leaving the inn. After seeing Iron Mask off as he left the inn, he sighed as he looked at the medicine bottle on the counter. ¡®In the end, do we have to face each other?¡¯ After chatting with Iron Mask, he realized something at some point. He only had sex with Karin and didn¡¯t talk to her. It was the first time for both of them, so they were out of their minds. Since they were not familiar with each other, they couldn¡¯t ask what they should have asked. ¡®Was it good?¡¯ They released the sexual desire that had been building up for over half a year. If you ask if there was love and spiritual connection there? I don¡¯t know. Shouldn¡¯t we have a calm conversation? Jung Yu-shin sat back down at the counter and looked at the medicine bottle for a while before getting up. He wanted to talk to Karin face to face. Was it good? Was it painful? Was it too hard or unpleasant? Knock knock. He went up to the second floor and knocked on Karin¡¯s door. He couldn¡¯t hear anything. Squeak. He carefully opened the door and went in. The room was quiet. Only Karin¡¯s breathing could be heard. Jung Yu-shin carefully approached, knelt down next to Karin, and looked into her face. ¡®She¡¯s really pretty.¡¯ A sharp nose and soft lips. Healthy, flawless skin and long double eyelids. Karin who always acts easygoing. And when she¡¯s embarrassed, she acts innocent. I didn¡¯t really know much about Karin. All I knew was that she lost her father when she was young. She grew up strong under Ingrid. And that she came to the Labyrinth City after protecting the weak while traveling around the eastern border. Why did Karin come to the Labyrinth City? I was curious, but I didn¡¯t ask. If Karin actually asked me why I came to the Labyrinth, I wouldn¡¯t be able to answer. In fact, I didn¡¯t answer when Karin asked. A relationship where I couldn¡¯t completely open up. Because I hadn¡¯t decided who to trust and how much. Because good people don¡¯t stay good people forever. Because the human heart is a labyrinth. Jeong Yu-shin let out a deep sigh. I came to talk to Karin, but ended up looking only at myself. ¡®I still don¡¯t have the courage.¡¯ I honestly admitted it to myself. The Labyrinth City is too dangerous. It¡¯s not just the Barbarians. The eastern district seemed to be full of crazy people. A world where villains walk around normally. The only way I could use it was. Learning the methods of the inhumans I¡¯ve met so far and making them my own. At the same time, I held the determination to suppress the madness of the Labyrinth in my heart. ¡®I want to become stronger.¡¯ I wanted to confidently state my purpose. So when someone tried to stop me or harm me, I wanted to break them all in one go and move forward. Jung Yu-shin swept Karin¡¯s red hair and thought. ¡®Can I do it?¡¯ The wolf¡¯s ears perked up. ¡°Hmm... hmm.¡± Karin snorted cutely. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about it later. Seriously.¡± Jung Yu-shin whispered while playing with Karin¡¯s hair. ¡®This is right.¡¯ He left the bottle on Karin¡¯s bedside and left the room. He planned to leisurely wait for Mars¡¯s release for a week, check his leveled-up body, and train. At that moment. Several of the people gathered in a small room. They rented a room in the building of the Southern Merchant Association. The dog, Germu, coughed in vain. ¡°Big. We will begin the 64th autonomous residents¡¯ meeting. The agenda is Ska, that Barbaroi.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do.¡± ¡°Is it true that Ska and Karin slept together?¡± Grumblings and questions lingered in the room. Germu nodded. ¡°Definitely.¡± ¡°Was there any compulsion?¡± Germu thought for a moment and made a puzzled expression. ¡°No. Um... I don¡¯t know.¡± The pig-man sweated profusely at Germu¡¯s answer. ¡°What would happen if Lady Ingrid found out?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll have to see the situation first. Lady Ingrid is a wise woman. She¡¯ll consider all aspects and act accordingly. Besides, Lady Karin is an explorer. Strictly speaking, she¡¯s temporarily independent from the family. No matter how angry Lady Ingrid is, she can¡¯t directly cause any disadvantages.¡± ¡°Then what¡¯s the problem?¡± Germu¡¯s eyes lit up slightly at the other beast¡¯s question. ¡°Us. To be exact, our children and wives.¡± The gathered beasts clutched their heads in fear. ¡°But it¡¯s still a little dangerous. We have to keep children and wives who have already developed secondary sexual characteristics away. The smell is...so shocking. There¡¯s a chance that the walls of our own kind will be torn.¡± ¡°Is that...that it?¡± Germu shivered at someone¡¯s question. ¡°Don¡¯t...don¡¯t talk nonsense. It was a smell filled with Karin-sama¡¯s screams and tears. To be honest, I have nightmares every night. It¡¯s horrible!¡± ¡°Huh...huh. We have to be careful.¡± ¡°Still, there¡¯s some hope. The pheromone smell will go away in a few days, so we can rest assured.¡± ¡°Is that so? I hope that Barbaroi friend doesn¡¯t wander around the southern streets.¡± ¡°He¡¯s a benefactor, but he¡¯s very dangerous. I¡¯ll make sure to take good care of my family.¡± A quiet room. The people¡¯s worries deepened. The next day. Early in the morning. Jung Yu-shin was swinging his sword in the backyard of the inn. He swung his sword while thinking about his last fight with Lett. He was pushed back in the last fight and his left finger was cut off. He won in the end, but he had a lot to reflect on. ¡°Scar, you¡¯re working hard.¡± Someone spoke from behind him. A familiar voice. It was Karin. Karin was wearing a white tank top and dolphin pants. As Karin slowly approached, the gray sports bra that was visible through the tight white tank top swayed. ¡°Karin.¡± Do you have something to say? Oh! And I left some medicine by my bedside. Thanks.¡± Karin smiled and said. Jung Yu-shin put down his sword and approached Karin. ¡°Karin, I have something to tell you.¡± ¡°What...what is it?¡± Karin¡¯s expression hardened slightly. Jung Yu-shin spoke honestly. He didn¡¯t tell everything. He just mentioned what he could tell her now. Things he had been thinking about since he entered Karin¡¯s room yesterday. Was it good or bad? Was it painful or difficult? He didn¡¯t think it was right to have physical contact with Karin without having a proper conversation. He couldn¡¯t deceive the other person¡¯s feelings. But he couldn¡¯t ignore her and abandon her. He just told Karin to wait a moment. ¡°There¡¯s something you can¡¯t talk about? Okay. I¡¯ll wait.¡± Karin replied coolly as if it was nothing. Then she continued with a slightly red face. ¡°And I can¡¯t tell you how the intercourse was.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°B... I¡¯m embarrassed.¡± Jung Yu-shin scratched his head. ¡®Wasn¡¯t it too delicate?¡¯ In any case, Karin¡¯s reaction made him feel much more at ease. Except for one question. ¡°Do you trust me?¡± Karin snickered at Jung Yu-shin¡¯s question. ¡°Scar, what kind of stupid thing are you talking about? If I didn¡¯t trust you and didn¡¯t like you, would I have attacked you?¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t it just that you were controlled by your physical desires and coveted my body?¡± Karin¡¯s face turned bright red. ¡°You!!! What do you think of me as?!¡± ¡°You¡¯re not serious?¡± ¡°Joe, there was a little bit of that. Just a little bit.¡± Karin muttered, turning away from Jung Yu-shin¡¯s gaze. ¡°...¡± Jung Yu-shin looked at Karin with cold eyes. ¡°Yes... It was wrong for you to give off a lewd smell?¡± ¡°...¡± Was it really because of desire? ¡®My innocence.¡¯ Suddenly, she got angry. ¡°Are you angry? Do you want to touch my chest?¡± Karin suddenly stuck out her heavy chest and rubbed it against Jung Yu-shin¡¯s solid chest. ¡°Yeah.¡± The 23-year-old Jung Yu-shin¡¯s anger disappeared as if it had been washed away. Soft and fluffy. ¡°Karin.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± He kneaded Karin¡¯s heavy lower chest and got to the point. ¡°Do you know I practice every morning?¡± ¡°Yeah. I still do it.¡± ¡°Teach me dagger technique.¡± ¡°Why... why?¡± Karin asked with a trembling voice. ¡®Why, why?¡¯ ¡®Because I want to learn.¡¯ She made up her mind after seeing the Sacred Weapon. She uses various weapons to attack the enemy¡¯s weak points. She disrupts the enemy¡¯s intentions and uses unexpected methods to find a way out. It was the best strategy she could use to survive in the labyrinth and the city. ¡°Well... why can¡¯t I just use longsword swordsmanship?¡± Karin snorted. ¡°That¡¯s true, but I feel like longsword swordsmanship is lacking. I want to experience various weapons. Besides, I don¡¯t have much time to learn while staying at the swordsmanship guild for a week.¡± ¡°Then how about taking a break from the labyrinth and learning earnestly? There¡¯s no need to rush in like that, right?¡± Jeong Yu-shin frowned. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s wait a bit and then go in together. I''ll save up every penny and get the equipment." "When will it be?" Karin''s forehead tensed at Jung Yu-shin''s question. "Hey!" Kwaaaaah. Karin''s fingers dug deep into her breasts. "I just want to learn. I''m getting dizzy! Teach me!" "Hyuuu. This... This is a unique dagger technique that only the Red Wolf Clan has inherited..." Karin seemed to hesitate for a moment at Jung Yu-shin''s ignorant breast-grabbing and sagging. Jung Yu-shin grabbed Karin''s increasingly erect nipples and pulled them along with her bra. Her breasts, surrounded by her bra, stretched out. "Hoooooooo?!" Karin lowered her head and let out a hot sigh. Her legs curled up and her body trembled. "Karin, are you going to teach me or not? Decide!" He gently stroked her stiff nipples back and forth and whispered in her ear. He pushed Karin, who was unable to move because her nipples were caught, a little more. ¡°Whoa?! Cowardly?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it Karin who took the paralytic medicine that¡¯s cowardly?¡± ¡°Huh!¡± Karin bit her lips tightly. ¡°Yes... I¡¯ll teach you. Can you let go now? There are people behind the restaurant. What are you doing so shamelessly?¡± Even Karin¡¯s careful polite speech didn¡¯t ease his mind. ¡®This isn¡¯t enough.¡¯ Jung Yu-shin¡¯s expression, which had been thinking deeply, turned sour. ¡°Oh. Right. Karin, I forgot.¡± ¡°Wha...what?¡± Karin exhaled hotly and asked back. ¡°Karin, you¡¯re not allowed to have sex for the next 5 months. And you¡¯re not allowed to masturbate either. If I catch you masturbating, you''ll start a 5-month sex ban starting from that day." Karin should feel the pain I felt. I wish Karin knew half of the time I spent being a virgin. "What?" Karin''s eyes widened. "Ah... no, that''s...?" Karin looked up at Jung Yu-shin with moist eyes. At that moment. "S, Ska-sama?" It was a woman''s voice from behind. A soft voice. A familiar pitch. But she was shaking slightly, as if she had been shocked. "Huh?!" Jung Yu-shin hurriedly took her hand away and looked back. It was Mi-on, the priestess who served the Mother Earth. Chapter 116: Request for designation ¡°S...Ska-sama, what were you doing?¡± Mi-on, wearing a white priest¡¯s robe, asked groggily. Jeong Yu-shin, flustered, waved her hand and rolled her eyes here and there. ¡°That...that.¡± Karin smiled broadly at the sight. ¡°Huh?¡± Just a moment ago, there was no wolf beast who was trembling while having her nipples teased by the man she liked. It was her turn as Scar¡¯s first female to show off her dignity. ¡°That¡¯s right...ah!!!¡± Karin abruptly cut off her words. She abruptly abandoned her plan to show off to that wet cow priest. One possibility crossed her mind. The mating ban that Scar had declared weighed on her mind. ¡®Five months.¡¯ It was too long. Long enough for that wet cow priest to notice everything and eat up her man. I couldn¡¯t let my guard down. The beauty of the cow priestess. ¡®As pretty as I am.¡¯ Her slightly closed eyes. The small teardrops beneath them. Her soft lips. Decisively. The milk can rippled vulgarly and the shady priestess¡¯s uniform revealing her panty line. Although it was currently covered by the white priestess¡¯ uniform, it was ready to seduce Scar and initiate mating at any moment. If she moved, there was a high possibility that Scar would fall into the priestess¡¯s hands. She decided to postpone showing her superiority as Scar¡¯s first female. However, it was a pity to just let her go. Karin narrowed her eyes and looked at Mion. ¡°Mion, are you curious?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Mion nodded. Karin looked at Jeong Yu-shin. ¡°Let¡¯s talk for a moment.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤I understand.¡± Jung Yu-shin nodded and left the yard. Since the two of them had talked last time, it seemed like there was something else for the women to talk about. Jung Yu-shin was forcibly kicked out of the yard and wandered around the counter. Tarman was mopping the inn floor with a mop and smiled darkly at her. ¡°Hehe. Ska-nim, it¡¯s a good time.¡± ¡°What are you talking about all of a sudden?¡± ¡°Honestly, aren¡¯t you the flowers of both hands? The passionate and easygoing Karin-nim and the gentle Mother Earth Priestess? Ska-nim is so blessed.¡± ¡°You¡¯re crazy. That person is a high-level priestess. And her older brother is the commander of the inner castle knights of the labyrinth city. If I mess with you, you¡¯ll be killed without anyone knowing.¡± ¡®But, you liked the belly fat, right?¡¯ The evil self whispered in the darkness. Jung Yu-shin shook his head. The darkness of the labyrinth was invading his mind again. Tarman trembled slightly. ¡°Oh, I see. He must be a high-ranking person. But he is a kind person...¡± Tarman¡¯s words were cut off in the middle. The sound from the yard penetrated the kitchen and reached the inn hall. However, it was difficult to hear the content properly because it was faint. ¡°Death... Bitch...! The agreement...?!¡± ¡°With... that... what can you do... with your... wet, wet... little finger... masturbate in defeat...¡± ¡°Bitch!... Take the leash...!¡± ¡°Ha... Don¡¯t...!¡± Anne ran out of the kitchen with a pale face. ¡°Ska-nim! You two are fighting while rolling around in the yard!¡± Jung Yu-shin ran out of the kitchen and into the yard, feeling like tearing out her hair. ¡°Both of you, stop!¡± Jung Yu-shin ran out into the yard and shouted. But she was a step too late. The situation was already over. Karin was sitting down with her bra off, and Mion¡¯s white priest¡¯s clothes were disheveled, revealing her black priest¡¯s clothes. ¡°Hoo...hoo...¡± Mion let out a ragged breath and looked at Jung Yu-shin for a moment. ¡°Ska-nim, is it true that Karin touched ¡®that place¡¯?¡± ¡°Y...yes.¡± ¡®It didn¡¯t end there. We had sex.¡¯ Feeling a bit confused, she answered straightforwardly. Because it was true. ¡°Hoo. There¡¯s nothing I can do. I¡¯ve taken measures to make sure that this impudent bitch can never touch Ska-nim¡¯s sacred place again.¡± ¡°...?¡± What measures? ¡°Ska-nim.¡± Mion approached him lightly and grabbed both of Jung Yu-shin¡¯s hands. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t give in to lust and harm your body.¡± ¡°Yes. I understand.¡± Mion hesitated with a red face before opening her mouth. ¡°If... if it doesn¡¯t work out, I... I can help, right? You know? Come to the confessional and tell me everything.¡± ¡°Ah... I understand.¡± Mion held Ska¡¯s hand tightly and glared at Karin before leaving the kitchen. Karin clutched her chest and ground her teeth. ¡°You annoying, wet cow!¡± ¡°Karin, are you okay?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Why are you covering your chest?¡± ¡°There¡¯s something like that.¡± Karin couldn¡¯t say anything even though her mouth was torn. Mion used magic to knock him down with a power that surpassed his own, then grabbed his chest and engraved ¡®pleasure fairy tale magic¡¯. Karin bit her lips tightly. The plan was ruined. She had risked her shame to ¡®mark¡¯ him in order to let many people know, but because Scar had declared a prohibition against mating, things got even more complicated. Scar was about to be stolen by another female. And by Mion, her biggest rival. ¡®First, I¡¯ll hold Scar back from going outside, and then I¡¯ll silence my kin.¡¯ There were many kin on the streets. There must have been many people who had smelled it. It was a plan that was almost impossible. Success was impossible. But she couldn¡¯t just sit back and do nothing. ¡®I have to block it as much as I can.¡¯ At least until the five-month mating ban is lifted, I have to do whatever it takes to make sure Mion doesn¡¯t notice. ¡®The smell will fade in a week.¡¯ Karin quickly dried herself with a towel and went up to the second floor. There was a lot to do. After a fight. While Jeong Yu-shin was cleaning up the yard, Anne approached and handed him a small bundle. ¡°This is something that the priest left behind. During this festival, I made a small amulet and sold it at the Earth Mother Temple, but the priest made this especially for Ska-nim, so he asked me to keep it.¡± Jeong Yu-shin nodded and accepted the bundle. ¡®So this is why Mion came to see me.¡¯ ¡°I understand. Thank you.¡± ¡°No. You must have had a hard time.¡± Anne¡¯s voice was filled with pity. Jung Yu-shin let out a deep sigh. ¡®It¡¯s so dizzying.¡¯ Since the dawn training was over, the inn staff gathered together to have an early breakfast and start work. Jung Yu-shin couldn¡¯t stay still, so he spent his time working in the kitchen. There was also an earnest request from Anne. The summer kitchen was like a steamer. He had to be close to the fire and work diligently without rest. In a word. It wasn¡¯t easy. Still, if someone had to do something, it suited his nature to take on the hardest work. Karin and Tarman served outside. ¡°Ska-nim.¡± Tarman, who had come into the kitchen, called Jung Yu-shin¡¯s name. Jung Yu-shin, who was cutting celery, raised his head. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Snake-nosed is here.¡± ¡°Really? Tell him to come out to the yard.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± As he sat down in the shade of the yard, wiping his sweat, Dulchangko approached him. ¡°Ska-nim, it¡¯s been a while...!¡± Dulchangko stopped greeting and pinched his nose. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Ah...no.¡± Dulchangko avoided eye contact and mumbled. ¡®I prepared myself mentally because Karin-nim strongly advised me to, but it¡¯s no joke.¡¯ Jeong Yu-shin tilted his head. ¡®What? Does the sweat smell that bad?¡¯ He wondered, but put it to rest. It was strange that he didn¡¯t smell of sweat even though he worked hard in the kitchen. ¡°Dulchangko, it¡¯s been a while. We were short-handed during the last festival, so thank you for helping us.¡± ¡°You...you¡¯re welcome. I¡¯m just grateful that Tarman is taking good care of the maintenance.¡± Dulchangko smiled stiffly. Tarman came out of the yard. He was holding two cups of cool mint juice in his hands. ¡°Sleep. Drink and chat.¡± ¡°Oh!!! Thank you.¡± Tarman said with a wide-eyed face. I received the juice. ¡°I don¡¯t like it.¡± Jung Yu-shin frowned and shook his head. It was a juice that had a flavor that was half cilantro and half mint. ¡®Cisoria-flavored toothpaste juice. It¡¯s horrible.¡¯ Dulchang-ko drank the juice all at once and licked his lips. ¡°Tarman, Ska-nim said he wouldn¡¯t drink it, so can you give it to me?¡± ¡°Of course not. Okay. Ska-nim, is that okay?¡± Jung Yu-shin shook his head at Tarman¡¯s question. ¡°Drink a lot. Drink twice.¡± ¡°Hehe. Thank you.¡± Jung Yu-shin looked {N?o?v?e?l?i?g?h?t} up at the hot, sweltering sky as he watched the two men chattering away. ¡®You two are a good match.¡¯ They started talking friendly since the chef interview, and now they¡¯re friends? The friendship between a man who changed from a rookie explorer to an inn worker and a gentleman who works under Aldain. It was a really funny drama. Tarman went into the kitchen, and only Jeong Yu-shin and Dul-chang-ko were left in the shade of the yard. ¡°So what happened?¡± ¡°Oh! It¡¯s not something else, but the monsters attacked during this festival, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I heard that Lord Aldain caught some guys who were doing strange things during the chaos in the city.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°I thought you should know. Have you heard of the Pig Head Mercenaries?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t they the guys I had a fight with?¡± ¡°They were slave hunters.¡± ¡°Oh...right.¡± ¡°We caught a few of them right away. We¡¯re handing the dregs over to the guards and only imprisoning the important ones.¡± ¡°Really? That¡¯s good.¡± Jung Yu-shin replied dryly, looking at the rising haze in the yard. Then, Dulchangko made a bewildered expression. ¡°S, Ska-nim? Why are you doing that?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you come here and torture and ask questions?¡± ¡®This bastard.¡¯ What kind of image does Dulchangko have of himself? He¡¯s not a cold-blooded psycho killer with no blood or tears, so why on earth would he torture him? There were no more sympathetic killers suffering from madness. There were only calm and peaceful modern people who had all the bad energy in their bodies sucked out. ¡°Why me?¡± Dulchangko¡¯s eyes widened even more at Jung Yu-shin¡¯s question. ¡°Then are you just going to leave him alone?¡± ¡°What did Aldain say?¡± ¡°He said he wanted to see the skills of a newbie who was dismantling monsters.¡± Jung Yu-shin closed his mouth for a moment in disbelief, then opened it. ¡°That guy is really evil. Tell him to have sex. It¡¯ll put his mind at peace. In my opinion, he should have sex.¡± ¡°No...what is that?! In this cruel street, why are we suddenly having sex?! Isn¡¯t Mr. Ska a noble wolf who roams the streets slaughtering bad guys?!¡± There was a small hint of resentment in Deulchangko¡¯s voice. ¡°That¡¯s not it.¡± ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ll pretend I didn¡¯t hear that. Lord Aldein might call.¡± ¡°Tsk. I¡¯ll go if he calls.¡± He had received a lot of help in one way or another, so he couldn¡¯t refuse the call from the head of the monster dismantling center. After Deulchangko left the inn, Jung Yu-shin sat quietly in the shade with his arms folded and got up from his seat. ¡°I should get to work.¡± A few days had passed since Deulchangko¡¯s visit. Jeong Yushin¡¯s daily life was the same. At dawn, he learned dagger techniques from Karin. The rest of the time, he would stay in the kitchen and work silently. If there was something special, would it be Karin¡¯s behavior? Karin brought him a strange drink in the middle of the night. ¡°Drink this.¡± ¡°What is it? Is it a paralytic?¡± ¡°No! It¡¯s just a drug that quickly increases magical power recovery.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± After drinking the drink Karin gave him, a refreshing sensation spread through his body and he felt the sticky energy clinging to his body fall off a little. ¡®Is it some kind of elixir? That¡¯s strange.¡¯ Was it because Karin had been leaving the inn often these past few days? He felt happy and patted Karin¡¯s plump butt. ¡°Ah! Don¡¯t do that!¡± Karin blushed and stepped back. Jung Yu-shin scratched his head in embarrassment. ¡®Was I too shy?¡¯ A week after all this happened, dawn. Kang!!! Kagagagak!!! The two men and women clashed daggers in the yard at dawn. Jung Yu-shin was learning dagger techniques from Karin. Unlike Jung Yu-shin, who had been swinging daggers instinctively until then, Karin knew how to use them properly. Karin taught him kindly. She explained in detail everything from the angle of the swing, the direction of the force, and the posture in which to stab. Jung Yu-shin slowly got ready while practicing dagger techniques under Karin¡¯s guidance. ¡°Ska-nim, we have a guest.¡± Tarman came out into the yard and said. Jung Yu-shin stopped sparring with Karin. ¡°It¡¯s early in the morning? Just wait a little.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± After cleaning up the yard and wiping off the sweat, he entered the inn hall. Familiar faces were sitting at a corner of the table. Iron Mask. Kubo, the dwarf priest who was walking around in only his underwear. And Mas, the rat guide. ¡°Scar, it¡¯s been a while. Mas has been released.¡± Iron Mask said, waving his hand. Jeong Yu-shin smiled brightly and approached Mas. Mas held his nose and frowned for a moment before tilting his head. ¡®That¡¯s strange. I think I smelled something dangerous from that guy, Scar. Am I imagining something?¡¯ While Mas was confused, Jeong Yu-shin opened his mouth. ¡°Yeah. Let¡¯s see, Mas, this guy has lost weight? Did he steal his own flesh with the engraving?¡± ¡°Scar, are you kidding me? It¡¯s not funny at all. Look at my mouth. It¡¯s not moving at all.¡± The skinny Mars muttered. ¡°You didn¡¯t steal my sense of humor with the engraving on the wall?¡± ¡°Oh. Don¡¯t do that!¡± Mars squeaked and threw a tantrum. Jung Yoo-shin sat down at the party. ¡°Mars, I heard you were doing well in prison. Was there something wrong?¡± ¡°We were comfortable until the festival, but after that, the atmosphere became unusual. Strange humans started getting locked up one by one and the torture began. It was horrible.¡± ¡°Really? You¡¯ve worked hard.¡± ¡°Ugh...Ugh!!!¡± Mars¡¯s soft pats made Jung Yoo-shin¡¯s soft words make him shed tears. The dwarf priest wearing only triangle panties climbed onto the chair and wiggled his butt. ¡°Mars guy, let¡¯s have a drink to celebrate your release! My back hurts from working at the temple all through the festival.¡± Jung Yu-shin didn¡¯t feel bad at all when he saw that. He was just thankful that they could meet again safely and enter the labyrinth together. It didn¡¯t really matter if he postponed his promotion today. Jung Yu-shin¡¯s party had gathered at a corner table since dawn, eating and drinking. Iron Mask opened his mouth. ¡°Scar, it¡¯s a little early, but our party has a request for a nomination.¡± Jung Yu-shin¡¯s head snapped up. Suddenly? ¡°What nomination request?¡± Chapter 117: What if a person suddenly changes? "What''s the nomination request?" Joo Hyuk asked back. Although promotion was just around the corner, right now, they were still a rookie party. "So what''s the content? Who gave the request? Honestly, I don''t think we''re at the level to receive someone''s nomination." "Listen first. It''s a request from a temple dedicated to the Wind Spirit God." At Cheolgamyeon''s answer, Joo Hyuk crossed his arms. The temple serving the Wind Spirit God. He had heard that it was somewhere in the central district, but he had never been there. It was also the sect to which the elemental mage Luke and Shimus belonged. "You seem like you don''t like it." Cheolgamyeon quietly looked at Joo Hyuk and said a word. Joo Hyuk rubbed his eyes with two fingers. "I guess that''s true. We¡¯re barely about to reach intermediate level, and suddenly we get a nomination request, so it¡¯s natural to be suspicious." The rat beastman Mas agreed with a somewhat sullen face. "Sca¡¯s right. Priests are scary! They wear gloomy underwear and all!" Joo Hyuk turned his head and looked at Kubo, the priest. The dwarf priest was desperately drinking from a wooden cup. "Kubo, anything to say?" "What to say? Like Cheolgamyeon said, if it feels off, we can just refuse. Don¡¯t overthink it." Joo Hyuk stroked his chin and leaned back in his chair. "I see." "We don''t know the details or the reward yet. We need to meet them and talk. Also, Sca, you''re going to promote tomorrow, are you going to come with me?" "I''ll go together." "Alright." The party wrapped up the meeting casually and spent time talking about the festival. They sat around chatting without realizing how much time had passed. Eventually, the drinking session ended by evening. The party members left the inn, heavily intoxicated. "By the way, hasn¡¯t Sca¡¯s face brightened up a bit?" Kubo muttered while walking down the street. "Definitely. The poison on his face seems to have faded away." Cheolgamyeon responded with a smile. "Hmm... I don¡¯t know. It seems like something dangerous and slimy is lurking." Mas tilted his head and spoke. Kubo tapped Mas on the shoulder. "Mas, are you feeling weak after being locked up in prison for too long or something?" "Tch. Maybe? I don¡¯t know." Mas scratched his head. Joo Hyuk finished training with Karin early in the morning and met Cheolgamyeon to head toward the Explorer Guild. As they walked together, chatting lightly, Joo Hyuk felt strange glances from the people around. Joo Hyuk didn¡¯t know, but over the past week, Karin had been working hard. She had asked the captain of the guards and the villagers to please be quiet. The people Joo Hyuk had helped naturally followed. No, they had kept it quiet from the start. It was too foul-smelling for ordinary people to handle. They didn''t dare speak out, fearing that rumors might spread and people would end up getting hurt. There was also the reason she didn¡¯t want to disgrace her benefactor. But Karin didn¡¯t stop there. She spent her own money on a pheromone remover and made Joo Hyuk take it. Of course, the claim that it had a magic recovery function was not a lie. Then she asked Anne to keep Joo Hyuk in the kitchen for a week. Thanks to running around and sweating, the pheromone smell on Joo Hyuk¡¯s body had been mostly cleared away. Only a few beastmen with sensitive noses flinched and fiddled with their noses. Cheolgamyeon nudged Joo Hyuk. "People are staring at you a lot." "They''re the people I helped." Joo Hyuk responded to Cheolgamyeon and waved at the distant merchants. The merchants waved back with awkward smiles. "Impressive." "I guess so." Joo Hyuk and Cheolgamyeon arrived at the Explorer Guild in the southern district. The guild was crowded with explorers. After waiting for about 40 minutes in line, they stood in front of a dog beastman receptionist. "Hello. Explorer, what brings you here today... Hehe?!" The dog beastman greeted them with a smile, but stiffened as soon as he sniffed the scent coming from the black-haired man. "What''s wrong?" "Oh... nothing. Grrr." The dog beastman felt his thighs instinctively tighten and his heart race as soon as he caught the smell coming from the black-haired man. ¡®Why... why is this happening?¡¯ Confused by his own feelings, the dog beastman tilted his head. There was something dangerous and sticky hidden within the smell. If he concentrated, he might understand, but his body instinctively rejected it. "What... what''s going on?" The dog beastman asked, twisting his body. "We came for the promotion. Here¡¯s our identification." The dog beastman took the identification cards they handed him and nodded. "Y-You are Sca and Cheolgamyeon. Please wait for a moment." The dog beastman staggered and went in and out of the office. "Here... Here¡¯s your silver badge. Congratulations. You¡¯re now intermediate explorers. I''ll take your bronze badge. From now on, you can use the explorer headquarters in the center." "I see. But is there any problem with continuing to use this place?" "Of course not. But half of the requests on the bulletin board are for beginners. It¡¯s something you should consider." "I understand." The dog beastman looked up at Joo Hyuk with moist eyes, but Joo Hyuk, overwhelmed with emotion, didn¡¯t notice. ¡®Finally.¡¯ When he looked at the sparkling silver badge, he felt like he owned the world. On the other hand, Cheolgamyeon carefully handled his own silver badge. Joo Hyuk smiled and patted Cheolgamyeon on the shoulder. "Why the sour face?" "Sca, can you see the face behind the mask?" "Of course, what else?" "I see." Cheolgamyeon smiled faintly and spoke again. "Kubo and Mas will need to wait a few days to promote. For now, we should listen to the request details and pass them along to the other party members." "How long does promotion usually take?" "We¡¯re lucky because of the festival, so the explorer guild¡¯s workload is lighter, and the promotion evaluation went quickly. Usually, it takes more than a week." "If Mas hadn¡¯t been messing around with that strange priest, it would¡¯ve been over faster." "It wasn¡¯t his butt, he took off the priest¡¯s underwear. Actually, that was harder. He¡¯s skilled, though." "Was that a joke?" "No." Joo Hyuk briefly looked at Cheolgamyeon. He was a decent guy with a good personality. Unlike royalty, he had a humble nature, and his ability to acquire information was quick. ¡®Where does he get all this information from?¡¯ He was a bit curious. "Sca, don¡¯t stare at me like that. Decide. Are you coming with me to hear the request?" "No, I¡¯ll leave it this time. I need to prepare for entering the labyrinth. I need to repair my equipment and buy necessary supplies." "Take your time and only prepare what¡¯s necessary. Depending on the request, what you need to take and how much you need can change." "Got it." Joo Hyuk parted ways with Cheolgamyeon and headed back to the inn to gather money and equipment, then walked toward the western district. The goal was Boron¡¯s forge. He bought a bottle of alcohol on the way. Boron looked down at the pieces of iron with trembling eyes. "What... what is this?" "Armor?" At Joo Hyuk¡¯s answer, Boron looked up at him with a blank face. "Crazy." Boron scraped up the iron scraps and brought them in front of Joo Hyuk¡¯s eyes. "Does this make any sense? I¡¯ve never seen anyone bring iron scraps and call it armor. Are you sure you wore this? You didn¡¯t pick it up at a junk shop or anything?" "It¡¯s the one I wore." Boron sat back down in his chair, looking as if he couldn¡¯t believe it. "How did you survive with armor this damaged? You should be dead." "Well, weak Sca died, and the strong, cool Sca was born." "What nonsense are you talking?" "Let¡¯s stop with the nonsense. Can you fix it or not? Just tell me that." "You¡¯re the one talking nonsense. And you need the original to fix it. Even a god of blacksmiths can¡¯t fix this. Just buy a new one." "Will you give me a discount?" "Heh. You made a nice profit with the Cream Slime bread, didn¡¯t you? Buy something good." It was a bit surprising that the fame of the Cream Slime bread had spread even to the western district. "Has the rumor spread here too?" "It¡¯s famous. You¡¯re a bit famous now." "Really?" Joo Hyuk was confused. "Didn¡¯t you save people in danger? Everyone who saw you fight is talking about you in awe." Joo Hyuk smiled contentedly. "They must have seen me fight well." "No?" "Then?" "You¡¯ve become known as a ruthless fighter with a ton of instruments. People have wet themselves just watching you dance with a broken arm and swinging your sword while your fingers got chopped off." "The rumors seem a bit exaggerated. I think there were some weak-hearted people." "Did you fight like that or not? You pinned a person to the street with your sword, didn¡¯t you?" "Well, yes." "Then it¡¯s true." "Alright, enough. Show me the armor blueprints." Joo Hyuk followed Boron into the small room, where Boron spread several armor blueprints on the table. "Anything decent?" The plate armor blueprints seemed fine, but it looked too heavy. ¡®Wear chainmail over a gambeson and then wear the plate armor?¡¯ Not bad. But if the gear was too heavy, movement would slow down, and stamina would drain quickly. ¡®I need to reduce the weight as much as possible.¡¯ He was mainly assuming entering a forest area, but he wanted to make it versatile. Joo Hyuk grabbed his head, deep in thought. "Why is this taking so long?" Boron came in, gulping down his drink. Joo Hyuk picked up the plate armor blueprint and showed it to him. "Boron, see this blueprint?" "Why?" "Can you reduce the parts that can be trimmed down?" "Sure, I can do that. What¡¯s your plan?" Joo Hyuk grabbed Boron and explained. "The shoulder part, we¡¯ll use one spaulder and one foldrun." "We¡¯ll make the foldrun part thicker and add a stop ridge. We¡¯ll throw away the shield and block with the body, right?" As expected, Boron, the blacksmith, understood immediately even with a brief explanation. "Yes. Then, I¡¯ll wear a single-piece ¡ô N§àv§Öl?g?t ¡ô (Only on N§àv§Öl?g?t) plate armor that covers both the chest and back." "Then what about the lower body?" "I¡¯ll wear monster leather pants and iron greaves. The boots will stay the same." "Your crotch looks dangerous." "..." Why does he always have to say things crudely? "I¡¯m thinking of putting a longer chainmail over it." "Your gauntlets will have leather and iron, right? I get it. Almost done, huh? If you had all this, I¡¯d think you were heading to war. What about the helmet?" Joo Hyuk recalled the last fight. Too much blood and poison splattered everywhere. It was better to avoid such accidents as much as possible during a fight. "Show me what you¡¯ve got. The helmet I saw last time was fine, but the eyes were obstructed." Boron stroked his beard. "I¡¯ve got one ready, but you can check it later. What about the shield?" "A heater shield." "Looks too heavy." "It¡¯ll be fine. Probably." With the recent level-up, his physical abilities had increased. He figured he could walk around the labyrinth for a while with the full plate armor. He was trying to reduce the weight as much as possible, anyway. No matter how light the armor, one wrong move could be fatal. But wearing heavy armor would drain his stamina. Finding the right balance was key. "What about the weapon? You didn¡¯t break your longsword, right?" "I¡¯m keeping it safe. Two daggers, and give me an arming sword." The dwarf nodded. "Sca, did you make some money? You¡¯re not holding back." "Ah..." He hadn¡¯t thought about the price in the heat of explaining. Joo Hyuk slowly opened his mouth. "...How about settling everything for just three gold coins?" Boron¡¯s eyes nearly popped out of his head. "No... You crazy bastard! Don¡¯t you have any conscience? Don¡¯t you have a heart?! Ah... I feel like I¡¯m dreaming." The dwarf placed his hand on his forehead and staggered. "Let¡¯s make it four gold coins." The dwarf collapsed to the ground with a thud. "Why don¡¯t you just take it all? Even thieves don¡¯t do this." "Ha. I¡¯ve helped you a lot when things were tough. Don¡¯t do this." "Are you saying you''re going to eat me now that I¡¯ve gained some weight?" "Isn¡¯t it better when things go smoothly? Let¡¯s settle on five gold coins." "Ugh...!" The dwarf pulled at his beard like he was about to rip it out. "You bastard! A chainmail costs three gold coins!" "...Yes?" He definitely spent one gold coin and twenty-five silver coins when getting light armor last time. "Why is chainmail so expensive?" "Why? Because it takes a lot of work!" "It¡¯s still too much..." "The full plate covering the chest and stomach, and the shoulder armor is also plate. It¡¯s different from the armor we made last time with leather base and small iron plates." "So what¡¯s the fair price?" "All together, it¡¯s six gold coins." "..." It was about five times the amount he had spent last time. Joo Hyuk thought for a moment and nodded. "Let¡¯s settle on that." Boron¡¯s mouth dropped open. "...No discount? You¡¯re really just going like this?" Joo Hyuk smiled gently and handed over the gold coin pouch. "It¡¯s armor that will protect my life. I think it would be awkward to ask for a discount. Here, take it." The dwarf took the pouch with a blank expression, as if he were dreaming. "...Then why did you make all that fuss?" "My old self just showed up for a moment." "What does that mean? Forget it, I don¡¯t want to know. Come back in five days. Are you going to take the weapons first?" "No. I¡¯ll take everything at once later. By the way, where¡¯s Ainhoffer?" "He¡¯s on a short vacation." "I see. Then I¡¯ll see you later." "Yeah... yeah." Boron scratched his head as he watched Joo Hyuk leave the forge. "Why¡¯s he acting like that? People die when they change suddenly." Still dazed, Boron grabbed a bottle of liquor and gulped it down. "Sigh. Useless thoughts. Time to get to work." At the peak of summer. In the hot, sweltering heat inside the building. The dwarf picked up his hammer. Chapter 118: Into the Labyrinth Three days later, dawn. Jung Yu-shin stood alone in the yard and checked his body. Even after the festival, he had a busy schedule and had difficulty finding time for himself. He looked down at his palm. Excluding the small rewards. ¡®I gained one thing from this festival.¡¯ Sacred Weapon. A seal that received the blessing of the Earth Mother during the fight with Lett. A beginner¡¯s magic of a priest with half physical and half divine power. It is a technique to draw a weapon from the mind into the real world. It was a magic that could not be used unless you were a priest class. However, through the seal, Jung Yu-shin was able to use it. When he first received this seal, the time it took to summon the weapon was too long and its power was just so-so. Not now. The more he used it, the more his magical power increased through magical adaptation. The Sacred Weapon became stronger. And now that I have received the blessing of the Mother Earth. I can now give characteristics to weapons as well as their forms. Of course, because of the poor magical power, giving characteristics to Sacred Weapons was limited to 1 time. If you imagine an ability that is too absurd, you will fail in the middle. For reference, a normal Sacred Weapon can be used about 15 times. ¡®Can I say that it has become stronger?¡¯ I don¡¯t know. But I thought I would know right away. From now on, I will be working at the Explorer Headquarters in the central area. Explorer Headquarters. The enormous building I saw when I first came to the Labyrinth City. The scene of countless Explorers swarming around was still vivid in my memory. Is this what it feels like to go out into the great ocean? My heart raced with tension and excitement as I thought about the Explorers I would meet in the future. As I stood in the yard, quietly lost in thought, Tarman approached me. ¡°Ska, a guest has arrived.¡± ¡°There are a lot of people coming in the early morning these days.¡± ¡°I guess it¡¯s because the weather is getting hotter and hotter.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± After wiping off the sweat, I went out to the inn hall and saw Ashur sitting at the table. The leader of the swordsmanship guild. The elf stalker sword master. Ashur nodded at Jung Yu-shin. ¡°Ska, sit down.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Jung Yu-shin sat across from Ashur. ¡°Nothing happened, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Ashur snickered at Jung Yu-shin¡¯s stiff answer. ¡°Nothing happened. You said you fought hard to save people on the streets?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Good job.¡± Ashur smiled and patted Jung Yu-shin on the shoulder. Only then did Jung Yu-shin¡¯s body relax. ¡°I thought you¡¯d be really mad because I swung my sword around again.¡± ¡°What are you talking about? I¡¯m not that bad of a person. I can swing that sword around freely to save people. Hehe.¡± Jeong Yu-shin laughed brightly. ¡°Is that so? Hahaha.¡± Then Ashur¡¯s expression hardened. ¡°Don¡¯t laugh. I¡¯m not that broad-minded. Ah, thinking about it again, I¡¯m getting angry.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°No. It would have been better if I had survived and won.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Great! I found out the information you asked me for last time.¡± ¡°Are you talking about the case where the Revenger and Death-Restoration Seals are combined?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. There¡¯s something I need to mention first. Cases where the Seals are combined to produce abilities. People call this case ¡®Seal Linkage.¡¯¡± ¡°It¡¯s a pretty straightforward name.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Do you have any examples?¡± Ashur crossed his arms and stared into space for a moment before opening his mouth. ¡°Once upon a time, there was a wizard. He got a seal that transformed magic power into muscle.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Magic power into muscle? Wasn¡¯t he a power mage? Was he really a labyrinthian? There was romance. ¡°On top of that, he got a seal that infinitely multiplied magic power. It¡¯s a seal that steadily increases magic power just by breathing.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t this a joke?¡± Isn¡¯t that a crazy, swindling seal? ¡°I¡¯m not joking. He was so strong that even the most famous warriors in the city couldn¡¯t match him in strength. Do you get it? This is an example of a synergy of seals.¡± Is this a case where seals create a synergy effect? Let¡¯s take that power mage as an example. His magic power increases infinitely and at the same time, he becomes a person who can transform that magic power into muscle. In other words, his muscles increase infinitely just by breathing. His heart pounded. ¡°The imprint link is a shortcut to becoming a top explorer. Of course, there are those who reach the ranks of the strong through endless training without anything like that.¡± Ashur looked at Jeong Yu-shin quietly. ¡°I¡¯m saying this out of concern, but don¡¯t rely too much on imprints.¡± ¡°Yes. I understand.¡± The master was right. It would have been difficult to survive the labyrinth if you only relied on imprints. The reason he had been able to overcome crises up until now was because of his own constant training and effort. ¡°Big! I have to finish the example. To cut to the chase, that wizard is dead.¡± Jeong Yu-shin¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°There was chaos in the city. We were surprised too. There was no one who could touch that guy. We performed an autopsy to see if it was a poisoned assassination.¡± ¡°So?¡± ¡°His heart muscles were abnormally thick.¡± ¡°Huh.¡± Jung Yu-shin opened his mouth in amazement. The strongest magician suddenly died of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. ¡®Fuck. My romance.¡¯ Was this a labyrinth after all? ¡°The imprint connection isn¡¯t that good.¡± ¡°I understand even if you don¡¯t hammer a nail into it.¡± ¡°Big! Let¡¯s get to the point. It¡¯s theoretically possible to escape from a death sentence with Revenger.¡± ¡®Actually, I heard from the Earth Mother.¡¯ He didn¡¯t say it. Ashur continued. ¡°You can get to the brink of death and then recover with Revenger. It¡¯s a training method that greatly increases the potential of Revenger imprints. Easy?¡± ¡®Ah.¡¯ Suddenly, a bad feeling began to build up in his stomach. He had to tap dance precariously on the brink of death. Isn¡¯t this crazy difficulty? Dark clouds spread across his peaceful mind. ¡°Why are you saying that so easily? Your disciple is dying.¡± ¡°Then don¡¯t think about the imprint and just swing your sword diligently. In my opinion, that¡¯s the most likely possibility.¡± ¡°Okay, I understand.¡± Ashur got up from his seat. ¡°Give me the money later when you come back from the labyrinth. Let¡¯s practice more seriously next time.¡± ¡°Okay, I understand.¡± Jung Yu-shin saw Ashur off and returned to the inn table. ¡°Oh my. My life.¡± He sighed involuntarily. ¡®If I had just strengthened the virgin female corruption imprint, I could have lived a happy, satisfied, and sweet labyrinth life with a powerful virgin harem party, right? It¡¯s better than karma. Yu-shin.¡¯ Someone whispered in the darkness. Crack!!! Jung Yu-shin slapped himself in the face. ¡°Ah, the darkness of the labyrinth again.¡± Another evening, two days later. The party members gathered in a corner of the inn. Iron Mask opened his mouth. ¡°The client is Sarphia, a high-ranking priest who serves the Wind Spirit. The request is to bury a holy relic in a specific location while going around the 7th floor of the forest area.¡± ¡°A specific location?¡± Jeong Yu-shin asked. ¡°I heard it¡¯s a place where magic easily accumulates. You know what causes Eldritch Waves, right?¡± Isn¡¯t it a phenomenon that occurs when magic accumulates in a layer? I couldn¡¯t help but know that I suffered so much because of it. ¡°Does the holy relic serve to suppress the accumulation of magic?¡± Iron Mask nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°But why are you leaving it to a party like ours?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because the route is long and we have to carry the weight of the holy relic. I heard that it was ignored for a long time because the fee wasn¡¯t that high.¡± After hearing it, it made sense. We need to look at the weight of the relic, but if it''s heavy and bulky, there will inevitably be restrictions on the items we can explore. Since the amount of food, water, antidotes, and potions we can take with us is reduced, the time we spend in the labyrinth will naturally be shorter. Since the route is also long, the exploration time will be even tighter. In the end. It was a request that could only be a hindrance to explorers who wanted to go in and make a lot of money. "What kind of crappy request did you get?" Mars grumbled. "But is there a reason we have to do it? No matter how grandly you say it''s a designated request, I think it''s just a waste of time, Dae.¡± ¡°Everyone, come closer.¡± The party members looked curious, but immediately brought their heads closer as Iron Mask said. They looked into each other¡¯s eyes as if they were plotting something. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤This is a secret. Listen carefully. When you bury a sacred object in a certain place, something happens.¡± ¡°...¡± The party members forgot what they were going to say and listened quietly. ¡°When you bury a sacred object in the ground, the accumulated magical power disperses. When the magical power spreads to the surroundings, if you are close, the magical power accumulates in your body and causes a transformation. You become healthier or your magical power increases a little.¡± The party members¡¯ eyes widened. ¡°Is it like leveling up?¡± ¡°Similar. It¡¯s not as great a leap as leveling up, but it¡¯s definitely not something to be ignored.¡± Health or magic power increases. In games, it was similar to increasing HP or MP. It might have been the most necessary benefit for someone struggling with a lack of magic power. It was even more so because they didn¡¯t know when they would level up. ¡°Why didn¡¯t anyone know about it until now?¡± ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because it¡¯s not a dramatic change?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s even stranger that those gloomy explorers are talking about these benefits so openly.¡± ¡°Since so many suspicious things happen in the labyrinth, they might just be letting it slide.¡± The party members each shared their opinions. Jeong Yu-shin looked at Iron Mask silently. ¡®Where did you get this information?¡¯ Isn¡¯t it pretty high-level information? ¡®Anyway, you¡¯re a strange hyung.¡¯ Still, it wasn¡¯t a completely unpleasant feeling of suspicion. It was because they believed Iron Mask wouldn¡¯t say such things with bad intentions. ¡°If that¡¯s true, then this is a good opportunity.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. By the way, this phenomenon only happens once in a lifetime.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Jeong Yu-shin licked his lips in regret. Is it impossible to copy infinite magic power? ¡°Okay. I agree.¡± ¡°Me too. It would be beneficial if my stamina increased.¡± ¡°It¡¯s to protect the safety of the labyrinth, so as a priest, I can¡¯t refuse. It¡¯s right to go.¡± Iron Mask nodded while listening to the party members. ¡°Then let¡¯s part ways here and meet again in three days.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± After the meeting, the party members got up and left the inn. Jung Yu-shin watched the party members moving away for a long time before returning to the inn and sitting at the counter. Suddenly, a question crossed his mind. ¡®Why did they specifically name our party?¡¯ Jung Yu-shin shook his head and swallowed the question. It wasn¡¯t a question that could be answered only by thinking deeply. ¡®I guess that means that Iron Mask¡¯s connections are that great.¡¯ It was time to prepare. Three days later, at dawn. It was time to enter the labyrinth. Jung Yu-shin put on the armor he had received from Boron¡¯s forge one by one. He wore chainmail over his cloth clothes and plate armor that covered his stomach and back. One shoulder was particularly prominent, and it was called Foldrun. The other flat part was called Spaulder. It was similar to the shoulder pad armor from Warcraft. The helmet was an armored helm with a visor. I used it last time. It had better defense than Barbuta. He tied two daggers and an arming sword to his sword belt in their scabbards and hung the long sword on his back. He wrapped the ? N§àv§ÖIight ? (Original source) rest of his miscellaneous equipment around his body. Lastly. He held the heater shield in his left hand and carried the magic backpack containing his daily necessities on his back. Karin smiled at Jeong Yu-shin standing at the entrance of the inn. ¡°Isn¡¯t it cool?¡± ¡°Whew. Whow.¡± Jeong Yu-shin gasped. The armor wasn¡¯t heavy, but it was completely steaming hot. ¡®I feel like I¡¯m going to die.¡¯ It was worse than wearing underwear and heattech in the middle of summer, then putting on a top, a rag, and a raincoat in order, and finally a raincoat. In short, these weren¡¯t things made for people to wear. Karin placed her hand on Jeong Yu-shin¡¯s chest. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°Whew. I feel like I¡¯m going to die from the heat. Seriously.¡± Even in the middle of summer, the Labyrinth Guards wearing full plate armor were admirable. ¡°I¡¯ll go and come back. I¡¯ll work hard to save up money.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get hurt. I¡¯ll wait.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± He wanted to say something cool, but the heat was so crazy that his mind was spinning. Jung Yu-shin left the inn with his luggage and arrived at the central area. When he arrived at the temple where the wind spirits that he had heard about at the last party meeting were enshrined, his whole body was soaked. The party members waiting at the entrance to the temple greeted Jung Yu-shin. The naked dwarf looked at Jung Yu-shin and chuckled. ¡°Scar? You¡¯re dressed like a savage.¡± Jung Yu-shin tucked his helmet under his arm and brushed his sweaty hair back. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me to talk. I feel like I¡¯m going to die.¡± While waiting at the entrance, several priests came out carrying three boxes. The party gathered in a circle and observed the boxes the priests had brought. ¡®Is this a holy relic?¡¯ A small, square iron box. There were several characters engraved on the outside. Other than that, it didn¡¯t look that special. After receiving the box from the priest, I estimated its weight. ¡®Hmm.¡¯ It was quite heavy. A shabby-looking elf priest approached and handed Iron Mask a small piece of paper. ¡°Explorers, thank you for accepting the request. If you go to the area marked on this map and bury the holy relic, the request will be completed.¡± ¡°How do you plan to confirm the completion of the request?¡± ¡°Many of the priests belonging to our order are active in the forest area. You don¡¯t have to worry about that. You can report the completion of the request at the currency exchange in front of the labyrinth. Okay.¡± The elf priest finished what he had to say and went inside the temple. The party members divided up the boxes and walked into the labyrinth. After walking for a long time in the crowded crowd, they arrived at the entrance of the labyrinth. ¡°Line up!!! Get in line!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t push!¡± ¡°There are a lot of people today. Should we hurry?¡± ¡°Guys, this is your first time, but you don¡¯t need to be nervous. Just look at the people. They¡¯re all crowded because they can do it.¡± The people stood in line and each spoke a word. The heat from the crowd made my head spin. After waiting while sweating profusely, it was Jung Yu-shin¡¯s party¡¯s turn. They stood on the magic circle according to the guards¡¯ instructions. ¡°Scar, do you have anything to say? You know the saying, ¡®What¡¯s going to happen?¡¯?¡± A smile filled the Iron Mask¡¯s voice. ¡°Whew. Let¡¯s just go. Hurry up.¡± Jung Yu-shin responded panting. I hadn''t even entered the labyrinth yet, but my whole body was already soaked in sweat. I stood in the magic circle and gripped the flint tightly. The light flashed and I felt a sense of floating. Soon darkness came. Chapter 119: A Bit of a Strange Friend Tak. He passed the magic circle at the entrance of the labyrinth and landed on the floor. Labyrinth 1st floor. Cool, damp air came in through the gap in his helmet. Ssireung. Jung Yu-shin instinctively drew his sword in the pitch-black darkness. And he quietly waited for the guide¡¯s judgment. ¡°There¡¯s no one.¡± The good-natured Mars said. Only then did Jung Yu-shin take out a flint from his pocket and light the torch. Hwaruk. The blazing fire illuminated the darkness of the labyrinth. When he looked back, he saw the party members standing back to back, each holding their own weapon. ¡°We fell pretty close to the transfer stone. You¡¯re lucky.¡± Mars said without even looking at the map. ¡°You can figure that out right away?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like you can figure it out in one or two days as a guide. You can figure it out in one glance on the first floor.¡± Mars shrugged and answered. ¡°Small talk later. Relax. Mars will stand in front and Scar will stand in the back. I will stand in the rear and protect Priest Kubo.¡± ¡°Good.¡± The party immediately formed a formation and moved forward according to Iron Mask¡¯s instructions. ¡°It¡¯s always creepy here.¡± The naked dwarf shivered slightly. ¡°It¡¯s so cool. If you¡¯re cold, put on some clothes. Sometimes, when I see you, my heart feels cold.¡± ¡°This is the first time in my life that I¡¯ve heard Barbaroi tell me to put on clothes.¡± The dwarf priest grumbled. Mars looked back a few times as if his mouth was itching, but he caught Iron Mask¡¯s gaze and looked forward. Jeong Yu-shin and the party began to walk through the labyrinth with torches. One day. Two days. Three days. Four days. Five days. Even in the darkness, time passed quickly. ¡°Whew. We¡¯ve arrived.¡± Mars muttered, wiping the sweat that had formed on his forehead. Jung Yu-shin¡¯s party left the cave and stood on a high basin, looking down at the city engulfed in darkness. The forgotten city of Engrav. From here, it was divided into three districts. Jung Yu-shin¡¯s party¡¯s final destination was the 7th floor of the forest district. ¡°Mars, you punk! Where did you put your mind?¡± Kubo made a stern expression and scolded the rat-man Mars. The rat-man Mars scratched the back of his neck, embarrassed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Priest. Haa. I¡¯ve been in prison for so long that I¡¯ve lost all my senses.¡± Jung Yu-shin looked down at the city with his sword slung over his shoulder. It took longer than expected because Mars misread the map. They teleported to the outskirts several times. But it was still fast. Of course, there was also a reason they walked a little faster because they were pressed for time. ¡°Let¡¯s go quickly. Today, we should rest inside the city and go to the next level.¡± Kubo said, glancing at Jeong Yu-shin and Iron Mask. Jeong Yu-shin laughed to himself. Did he think he would block the other party members¡¯ criticism by giving them a hard time first? Kubo¡¯s intentions felt naked. The party slowly walked down the basin and toward the city without saying much. There were footprints everywhere, as if many people had already passed by. As they passed through the gate of Engrav, the traces of the explorers became more and more distinct. This was because hobgoblin corpses were strewn along the central street. Corpses with their necks cut off and their arms torn off. Corpses that were burned black and turned to ashes, etc. Various corpses greeted Jeong Yu-shin¡¯s party. Jung Yu-shin walked slowly, looking around the hobgoblin corpse. After walking along the main street for about 2 hours, he found a shelter. A place to rest was a small house in an alleyway slightly off the main street of the city. Creak. Jung Yu-shin went inside first, holding a torch. He looked around carefully. ¡®There¡¯s nothing special.¡¯ There was no one in the house like at the last Karin party. There were only creaking tables and chairs. But strangely, it showed some signs of life. It was because there wasn¡¯t much dust. ¡®Did the last party use it briefly?¡¯ He confirmed that the shelter was safe. He called the party members over, roughly cleaned up the area, laid out a blanket, and lit a fire with firewood. He squatted down and ate the water and food he had brought. Crackle. Crackle. A bonfire was burning under an old brick oven. Jeong Yu-shin looked at the fire and chewed on dried meat. The dwarf priest sat with his short, chubby legs crossed, tearing at dry bread. ¡°Kubo.¡± Jeong Yu-shin called, and Kubo frowned and stroked his chin before raising his head. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Does that holy relic or something really block Eldritch Waves?¡± ¡°Well? I heard that you talked to the Magic Tower and the Wind Spirits, but I don¡¯t know the details. It hasn¡¯t even been a year since Eldritch Waves were created. I think it¡¯s an experimental request.¡± ¡°Then isn¡¯t it dangerous?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t Iron Mask tell you? There have been several requests. Don¡¯t worry, it won¡¯t be a big deal.¡± Jeong Yu-shin nodded at the dwarf priest¡¯s calm words. Mars gnawed on the biscuit and laughed. ¡°Sky, you¡¯re making weird bait again.¡± Jeong Yu-shin wore a death mask. ¡®These guys.¡¯ He looked calm even after being treated like that in the forest area last time. Mars was like that, but Kubo, the dwarf priest, looked relaxed even after having his shoulder eaten by a baby spider. ¡®His nerves are tougher than the tendons of a whale.¡¯ If his flesh was eaten by a spider, he might not be able to maintain his sanity. He took out a box called ¡®Holy Relic¡¯ from his magic backpack. It was about the size of three cake boxes combined and weighed about 20kg. If he hadn¡¯t secured some extra space in advance as advised by Iron Mask, he would have had to readjust the weight and size of the items he had brought. He could easily lift it because his physical abilities had gotten stronger as he leveled up. If he had first fallen into this world, it would have been so heavy that he would have ?N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t? barely been able to lift it. Jung Yu-shin pointed to the engraving on the outside of the box. ¡°Can you read this?¡± ¡°No. But I can tell it¡¯s made of ancient magic letters.¡± The dwarf priest seemed uninterested and answered vaguely, then began chewing on the dried bread. Jung Yu-shin tapped the box. A ¡®holy object¡¯ that people say drives away and purifies the so-called abyssal energy. Just like. Isn¡¯t it like a priest? Jung Yu-shin patted the box a few times and then put it back in his bag. ¡°I won¡¯t be able to stay long this time.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. The weight and volume of the box makes the material more daunting than I thought.¡± The Iron Mask stroked his greatsword and answered Jung Yu-shin¡¯s words. ¡°...¡± Jung Yu-shin, who had nothing more to say, turned his gaze to the bonfire. The men also leaned against the wall and looked at the bonfire. Crackle. Crackle. At that moment. Crackle. Crackle. Footsteps and faint sounds came from outside. The party members who had been leisurely immediately drew their weapons. Jung Yu-shin was the fastest to block the party with his arming sword and shield. ¡°Oh, there¡¯s someone.¡± ¡°I told you.¡± ¡°Big!¡± Iron Mask coughed in vain and opened his mouth. ¡°Who is it?!¡± He held his sword with both hands and slung it over his shoulder. If the opponent tried to force their way in without permission, he would immediately raise his sword and slash them down. ¡°Ah. It¡¯s nothing. This is our main shelter, so I came here once. I didn¡¯t know there was someone here before me. I¡¯ll be leaving, so don¡¯t worry about it.¡± A cool voice was heard from outside. Jung Yu-shin and the party members exchanged glances. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Whew. I¡¯m surprised.¡± Mars sighed deeply and muttered. ¡°Huh? Isn¡¯t that Mars?!¡± A voice was heard from outside again. A woman¡¯s voice. It was lively and lively. ¡°Huh? Senior?¡± Mars opened his eyes wide. Senior? ¡°Mars, it¡¯s me! Rumi!¡± Iron Mask turned his head to look at Mars. ¡°Mars, do you know me?¡± Mars scratched his head. ¡°She¡¯s a senior from the Guide Association. I¡¯ve learned a lot from her.¡± ¡°Mars, I heard you got promoted, but you¡¯re already in the labyrinth?¡± ¡°Yes, sir. My party members came here on a request.¡± ¡°Really? Cheer up!¡± A voice filled with laughter outside was heard. Iron Mask thought about something for a moment and opened his mouth. ¡°Mars, instead of this, should we meet and talk?¡± ¡°No... not to that extent.¡± Mars replied with an awkward face. ¡°Mars, do you not want to see me?¡± A woman¡¯s voice was heard from outside the door. ¡°Oh, no. That¡¯s not it.¡± Mars was flustered and tried to cover it up. ¡°It¡¯s rude to do this outside. We are the Huntsman Clan. Who are you?¡± A deep voice was heard from outside the door. ¡°...¡± Jeong Yu-shin tilted his head. Why did he suddenly mention the clan name? I¡¯ve heard of the dark clans that only exist in the eastern region, but this was the first time I¡¯ve heard of a clan made up of explorers. However, Kubo, Iron Mask, and even Mars nodded. ¡°Am I the only one who doesn¡¯t know?¡± Jung Yu-shin asked. ¡°The Huntsman Clan is a group of mid-level and high-level explorers who mainly focus on hunting. They¡¯re famous.¡± Iron Mask explained briefly. ¡°Is that so? Is it a trustworthy clan?¡± ¡°Yes. As long as they¡¯re not impersonators.¡± Mars nodded and added. ¡°It¡¯s a small to medium-sized clan. It¡¯s also the place I want to join the most.¡± ¡°Really? I should at least see their faces.¡± Jung Yu-shin approached and opened the door, and four people were standing far away. They were of different races. One elf with a bow. One heavily armored warrior human with a sword and shield. One cat-man with a short bow. Finally, one wolf-man with a crossbow. Most of them were wearing thin leather armor. Anyone could tell. The party structure was abnormal. ¡®Who¡¯s healing?¡¯ There was one armored human warrior, but there were three ranged attackers. If they were to be ambushed from behind, the formation would collapse immediately. That means. Corruption. Does that mean they have the skills? ¡®Kill them before they come?¡¯ Does that mean the best defense is attack? While Jung Yu-shin was shaking his head here and there, From a little distance away, the cat Su-in waved his hand. ¡°Mars, it¡¯s been a while.¡± Mars stuck his face out through the crack in the door. ¡°Senior, are you okay?¡± ¡°Graham. Can I come in?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s hard to say it myself, but we¡¯re good comrades. You don¡¯t have to worry.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± The cat Su-in¡¯s party members slowly came inside. Jung Yu-shin and the party members stood in a corner. People came in one by one, and they flinched for a moment. I looked at the dwarf wearing only underwear. I looked at the iron mask once and then looked at Jung Yu-shin. Fortunately, Jung Yu-shin was wearing a helmet, so I couldn''t see his face or hair. "This is really a unique party. I''m Heather Volkman. I''m the leader of this party and a member of the Huntsman Clan." The white-furred wolf-man spoke in a deep voice. "Mars, your friends look unique. Can you introduce them to me?" The cat-man spoke, wagging his tail. "Iron mask. I''m the leader of the party. Everyone knows that the Huntsman Clan is famous. It''s nice to meet you." "Kubo, I''m a mid-level priest who serves the fire spirit." "I..." "You don''t have to introduce Mars separately." "No. Senior..." Mars hesitated and shrank at the cat-man''s words. "And who will be the last person?" Cat Suin smiled and looked at Jung Yushin. Jung Yushin took off his helmet. People¡¯s gazes immediately focused on Jung Yushin¡¯s face. Before he knew it, his long hair flowed down. ¡°Scar. Party vanguard.¡± The smell of sweat trapped inside the helmet wafted out. ¡°Huh, huh!!!¡± ¡°Meow meow!!!¡± Wolf Suin and cat Suin staggered back for a moment. Jung Yushin frowned. Are you planning to discriminate against Barbaro again, spit on him, kick him, and give him a slap? ¡®I should have just worn the helmet.¡¯ He regretted it for nothing. Cat Suin barely managed to smile and opened his mouth. ¡°Uh...hmm? Are you that sympathetic Barbaro?¡± Cat Suin immediately recognized Jung Yushin¡¯s identity after hearing his alias. A deep smile appeared on Jeong Yu-shin¡¯s lips. ¡®As expected.¡¯ It just popped out. This is why image management is important. ¡®How did you build up that image? Now you¡¯re finally getting your money¡¯s worth. Now, the happy labyrinth life is just around the corner.¡¯ Admit. One word. Two syllables. A warm emotion surged into my heart. ¡°That¡¯s right. The living conscience of the labyrinth city. Goodwill that acts. That¡¯s me.¡± ¡°...¡± The surroundings became quiet. The wolf-man suddenly raised his head and glared at the roof, counting the number of rafters before barely opening his mouth. ¡°Can I sit down and rest for a moment? You must be tired from walking so fast.¡± ¡°Take a rest.¡± The party members sat apart from each other around the campfire. They began to chatter and call each other names. The elf man¡¯s name was Andy. The human warrior¡¯s name was Mick. For some reason, I felt more attracted to the human warrior than the archer. ¡®Vanguard rather than long-range attack.¡¯ A rough beard. Brown hair that grew thickly. And the way he sat taciturnly looked like a warrior. Their age seems similar. Maybe because they were a class tied to an inevitable fate, I felt a certain fondness for them. There was no chance of being discriminated against as a Barbarian here. That meant. It was a chance to build friendships. A vanguard without a healer. I thought he must be someone who was confident in his skills. ¡°Big! Did you say Mick? How many years have you been in the labyrinth?¡± The best way to start a conversation is to find out his background. At least in Korean society, this worked. The man named Mick turned his head and looked at Jeong Yu-shin. His annoyed eyes swayed in the fire. Mick waved his hands silently. ¡®Isn¡¯t it?¡¯ Her face was soaked with fatigue and annoyance. Did she not feel like talking to others? Even so, she would understand if she spoke. ¡°If you don¡¯t like it, just say so.¡± The man named Mick sighed at Jung Yu-shin¡¯s harsh words. And then he opened his mouth. ¡°I want to spit phlegm into a watery dog¡¯s vagina, rub it with my palm, and then have a hellish orgasm with a horse¡¯s dick without mercy.¡± ¡®...?¡¯ Jung Yu-shin¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤What?!¡± Chapter 120: Wooden Box In the forgotten city of Ingrave. "..." An oppressive silence filled the small resting area. All eyes in the vicinity were focused on Jeong Yusin and Mik. At that moment, a cat beastkin, Lumi, flapped her hand lightly. "Barbaroi, calm down." "What? I''m already calm enough." "Let go of the sword." Jeong Yusin looked down at his hands. Without realizing it, he had been gripping the sword¡¯s hilt. ¡®Damn.¡¯ His ears almost rotted off. Mik kept watching Jeong Yusin silently. It didn¡¯t seem like Mik was afraid of him. There was a mix of a ¡®come at me if you can¡¯ attitude and fatigue. ¡°Mik received the obscene inscription. If she opens her mouth, vulgar words will spill out¡ªwhether she wants to or not.¡± Jeong Yusin furrowed his brows. ¡°Are you not going to remove it?¡± ¡°Whether to erase it or keep it is a personal choice.¡± The wolf beastkin, Heather Barkman, interjected. ¡°And Mik is traveling with our party to earn the money needed to remove the inscription. Don¡¯t ask more about it.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± The wolf beastkin¡¯s words were correct. Whether to remove the inscription or not was a personal matter, but in his irritation, Jeong Yusin had overstepped. He gave Mik a slight nod as an apology. ¡°Sorry.¡± Mik just nodded and looked back at the fire. "So! What¡¯s the request that Mas received this time?" "Well..." Mas mumbled while glancing at his steel mask. The steel mask, having read Mas''s mind, spoke up. ¡°It¡¯s a request to bury a holy relic at a specific location.¡± "Ah, that? It¡¯s an annoying request, isn¡¯t it?" "Have you done it before?" "No. We don''t do things like that. It''s not profitable, and we''re not interested. The distance we need to walk is also considerable. There''s no reason to go out of our way to struggle like that." The cat beastkin decisively said. "Is that so?" He was someone who only looked out for his own interests. Well, who could blame him? There were probably other explorers who were different. ¡°What¡¯s your request?¡± Jeong Yusin asked directly. ¡°Monster hunting.¡± The cat beastkin Lumi readily answered. He thought about asking more but stopped. The holy relic request alone was enough. He didn¡¯t want to complicate his mind by prying into others¡¯ requests. "Ah! I heard that high-level monsters are showing up on the 7th floor lately. Be careful." Lumi spoke casually, as if it didn¡¯t matter much. ¡®This is some bullshit.¡¯ This was definitely something he had to ask about. ¡°What kind of monster is it?¡± ¡°Forest troll.¡± Jeong Yusin tilted his head in confusion. A forest troll? That was a monster that appeared starting from the 10th floor in the forest area. Like all trolls, it had an unusually high regenerative ability. Its characteristic was that toxic mushrooms grew on its back. Every time it moved, the toxic mushroom spores would scatter, entering through the respiratory system. Therefore, if you were to fight it in close quarters, you had to be cautious. And on top of that, it wielded an overwhelming strength with its massive tree trunk. Even a heavily armored warrior would be in trouble if they took a full swing from a tree trunk. It would be an immediate trip to the afterlife. Bones and flesh crushed in such a way were nearly impossible to regenerate. Everything was perfectly arranged, making it an ideal package for a direct trip to hell. From the very beginning, the difference in size was so great that there weren''t many choices for the vanguard. Its only downside was its slow speed. The knowledge from the book was all he had. Suddenly, a sense of unfairness welled up inside him. "Why the hell?!" The cat beastkin shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know. The forest area is wide. Don¡¯t worry too much. You can smell the stench from far away. If you smell it, just run.¡± Clack! Clack! Suddenly, Mik, the warrior, struck his armor twice. Everyone¡¯s attention shifted. Mik sent a hand signal. ¡®The weakness is fire with divine power.¡¯ "Forest troll¡¯s?" Mik nodded and opened his mouth. "Watch out." Jeong Yusin nodded. "Thanks, watch out." "..." The people gathered around the fire stared at Jeong Yusin in disbelief. "Hmm! Let¡¯s stop talking and sleep. We¡¯ll take the night watch." The wolf beastkin, Heather Volkman, spoke up. Immediately, the steel mask spoke. "Let¡¯s stand watch together." ¡°If you want to, go ahead.¡± The party members drew lots. Although there was Kubo¡¯s alarm magic, tomorrow they would be marching forward, so they wanted to conserve as much mana as possible. Time passed, and the lottery was finally over. Jeong Yusin¡¯s turn was first. And with Mik, too. The two party members separated around the fire and lay down. Jeong Yusin didn''t take off his armor, despite how cumbersome it was. Even if he had good-natured party members, he couldn¡¯t fully relax and let his guard down. Mik also had a reason for not removing his armor. Jeong Yusin lay down and closed his eyes. Soon, darkness enveloped him. How much time passed? Someone tapped on his armor. When he opened his eyes, it was Mas standing there. ¡°Skye, it¡¯s your turn.¡± ¡°No problem?¡± Jeong Yusin¡¯s voice was a bit hoarse. "I heard someone walking back and forth outside. They disappeared quickly, though." ¡®Is this place some kind of popular hotspot?¡¯ Seeing Mas return to his spot, Jeong Yusin grabbed his longsword, moved closer to the fire, and sat down. Facing the door, he leaned his back against the wall next to the fire. Mik sat a little farther away. "..." A quiet silence lingered between the two men. Clack! Mik gently tapped his armor with his hand. Jeong Yusin turned his gaze and looked at Mik. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡®Sorry.¡¯ The sudden apology left him a bit stunned. It was clear what Mik was apologizing for. Was it because of the vulgar words from earlier? "Don¡¯t worry about it." ¡®Take this.¡¯ Mik handed him a small vial from his pocket and sent another signal. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± ¡®Pain relief cream.¡¯ ¡°Is this something like that? Why... Ah!¡± Jeong Yusin immediately realized. The forest layer¡¯s law. In the forest layer, madness comes from pain. If someone is continuously exposed to pain in that layer, they lose their sanity. As the vanguard, he had to stand in the frontline. That meant he was the most vulnerable to injury during combat. That also meant he¡¯d be exposed to madness for the longest time. Vanguards had methods like this to reduce the pain. He felt the gap in information. ¡®As expected.¡¯ He understood now that interacting with other explorers was necessary. Jeong Yusin fiddled with the glass vial before putting it in his pocket. "Thanks, watch out." Mik didn¡¯t answer but nodded slightly and smiled. The two men sat quietly, waiting for the fire to die down. After a few hours, the party members were woken up. They quickly had a light meal before packing up their belongings. ¡°Well then, we¡¯ll see you later.¡± The wolf beastkin leader spoke in front of the resting area¡¯s entrance. The steel mask nodded. ¡°Yeah. Good work.¡± Jeong Yusin and his party watched the wolf beastkin party leave. The wolf beastkin party said they were heading to the ''corridor'' area. What kind of ''hunting'' they would do, he wasn¡¯t sure, but he wished them luck. The party exited the alley and moved towards the main road. After walking for a few more hours, they finally arrived at the teleportation stone at the edge of the city. Jeong Yusin stood in front of the teleportation stone first. ¡°Ready?¡± ¡°No problem.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Jeong Yusin glanced at his party members and then placed his palm on the teleportation stone. Whoooom. A blue portal and a red portal appeared. Jeong Yusin took a step forward and entered the portal. His vision turned red, and he felt weightless. Then, he landed in a forest with vibrant green leaves. Thud! He landed, quickly getting into a defensive stance and looking around. He waited briefly, surrounded by the ominous green leaves, until his party members started coming out of the red portal one by one. Mas, upon exiting, immediately drew his bow and listened carefully to the sounds around him. ¡°There are no monsters around.¡± ¡°Do you know the current teleportation area?¡± ¡°Hold on a moment.¡± Mas lowered his bow, took out a map from his pouch, and studied it for a while. ¡°... This is the central area. We¡¯re near the teleportation stone.¡± ¡°I see. Let¡¯s maintain formation and head to the teleportation stone.¡± The party followed Mas as he led them forward. After walking for a while, Mas suddenly stopped and raised his hand. ¡°Stop.¡± Mas ordered the party to halt. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± The steel mask asked from behind. ¡°I think there¡¯s a monster. It¡¯s slowly walking toward us.¡± Jeong Yusin stepped forward, raising his shield. Fwoosh. Suddenly, a monster jumped out from the bushes. No. It was a human. Or more precisely, an explorer. Wearing thin leather armor and light gloves, with no weapon in hand. But it didn¡¯t seem normal. The body was covered in fungus-like growths. Green fluid was dripping from various holes in the body, and maggots and spiders were wriggling and crawling in and out. ¡®Shit.¡¯ The corpse of someone who had lost in the labyrinth. It was even more horrifying since it was walking right in front of them. ¡°Hey, are you alive?¡± Jeong Yusin asked the pointless question, just in case. "Grrr." The explorer ignored Jeong Yusin¡¯s words, waving his hand slowly as he sluggishly ran toward them. Jeong Yusin stepped forward and blocked the attack with his shield. Thud!!! The slow movement was accompanied by tremendous strength. The hit shield immediately caved in, and shards of wood flew. ¡®What the hell kind /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ of strength...?!¡¯ Jeong Yusin gritted his teeth. Was it the power from the inscription? What kind of inscription had this guy received? At that moment. Sweeek!!! An arrow shot from Mas¡¯s bow and lodged right between the explorer''s brows. Thud!!! The explorer¡¯s head jerked back, but he didn¡¯t fall. The steel mask rushed in and swung his greatsword. Whoooom!!! The greatsword cut through the explorer just before it reached him. Thud! The explorer was split in two. Body fluids, baby spiders, and maggots splattered everywhere, but the steel mask paid no attention. Jeong Yusin clicked his tongue inwardly. ¡®This guy''s strength is no joke either.¡¯ Where was this courage coming from? ¡®Maybe I¡¯m just weak.¡¯ Still, it felt reassuring. The fluid coordination had taken down one monster. It wasn¡¯t a bad start. ¡°Be alert. It¡¯s not a monster. It¡¯s an explorer. He must¡¯ve come with a party, but it¡¯s strange that he¡¯s alone.¡± ¡®The steel mask is right.¡¯ The party gathered around Kubo and took their positions. Mas, drawing his bow, listened for sounds in the surroundings. A moment later. Mas tilted his head. ¡°There¡¯s no one else?¡± That¡¯s strange. Had the other party members separated? Looking at the explorer now, Jeong Yusin noticed something. ¡®His equipment is poor.¡¯ Jeong Yusin stepped forward and carefully examined the body. It was because, during the fight, he¡¯d noticed a piece of metal hanging around the neck. ¡®Found it.¡¯ Shh. He moved the rotting body aside, pushing maggots and baby spiders aside to grab the metal. Mike. The name written on the greenish sticky metal. He wiped the metal with some nearby leaves and pocketed it. ¡°Was it a metal tag? A porter.¡± The steel mask spoke from beside him. ¡°Did they leave him behind?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know the reason, but it looks like it. If it¡¯s a metal tag, it¡¯s probably a beginner or a lower-level explorer.¡± ¡°....¡± While Jeong Yusin and the steel mask were quietly talking in front of the corpse, the other party members approached. ¡°It¡¯s truly horrible. Is this what happens to us if we die?¡± Kubo shuddered slightly as he spoke. His eyes were especially focused on the baby spiders crawling out from the explorer¡¯s corpse. ¡°If you stay alert and prepared, you¡¯ll survive.¡± The steel mask simply responded and led the party members away. The party, having witnessed such a gruesome sight, fell silent and walked in silence. After carefully walking through the dark forest for four more hours. They discovered the same ruins as before. Collapsed stone walls and a lone watchtower. ¡°If you sense anything strange, just leave.¡± The steel mask warned Mas firmly. ¡°Don¡¯t get possessed again after reading some weird inscriptions like last time.¡± Kubo added. Mas frowned. ¡°I got it. Stop it already. I know well enough.¡± ¡°Mas, take it easy. If you get possessed, don¡¯t worry.¡± Jeong Yusin raised his fist and continued. ¡°I¡¯ll break the possession with my fist, remember?¡± ¡°Ha, don¡¯t do that! I got it!¡± Mas widened his eyes and shook in fear. The party members sent Mas off and waited for a while. How much time passed? Whoosh. From the bushes, Mas¡¯s face popped out. ¡°It¡¯s safe. There¡¯s no monster. But...¡± ¡°But what?¡± Kubo asked. Mas hesitated, then spoke. ¡°There¡¯s a wooden box in the watchtower.¡± A wooden box? A question mark appeared over the party members'' heads. Chapter 121: Hell A forest a little away from the watchtower. Questions rose on the party members¡¯ faces at the sudden statement of the guide, Mars. ¡°A wooden box? There¡¯s no way something like that could exist...?¡± Iron Mask muttered. Jung Yu-shin raised his fist slightly. ¡°Could it be possessed by an evil spirit?¡± Mars, who had escaped from the bushes, flinched in surprise and waved his hand. ¡°Ah! No! You crazy bastard!¡± ¡°It could be a treasure chest.¡± Kubo interjected. A treasure chest? ¡°A treasure chest in a place like this?¡± ¡°I heard that they sometimes pop out of the labyrinth. No one knows how they appear.¡± Jung Yu-shin stroked his chin. Ah. I forgot. When I was trapped in the Engrav City Tower with the old Karin Party, Roynel briefly mentioned it. Didn''t they say that sometimes a box comes out of the labyrinth? But this kind of luck? Does that make sense? Since I''ve experienced it before, I can''t help but feel uneasy. "Do I really have to open that box? Don''t I have to go all the way to the 7th floor? If I get hurt for no reason, it''ll delay our schedule." Mars shrugged. "So what? It''s not like I fell into the outskirts. If I do it right, I can get a decent magic tool, right?" "Hmm." "And I learned lockpicking skills from the Guide Guild. A wooden box like this? I can just open it!" Mars shouted enthusiastically. "How much does a decent magic tool cost?" In response to Jung Yu-shin''s question, Kubo scratched his beard and opened his mouth. ¡°The best magic tools you can get in this tier usually cost 10 to 15 gold coins.¡± Jung Yu-shin¡¯s eyes widened. Isn¡¯t that the same price as the frozen magic tools he bought? ¡°Crazy. That much?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a reason people roll their eyes and go into the labyrinth. Once you get past the beginner explorer, the ways to earn money are greatly expanded.¡± ¡°Whew. There won¡¯t be any space because of the water and food?¡± ¡°...¡± The party members kept their mouths shut and stared at Jung Yu-shin blankly. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t even know if there¡¯s treasure or not, and you¡¯re already worrying about space in your backpack? And you were against it just a moment ago? ? N§àv§Öl?g?t ? (Official version) You¡¯re such a shameless guy.¡± Jung Yu-shin¡¯s face turned slightly red at Kubo¡¯s words. That¡¯s true. He was a little embarrassed because he drank a bowl of kimchi stew in front of the party members. ¡°Kubo, are you possessed by an evil spirit?¡± ¡°No, crazy. I can¡¯t say anything.¡± When Jung Yu-shin made a face, Kubo stepped back in disgust. ¡°Let¡¯s go once.¡± Jung Yu-shin took the lead. He knew there were no enemies, but if something happened, he had to stop them. It wasn¡¯t because he was greedy. The party members slowly approached the watchtower. As they pushed through the bushes, they came across an empty lot and a small watchtower. They passed the mossy stone wall and arrived at the watchtower. It was better preserved than the watchtower I saw on the last labyrinth walk. There was something like a pattern carved above the entrance to the watchtower. It was so old that they couldn¡¯t tell what it was, but it looked like a painting that the military would use. He turned his head and exchanged glances with the party members. He fixed his shield on his wrist and opened the old wooden door. Creak. The tree screamed once, and the cool air trapped inside the watchtower slowly passed through the party members and escaped outside. It was just as Mars said. There was a large wooden box in the center of the watchtower. ¡°Are you really going to open it?¡± Kubo asked again, looking worried. ¡°Kubo Priest, please trust me once.¡± Mars put down his luggage, took out his lockpick tool, and slowly approached the wooden box. After looking around, he put the lockpick tool in the keyhole of the box and turned it around. ¡°...¡± The party members quietly looked at Mars¡¯ back. Creak. Click! After groaning for a while, Mars¡¯ face brightened when he heard the sound of something opening. ¡°It¡¯s open!¡± ¡°Oh!¡± Mars smiled brightly and slowly lifted the top of the box. At that moment. Boom! Mars turned his head as he heard the sound of a string bouncing inside the box. Ssaeeek!!! The bolt from the box grazed Mars''s cheek and slammed into the wooden door at the entrance to the watchtower. "Hahiik." Mars let out a strange scream and fell on his butt as if his legs had given out. "Mars!" "You bastard!" The party members rushed to surround Mars. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?" Iron Mask asked urgently. "Uh...no. I''m okay." Mars wiped the blood flowing down his cheek and said. His expression was dazed, as if he had lost his mind. "The bolt might be poisoned, so use some antidote." Jeong Yu-shin took the antidote out of his bosom and handed it to Mars. Mars opened the vial with trembling hands and poured the antidote on his face. ¡°Ouch!¡± Mars turned his head to the side in shock. ¡®What a joke.¡¯ Seeing his body trembling, he somehow compared himself to the fearless Lin. It felt even more so because they were both rats. ¡°What about the recovery potion?¡± ¡°I have it.¡± Mars came to his senses, took out the recovery potion, took a sip, and poured a little on his wound. When the situation stabilized somewhat, Jeong Yu-shin got up from his seat and looked inside the box. ¡°This is?¡± Inside the box, there was only a single vial containing black liquid. ¡°What is it?!¡± When Mars suddenly jumped up from his seat, Jeong Yu-shin pushed Mars¡¯ head away. ¡°Kubo, there is a vial in the box. It¡¯s like a potion.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°But the color looks a little unsettling.¡± Kubo¡¯s complexion changed drastically, and he hurriedly approached and looked inside the box. ¡°This is...?¡± ¡°Why?¡± The party members gulped as they watched Kubo, who couldn¡¯t forget his words. Is this a jackpot? Is this a waste? ¡°This is Inferno Oil.¡± Jung Yu-shin and Mars tilted their heads, but Iron Mask seemed to know what the black water was. ¡°Ah. Is this the ¡®burning water¡¯?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I heard that¡¯s what humans call it.¡± Iron Mask crossed his arms and observed the glass bottle. ¡°How strange. Isn¡¯t this black water that only comes from deep underground or the bottom of the ocean? How is this found in a labyrinth? And it¡¯s so well-packaged?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I guess that¡¯s because it¡¯s a labyrinth.¡± Kubo also looked into the glass bottle and let out a word. ¡°I heard that only magic tools and scrolls come out?¡± Kubo shook his head at Jung Yushin¡¯s question. ¡°No. Various items come out. People only mention magic tools because magic tools are usually traded at high prices.¡± Mars opened his mouth with a gloomy face. ¡°Sometimes when explorers get together, this kind of story comes up. The items that come out of the box could be the relics of a former explorer.¡± ¡®Fuck.¡¯ A chill ran down his spine. Jung Yushin glanced at the glass bottle in Kubo¡¯s hand and turned his head away. ¡°Let¡¯s sit down and rest. We¡¯ve been walking for a while.¡± The party members put down their luggage and gathered around the torch in a circle. Jung Yushin took off his helmet and loosened his walker strap. As he sat down to catch his breath, Mars smiled and took out a glass bottle. ¡°Hehe. Are you sick of jerky now? I brought you a special meal.¡± ¡°Special meal?¡± Jung Yu-shin glared at Mars¡¯ glass bottle. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Eel jelly?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Mars smiled and lifted the glass bottle. The fish pieces trapped inside the pale jelly rippled. Kubo¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Mars! This kid knows something!¡± ¡°Here, take a bite. Don¡¯t you lose your energy when you roll around in the labyrinth? This will give you strength!¡± Mars opened the glass bottle and handed it to the party members. I don¡¯t know when he prepared it, but he carved a small branch from the bushes and even made a fork-shaped thing. ¡°...¡± A strange fishy smell wafted from the opened glass bottle, filling the watchtower. ¡®Fuck.¡¯ Jung Yu-shin shook his head. ¡°Eat a lot. I¡¯m fine.¡± Mars tapped his chest. ¡°Scar, I brought it for you and the Iron Mask.¡± ¡°Suddenly?¡± ¡°You two are the vanguard. If you stay in the labyrinth for a long time, your stamina will decrease, right? If you eat this, you¡¯ll gain strength. I bought it with all my pockets in mind for you.¡± ¡®Do you really need to empty your pockets to buy it?¡¯ No matter how precious seafood is, there¡¯s no way such a monstrous food exists. ¡®Just close your eyes and eat it. Isn¡¯t that the food prepared by your party members? They even empty their pockets to buy it, so do you really need to refuse and hurt their feelings?¡¯ ¡®Crazy bastard, I don¡¯t know who¡¯s conscience is telling you. You eat it all. You devilish bastard!¡¯ An angel and a devil fought in his head. Iron Mask shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ll eat it later. Save my share.¡± ¡°Really? Okay. I know it¡¯s hard to eat because of the mask. Then, Priest Kubo eat first, and then Ska.¡± Kubo smiled brightly and took the glass bottle, poked the eel meat with a tree branch, and swallowed it with his tongue. Mumble, mumble. Kubo, who was savoring the eel meat, nodded. ¡°It¡¯s delicious! I¡¯m already getting strength. Look at this. The muscles are already bulging and about to burst out!¡± The naked dwarf bent his arms, revealing his abs. Mars rubbed his hands and laughed like a villain. ¡°Hehe. They say it¡¯s good for stamina.¡± Kubo took a few more bites and handed the glass bottle to Jung Yu-shin. ¡°Scar, eat a lot. I was in the rear, so I only got to taste a few. The jelly part is the best. Put it in your mouth and swallow it all.¡± ¡°...¡± Jung Yu-shin received the glass bottle with trembling hands. He lifted his head slightly and saw Mars looking at him with sparkling eyes. He had spent money on food for himself and Iron Mask, so he couldn¡¯t just not eat it. He grabbed a toothpick, poked the eel meat, and took it out of the glass bottle. ¡®What the hell.¡¯ The squishy eel meat came out with the jelly. Jung Yu-shin¡¯s eyes twitched. ¡®Whew. I can do it.¡¯ He held his breath, put it in his mouth, and chewed it. Gulp. He swallowed and closed his eyes. The squishy fish flesh, soft jelly, and the spices that enhanced the terrible fishy taste combined to trample on his mouth and mind without mercy. ¡°The best... the best.¡± Jung Yu-shin raised his trembling hands and gave them a thumbs up. Mars smiled brightly. ¡°Eat one more!¡± ¡°Hey, you piece of shit!¡± Kubo and Mars¡¯ faces hardened at the sudden outburst of swear words. ¡°Fuck. This is fucking delicious! My dick is already throbbing! Mars, come here. Let¡¯s have a quiet talk in the grass over there.¡± Jung Yu-shin slowly approached. ¡°Ha, don¡¯t do that.¡± Mars, shocked, shuffled his hips back and stepped back. Jung Yu-shin sealed the glass bottle tightly and handed it to Iron Mask. ¡°Leader, have some.¡± ¡°Scar, your tone is a bit strange.¡± Iron Mask smiled and took the eel jelly that Jeong Yu-shin handed him and put it in his backpack. The party members sat around the torch and chatted about this and that. It was mostly Mars and Kubo praising the eel jelly. After resting for about 2 hours, they got up, packed their bags, and left the watchtower. ¡°If you go a little further from here, you¡¯ll see the transfer stone.¡± Mars said, putting the map in his bosom. The party members slowly moved forward, pushing through the bushes. They walked for a full 6 hours. They didn¡¯t encounter any monsters in the central area, and especially not close to the transfer stone. However, they often saw the corpses of explorers covered in mold and torn to pieces along the way. Every time that happened, the mood of the party members became more and more tense. No matter how much they laughed and enjoyed themselves at the shelter, it was difficult to relieve the pressure of the labyrinth. ¡°We¡¯ve arrived.¡± Mars muttered in a low voice. The laughter and chatter from a few hours ago felt like a lie. The party atmosphere was extremely heavy. I could see it right away as I pushed through the bushes. A wide open space with only weeds growing here and there. A transfer stone was placed in the middle of it. Jung Yu-shin took the lead and approached the transfer stone. He turned his head to look at the party members. ¡°Are you ready?¡± ¡°...¡± No one answered. He just made eye contact with Jung Yu-shin and grabbed his weapon. That was enough. He placed his hand on the transfer stone and two portals were created. Whoa. A red portal and a blue portal. He stepped into the red portal. His vision turned red and he felt like he was floating. Thud! He landed on the familiar dirt floor. ¡°Kkaaaaaaah!!!¡± ¡°Sal, save me!!!¡± He looked around immediately at the sudden scream. ¡°What?!¡± Jung Yu-shin¡¯s eyes widened. Hell was unfolding. Chapter 122: I know what this is A wide open space in the 7th floor forest. The sight that faced me as I exited the red portal was hell. ¡°Kkaaaak!!!¡± ¡°My legs!!!¡± ¡°You can¡¯t back down!!! Hold your ground!!!¡± ¡°Damn it! Paul!¡± A dozen explorers were fighting together, entangled with dozens of monsters. The monsters were mostly mushroom people. A half-rotten and rotten dog. Green slimes and spiders the size of a healthy man. There were also monsters attacking from the rear. A small corpse with a mushroom with holes all over its back. I remembered it because I had encountered it before. An awl had come flying out of that mushroom hole. A battlefield where all kinds of monsters were swarming. The explorer who died instantly after being hit by an awl in a vital spot died rather gracefully. An elf struggling and melting in slime. A human being surrounded by a pack of dogs and eaten alive. A water man being caught by a giant insect and disappearing into the grass. A terrible tragedy unfolded before my eyes. ¡°Fuck.¡± He took up his stance with his sword and shield. He was momentarily lost in the horrific hellscape. Ironically, what brought Jeong Yu-shin back to his senses was blood and screams. The mushroom man ran toward him with both arms outstretched. Slow speed. But his life was threatened several times due to his incredible strength. Thwaaaang!!! He dodged to the side and swung his arming sword horizontally. The blade of the arming sword flashed once. Phewhaaaaak!!! The mushroom man¡¯s head flew into the sky. Thud! The fluid from the mushroom man¡¯s neck section stuck stickily to his armor. When he swung his sword once to shake off the bodily fluids. The party members appeared one by one through the red portal. ¡°What, what?!¡± Mars panicked and pulled the string of his short bow without even firing the bowstring. The red portal closed for Kubo and Iron Mask. ¡°Save me!!!¡± ¡°Kuaaaaak!!!¡± ¡°Die!!! Die!!!¡± The party members looked around the battlefield filled with screams and screams, and for a moment, their expressions blank as if they had lost their souls. Iron Mask was the first to come to his senses. ¡°Scar!!! What is this?!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± Jung Yu-shin pushed the mushroom man away with his shield and answered. Iron Mask quickly looked around and pointed to a place. The place where the explorers were gathered together. It wasn¡¯t that far away, but it was surrounded by monsters. ¡°Let¡¯s join up with those explorers! I¡¯ll open the way! Scar, guard the rear!¡± ¡°Understood!¡± Jung Yu-shin and the party changed formation in an instant. Iron Mask stood in front. After him, Kubo and Mars. Finally, Jung Yu-shin took the tail. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Iron Mask slung his greatsword over his shoulder and ran to where the explorers were gathered. Jung Yu-shin ran at the very back and struck down the monsters that were rushing at the party members. A half-rotten dog jumped toward Mars. ¡°Ugh!!!¡± Mars, who had been running hard, froze stiffly. ¡°Run!¡± Jung Yu-shin quickly jumped forward and swung his shield, hitting the dog¡¯s head. THUD!!! The dog, whose skull was shattered, fell limply to the ground. Without stopping, he kicked the dog. Pfft!!! The dog''s body flew through the sky and collided with several spider monsters crawling from afar, rolling around. The moment he tried to lift his feet off the ground again. Ssaeeeeeeek!!! Between the screams and the shouts, the sound of tearing air came closer in an instant. Jung Yu-shin''s head turned reflexively. ''They''re coming.'' The awls shot by the baby corpse guys were flying towards Jung Yu-shin. Can he block them all? I don''t know. I have to try. I have to protect the party. He gritted his teeth and held out his shield. Boom!! Boom!! Boom!! The three awls pierced through the shield and stuck themselves in. The strong force coming through the shield made his wrists tingle. But. He couldn''t stop here. Jung Yu-shin swung his arming sword like water flowing. Tata Dada Dang!!! Five awls struck the sword surface at the same time. The impact was transmitted through the sword handle to the wrist. It was so strong that the wrist bone was broken. Crack!!! Jung Yu-shin gritted his teeth. The arming sword bent into a strange shape. ¡°Fuck!!! Boron!!!¡± The sword broke so easily that I said something, and this is how you screw people over? He had no choice but to block the remaining one with his body. Boom!!! The awl hit the armor on his chest and bounced off. Jung Yu-shin staggered once, then regained his stance and ran after the party. He threw away the arming sword that was bent into an ¡®?¡¯ shape and pulled out the long sword on his back. Swish. The blade from the bluish scabbard spread a clear aura. Originally, you had to hold it with both hands and swing it to get full strength, but now was not the time to be picky. The tattered dog charged from the side again. It was after Kubo. He couldn¡¯t just sit back and watch. Jung Yu-shin swung his longsword with one hand. From above and down. Tsk!!! The cold blade sliced ??through the dog¡¯s neck like butter. He blocked the headless corpse with his body and deflected it, then ran. ¡®Whew, shit.¡¯ ¡°You¡¯re a dog¡¯s neck-cutter from now on!¡± Jung Yu-shin shouted at his sword as he ran. Kubo looked back for a moment, lost in thought. ¡°Scar!!! Are you okay?!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me and run!!!¡± Looking in front, he saw Iron Mask swinging his greatsword. With each swing, three mushroom men were torn apart and sent flying. With tremendous force, he pushed away the monsters and reached the explorers through the monster encirclement in one breath. ¡°Here we go!!!¡± He turned around a little to the side, not wanting to interrupt the battle. ¡°You guys?!¡± The man in plate armor shouted with his eyes wide open. ¡°We passed through the portal! We suddenly fell here!¡± Iron Mask answered. However, something unexpected came out of the man¡¯s mouth. ¡°First, fall down and maintain formation!¡± ¡°Why?!¡± ¡°If you go crazy from the pain, even the people next to you will be in danger!¡± ¡°Then just take the rear guard!¡± ¡°Understood! The rear guard goes over there. Tell them that Matt sent me!¡± The man turned around and pointed to a place. A group of robed people were gathered together. Other heavy armored warriors and long-range marksmen were supporting them. Jung Yu-shin gave Kubo the shield and sent him to the rear guard. Kubo made a bewildered expression before leaving. ¡°Why the shield...?¡± ¡°Put it in front of Mars!¡± ¡°I understand.¡± Kubo and Mars left, and Jung Yu-shin and Iron Mask remained in that place. He stood a little distance away from the man named Matt and maintained the formation. There was absolutely no time to catch his breath. He swung his longsword until his mouth smelled bitter. The screams, toxic spores, and the pungent smell of blood squeezed Jung Yu-shin¡¯s relaxed mind to its limit. Boom!!! ¡°Crap!!!¡± The iron plate slightly warped as the mushroom man struck Jung Yu-shin in the chest. Jung Yu-shin staggered back, then raised his sword again and charged. Crack!!! Swinging his sword vertically, he cut off the arm. Boom!!! He immediately bumped into the mushroom man and pushed him away, then he raised his sword and stabbed him deeply into his head. Plink!!! The mushroom man whose head was pierced shuddered and stopped moving. WHACK!!! He pulled out his sword and kicked the mushroom man, then rushed towards the next one and swung his sword. In the midst of the pain and battle. A strange heat rose up and heated up his brain. It felt like exploring a labyrinth like before. Jung Yu-shin''s eyes began to shine brightly. The teachings of the elf master. And the trajectory of the sword drawn by Lett suddenly began to slowly form in his mind. He relaxed his shoulders and made his posture firm. He cut off the arm of the mushroom man who was approaching him and cut off his neck. The mushroom man''s head flew up and fell to the ground and rolled around. At that time the water began to rush towards Jeong Yu-shin. Jeong Yu-shin''s sword began to get faster and faster. Ground!!! Tta-da-dang!!! He knocked away the flying awl. Thud-thud!!! He stepped on the maggots the size of his forearm crawling under his feet and crushed them with his walker. He fell into a state of ecstasy and split, stabbed, struck, and kicked them. Jeong Yu-shin didn''t realize it, but he was gradually moving beyond simple swordsmanship and into his own realm. He grabbed his longsword with both hands and swung it, then picked up the axe dropped by the dead explorer with one hand and mercilessly sliced ??the mushroom man''s torso. Thud!!! He was covered in thick toxic fluid, but it was okay. Imprinting ability. [Venom Protection] His body, which had been heavy due to the poison, felt much better. Jung Yu-shin gradually advanced forward. Matt, who had been acting as a sledgehammer and blocking the monsters at the front, took a deep breath and stood next to Jung Yu-shin to assist. Iron Mask also swung his greatsword next to Jung Yu-shin. ¡°Hey! Who the hell is this guy! Did he possess a god?! He¡¯s fighting so well!¡± Matt, who had some free time, shouted at Iron Mask. ¡°It¡¯s the pure Barbaro of the Labyrinth City!¡± ¡°What?!¡± Matt opened his eyes wide and opened his mouth. ¡°It was him?!¡± Lieutenant Explorer Matt seemed to already know Jung Yu-shin. After an hour of fighting, all the monsters that had gathered were wiped out. Since Jung Yu-shin stood out like an awl and blocked the monsters that had gathered, the archers and priests behind him were able to fight stably. Finally, the fight ended when he cut off the mushroom man¡¯s head. Jeong Yu-shin staggered from his seat and collapsed on the floor. His buttocks were soaked with blood and entrails, but he was too tired to care. A vacant lot strewn with corpses. The few remaining explorers gathered to search for their comrades. ¡°They took Aeron!¡± ¡°Ah. Kelsey.¡± ¡°Ugh! Nia!!!¡± There were many casualties and missing people. The explorer who was holding a complete corpse in his arms and shedding tears was fortunate. Some explorers were helpless in front of the corpses of their comrades that had been half-melted by acid. Some explorers were gathering pieces of their comrades¡¯ corpses little by little with crazy faces. A gruesome sight. The party leaders gathered together, leaving the explorers in sorrow behind. They didn¡¯t even have enough time to mourn and take responsibility for those who were left behind. A dark elf male in light armor. A female dwarf in heavy armor and holding a double-edged axe. A human male Matt in plate armor. They were all leaders of the lieutenant party. The female dwarf opened her mouth with a serious face. ¡°Our party, including me, survived two people.¡± A near-annihilation blow. The leaders were speechless and silent. ¡°We lost two people. Including me, there are three left.¡± Matt said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to say this. We have four survivors, one of whom is missing.¡± The dark elf crossed his arms and replied nonchalantly. Jeong Yu-shin summarized the words of each party leader. Two survivors from the dwarf party. Three survivors from the Matt party. Four survivors from the dark elf party. In fact, all of the Iron Mask party survived, but they did not speak out. The dark elf frowned. ¡°Why on earth did the monsters attack in such large numbers? Does anyone have a mark that attracts monsters?¡± Matt shook his head. ¡°Hurris, if you have that mark, you would have noticed it from the moment you first entered the labyrinth. Something else is going on.¡± The dark elf called Huris rubbed his eyes as if he was annoyed. ¡°You¡¯re in luck. Tsk.¡± Matt frowned at the dark elf¡¯s indifferent remark. Even the dwarf party, who [N O V E L I G H T] had suffered a near-annihilation, remained silent, but seeing the Huris party grumbling despite the minimal loss of life made him angry. ¡®That¡¯s why you black rascals.¡¯ As a lieutenant explorer, he had been proud of his time in the labyrinth, but the dark elf¡¯s characteristically selfish tone was still difficult to tolerate. ¡°Whew.¡± Matt let out a deep sigh. But now was not the time for an emotional fight. The situation was getting serious. It was time to put our heads together and come up with a solution. At least that¡¯s what Matt thought. ¡°We need to find out the reason first and prevent it. If the monsters attack again, it¡¯ll be hard to hold out.¡± Dark Elf Huris growled. ¡°Matt, don¡¯t talk nonsense. We need to get out of the labyrinth right now. Do you think we¡¯ll get an answer if we kill them here and have a meeting?¡± ¡°This is the outer area. It takes a long time to get to the transfer stone. Of course, it¡¯s right to move towards the transfer stone. However, if we just run away, there¡¯s a high chance that we¡¯ll be attacked again. At least we should know the reason before we go.¡± ¡°They must have already cleaned up and fled by then.¡± Jung Yoo-shin glanced at the Iron Mask as he watched the party leaders bickering. ¡°Do you have anything to say?¡± When Iron Mask asked, Jung Yu-shin shrugged his shoulders. ¡°Isn¡¯t this the one? I know what it is.¡± Jung Yu-shin and Iron Mask talked quietly, but the party leaders¡¯ gazes were immediately fixed on Jung Yu-shin¡¯s face. Jung Yu-shin slowly opened his mouth. ¡°Eldritch Wave¡¯s precursor phenomenon.¡± ¡°...What?!¡± Everyone gathered in the empty lot opened their eyes wide and let out a gasp of shock. Chapter 123: Forest Troll Jung Yu-shin looked around at the people who were screaming in shock. Isn¡¯t this a phenomenon that is quite understandable? The monsters are moving together. This is exactly the phenomenon before the Eldritch Wave spread. It was a bit strange to see them already playing exclusionary play, as if their minds were set. ¡°Who are you?¡± Dark elf Huris said while looking at Jung Yu-shin. But the answer came from someone else. A human man named Matt, who had been fighting on Jung Yu-shin¡¯s right wing, stepped forward. ¡°This man is the man called Barbaroi of the Labyrinth City.¡± Dark elf scratched his chin. ¡°I think I¡¯ve heard of him before. Are you sure?¡± ¡°At least that¡¯s what I saw when I saw him fight.¡± Jung Yu-shin took off his helmet because the dark elf continued to look suspicious. His black hair, soaked in sweat, flowed down. ¡°It really was Barbaroi. Judging by his small body, is he a half-blood?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not important. From what I can see, this phenomenon is just before the Eldritch Wave.¡± The dark elf¡¯s expression crumpled at Jung Yu-shin¡¯s assertion. ¡°What¡¯s your evidence? I heard he¡¯s a rookie explorer, so don¡¯t show off and just stay quiet. This isn¡¯t a place for a rookie explorer.¡± ¡®What the heck?¡¯ Jung Yu-shin turned his head and looked at Iron Mask. The story we have to tell now is related to the party¡¯s request. The moment he speaks without the leader¡¯s permission, Iron Mask¡¯s position will be damaged. He couldn¡¯t do that. Iron Mask nodded slightly, understanding the meaning of Jung Yu-shin¡¯s gaze. He was incredibly quick to notice, perhaps because he was a former crown prince. Jung Yu-shin opened his mouth, brushing his hair back. ¡°We have a request.¡± Dark elves, and human eyes were concentrated in the mouth of the center, and they could be inferred to the seventh. "How do I get caught?" There were some people who were fighting with each other. The female dwarf turned her head and looked at the male elf wizard standing behind her. The elf¡¯s robe was covered in blood, having just recovered the body of his comrade. ¡°Charis, what should we do? You¡¯re from the Magic Tower, so you must know something. Wasn¡¯t the Magic Tower the first organization to name this phenomenon?¡± The male elf named Charis rubbed his forehead. ¡°It¡¯s possible. The Magic Tower and the church wouldn¡¯t have made such a request for nothing. Of course, they didn¡¯t anticipate this phenomenon and make the request.¡± The elf sighed and shook his head. ¡°Whew. If a black portal had been created from the 6th floor teleportation stone, we would have been more certain, but there¡¯s no way to find out.¡± Matt stroked his chin. ¡°Let¡¯s say it¡¯s a precursor symptom of the Eldritch Wave. There must be a fundamental reason why he revealed the request to us, right?¡± Jeong Yu-shin crossed his arms and looked around at the people around him. I don¡¯t know when I came, but everyone was already gathered and looking at me. ¡°Help me bury the relic.¡± ¡°I knew it. But where should I bury it? We don¡¯t know the place.¡± ¡°Mars.¡± Mars staggered out and unfolded the map in his arms. The 7th floor district was roughly marked on the worn paper. Mars pointed to three places marked with stars on the paper. ¡°There¡¯s one near here, south. There¡¯s one in the northwest. The last place is north, along the central district.¡± Dark Elf Huris looked at the map and clicked his tongue. ¡°Tch. It¡¯s too far? Isn¡¯t it faster to just escape the labyrinth? And is there any guarantee that the magic power will dissipate if you bury the relic? No. Why would you bury such an expensive relic on the floor of the labyrinth in the first place?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a request from the Temple of the Wind. It¡¯s experimental, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s something to be ignored.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a beginner explorer, so I understand why you blindly believe in the cult. But you¡¯re so naive.¡± ¡®This kid.¡¯ The dark elf kept nagging at me, and I got angry. I¡¯ll hold on one more time. I made a mental promise and continued talking. ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, go somewhere nearby and bury the relic. If you succeed, you can stop the Eldritch Wave. You can also prevent a large number of monsters from attacking.¡± Everyone nodded in agreement with Jeong Yu-shin¡¯s words. It was a story that would have been ignored, but for those who were exhausted from the death of their comrades, they needed a goal right in front of them. Everyone got up from their seats and packed their belongings. They had no choice but to leave the corpse where it was. It was too heavy to carry. Following Mars¡¯s guidance, all the explorers moved south. The Iron Mask Party was in the lead, followed by the Matt Party, the Dwarf Party, and finally the Dark Elf Party. They passed through a dense and dark forest and arrived at another open space. All the party members felt it. A chillingly cold magic wave swept through the open space. Jung Yu-shin also felt it. ¡®Is this the magic coming from the abyss of the labyrinth?¡¯ I simply thought that the temperature of the labyrinth was low, but ? N§àv§ÖIight ? (Original source) I thought that it might not be like that. Matt approached. ¡°Is there an exact location?¡± ¡°I heard that you can bury it nearby.¡± Jung Yu-shin took out an iron box from his bag. Since the Magic Tower Wizard was nearby, he had something to ask. ¡°Can you read the letters written on the outside of this box?¡± The elf wizard narrowed his eyes and stared at the letters for a while. For a moment, the elf¡¯s eyebrows twitched. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤No. I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°They said it was ancient text?¡± ¡°Similar, but no.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t read it, right?¡± The elf rubbed his forehead. ¡°If I had to say, it looks like a code. Don¡¯t tease the Labyrinth Wizard too much. They¡¯re people who spend more time thinking about how to kill efficiently than sitting and reading books.¡± ¡®It¡¯s scary.¡¯ Jeong Yu-shin, who was stung by the chilling warning, closed his mouth. Several people came out with shovels and dug the ground. They didn¡¯t know how deep to dig, so they dug just thigh-deep and buried the box. They waited for a moment. ¡°...¡± Silence passed for a moment. Dark elf Huris couldn¡¯t stand it any longer and let out a deep sigh. ¡°Whew. What the hell is this. Half-blood Barbaroi, you punk. Don¡¯t waste your time...¡± The dark elf stopped talking and closed his mouth. A huge magical power stirred once. Kurururung!!! An unprecedented magical power swept up like a storm centered around the box and began to rise upward. Kwaaaaaaah!!! A powerful flow of magical power pulled people in. It was strong enough to drag them into the sky if they were not careful. ¡°Stay on the ground!¡± ¡°Hold hands!¡± ¡°Hey!!! I¡¯m going up!¡± The shocked explorers immediately stuck to the ground and struggled to keep their bodies from floating in the air. About 3 minutes passed? The concentrated magical power dispersed and slowly sank. The disheveled people raised their heads one by one and stared blankly at the sky. It was still a dark brown, but the ominous atmosphere seemed to have dissipated a little. Jung Yu-shin got up from his seat and glared at the dark elf. He missed the timing because of the magic storm, but he felt like he could feel better if he said what he had to say. ¡°You little black brat. What did you just say? You said let¡¯s see. You can¡¯t even see in the dark. Please don¡¯t show your dark heart on your skin.¡± Urgh!!! The dark elf glared at Jung Yu-shin with bloodshot eyes. ¡°Scar, you¡¯re being harsh.¡± The iron mask stepped forward. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I lost my senses for a moment. I¡¯m not the type of person to discriminate against people based on their skin color. I guess I said something out of the blue.¡± Jung Yu-shin returned to his calm expression and apologized. As a civilized person in the 21st century who stands at the forefront of PC, I blurted out words that I could not bring myself to say. ¡®Ha. The darkness of the labyrinth again.¡¯ Jung Yu-shin corrected his politically incorrect thoughts. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤It really was.¡± Matt muttered with a blank expression. ¡°Are you saying that it was really a precursor to the Eldritch Wave?¡± Jung Yu-shin looked around at the people. ¡®No matter what you say, I¡¯ll believe you.¡¯ He cleverly covered up the loss caused by the death of his comrades with the sole goal of surviving, and he could see them trying to follow him wherever he went. Furthermore, there was evidence that Jung Yu-shin¡¯s hypothesis was correct. He realized that even he could not stop them. No. There was no need to stop them. You can mourn outside the labyrinth city. Jung Yu-shin clapped his hands to focus the people¡¯s attention. ¡°Okay, everyone. Mars will mark the location on the map you have. Go dig the ground and bury the sacred object.¡± The people nodded enthusiastically. The female dwarf stepped forward. ¡°It¡¯s inefficient to move all at once. We don¡¯t have time. It would be better to reorganize into two parties.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s do that.¡± Matt and Huris¡¯s party combined to form a seven-person party. Iron Mask and the dwarf party combined to form a six-person party. Unsurprisingly, the dark elf Huris was the guide. Mars approached and marked the location on Huris¡¯s map. It was quite a distance to the north. Huris knew, but didn¡¯t say much. At least his party was fine and there was one more person. Plus, if it was to the north, it was close to the transfer stone. If anything, he could use Matt¡¯s party as bait to escape. Iron Mask took the relic out of his backpack and handed it to Matt. ¡°Please.¡± Matt carefully took the relic and put it in his backpack. ¡°Leave it to me. It¡¯ll definitely work.¡± The two men paused for a moment and exchanged glances. ¡®Whew. I want to join too.¡¯ Human warriors in heavy armor were interacting. A sudden urge to poke his face into that place arose. Jung Yu-shin immediately shook his head. This is not the time. It¡¯s time to prepare and go. The Huris party quickly packed their bags and left the open space. Mars, who took his eyes off the departing party, looked at the map. ¡°We fell on the southern outskirts from the beginning. The next place to bury the relic is the open space northwest of here. Fortunately, it¡¯s close.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Iron Mask said, draping his greatsword over his shoulder. Mars led the party. The people continued to push through the grass without stopping. They walked for a full seven hours. Nevertheless, the people did not try to sit down and rest. Because they knew that if they took a deep breath and felt comfortable, they would naturally think of the dead. They ran as if they were abusing themselves, sweating profusely. Whether it was good luck or bad luck, they did not encounter any monsters. The Iron Mask and the Dwarf Party kept going and arrived at another empty lot. They took the holy relic out of Mars¡¯s luggage and buried it in the ground. They did not feel the rapid flow of magic power like last time. ¡°Now it seems that only the Huris Party needs to bury the holy relic.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s move north and join up. At least we need to check if they failed or succeeded.¡± The people gathered their opinions and continued north. They walked for about two days. The people were silent. If the Huris Party had succeeded, the monsters should have dispersed and met normally, but there were no monsters anywhere. An eerie and uneasy feeling rose up and weighed on the shoulders of the party members. Day 3. Arrived right in front of the empty lot where the Huris party was supposed to be. ¡°Why can¡¯t I hear anything?¡± Mars muttered and covered his nose. ¡°Ugh!!! What the hell is this stink!!!¡± Jung Yu-shin also swallowed his breath. The smell of rotten eggs and fish mixed together. Nausea rose up in his throat. No way. The words that the cat Su-in had said flashed through his mind. ¡®They say there¡¯s a forest troll wandering around the 7th floor.¡¯ Damn. Jung Yu-shin lowered his posture and carefully stuck his face out between the bushes. And the sight that was revealed. Something like a giant was sitting with its back exposed. Jung Yu-shin¡¯s eyes widened. He was holding a human woman in his hand. ¡®That person?¡¯ Isn¡¯t he the archer in charge of long-range at the Huris party? The woman opened her mouth as if she was alive, but her body was shaking without moving. The giant lifted the woman high with both hands and grabbed her legs. And slowly opened them. As if enjoying it. The woman shook her head vigorously, shedding tears. But not a single sound came out of her mouth. As the troll put strength into his hands. Tsssssss!!! The woman was torn in half, including her legs. Thudsss!!! As the internal organs in her body flowed out with blood, the giant opened his mouth and ate them as if he were eating a delicacy. ¡°Fuck.¡± A curse came out of Jeong Yu-shin¡¯s mouth. There was no denying it. A huge, distracting mass. A stench that stung the nose. Mushrooms on her back. It was a forest troll. Chapter 124: Fire Attribute Sword Wielder ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤We have to run away.¡± The words came out of Mars¡¯ mouth without him realizing it. That¡¯s right. Jung Yu-shin¡¯s party had never faced a large monster before. Since they only had one life, they couldn¡¯t gain experience by smashing their heads. Because if they died, it was the end. That was the most miserable death that awaited them. A meal for a monster with no dignity. ¡°...¡± Jung Yu-shin narrowed his eyes and examined the place carefully instead of answering Mars. What he was looking for was the holy relic. In any case, it was the only key to blocking the Eldritch Wave. Was it greed? There was no box anywhere. I¡¯m sure Iron Mask had given the holy relic to a human warrior named Matt. He observed the trolls closely for a while. ¡®Fuck.¡¯ Jung Yu-shin¡¯s eyes twitched. A little way from the forest troll, Matt¡¯s plate armor was visible. It was so crumpled and broken that it was almost unrecognizable. It would have been if Matt¡¯s torn head hadn¡¯t been rolling around beside him. He looked around more, holding back the rising nausea. ¡®Found it.¡¯ The relic was visible in the torn backpack. Contrary to Matt, the dark elf Huris was nowhere to be seen. ¡®Confirmed.¡¯ Jung Yu-shin gently patted Mars on the shoulder. Mars turned his head in shock. His lips were twitching because he was so scared. ¡®Let¡¯s go back.¡¯ Jung Yu-shin gestured, and Mars nodded frantically. They carefully pushed through the grass together and arrived at a place where a large tree stood. Iron Mask, Kubo, and the dwarf and elf wizard were waiting quietly. Jung Yu-shin approached the people. ¡°We found a forest troll.¡± The blood drained from the faces of the party members. Jung Yu-shin continued. ¡°The dark elf Huris was nowhere to be seen. Matt was dead. Just a moment ago, I saw a troll tearing apart a Huris party member.¡± ¡°...¡± The party atmosphere darkened. Did it feel like their skin was feeling the fact that there was no way to survive? The people were silent for a while. It seemed as if they were thinking about death. ¡°We have to fight.¡± The female dwarf who had been keeping her mouth shut finally spoke. ¡°...¡± Everyone was speechless. The elf wizard folded his arms. ¡°Durin, this is crazy. It would be best to retreat quietly. We need at least three parties to subdue the forest trolls. This force is not enough.¡± The others nodded in agreement. But Durin was stubborn. ¡°If the Eldritch Wave comes, it¡¯s over. You can¡¯t reach the transfer stone by going through the 7th floor in 3 days. It¡¯s impossible.¡± ¡°Even if it¡¯s the Eldritch Wave, aren¡¯t they just human-faced foxes? The poison is threatening, but I heard that there¡¯s an antidote this time, so there¡¯s nothing to worry about.¡± ¡°No. You don¡¯t know. The Eldritch Wave monsters are different in each area.¡± ¡°What comes out in the forest area?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have time to explain it all right now. Anyway, just know this. The human-faced foxes are monsters that appear up to the 5th floor of the labyrinth. Once you pass the 5th floor, the monsters that appear in each area change. It¡¯d be better to fight the trolls.¡± ¡°Who can stop the brute force that comes out in that weight class? Someone has to be in the vanguard. A party that¡¯s just shedding their beginner¡¯s clothes is going to be in the vanguard? Make sense.¡± The elf wizard shook his head and said. ¡°I¡¯ll take the vanguard. I¡¯ll try to draw the trolls¡¯ attention as much as possible.¡± The female dwarf called Durin answered. The elven wizard glared. ¡°Durin, what do you mean? You have to take the attack to have a chance.¡± ¡°I think I can hold my ground during the vanguard. If you and that shameless dwarf priest cast some auxiliary magic, things could turn out surprisingly easily.¡± Kubo frowned. Jeong Yu-shin stepped forward. ¡°Durin, you say? I¡¯ll take the vanguard. You take the attack next to me.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Jeong Yu-shin glanced at the halberd hanging behind Durin¡¯s back. ¡°Well, I¡¯m wearing plate armor. And I have the Revenger and Venom Protection imprints. That¡¯s why I have to fight in the vanguard.¡± The dwarf opened his eyes wide and looked at Jung Yu-shin. ¡°There are many good engravings. You are lucky Barbaro. I understand. But are you okay? Are you scared or afraid?¡± ¡°I think it is better for someone who is well suited to the job to do it. And I am from the monster dismantling center.¡± When I arrived at the labyrinth city, I learned how to remove the flesh and bones of monsters before seeing the smiles of the people on the street. Looking back, I sighed. The first thing I did when I arrived at the labyrinth city was to slaughter monsters. ¡®About the black-haired lone wolf becoming a swordsman in another world¡¯s Majang-dong.¡¯ The elf master taught me to the bone, but where did the basics go? The slaughter technique of freely swinging and separating the flesh and bones of monsters was the core of his swordsmanship. ¡°You must have had a hard time. I understand.¡± The dwarf looked at Jung Yu-shin with pitiful eyes. ¡®The weakness of forest trolls is sacred fire.¡¯ I remembered what the human warrior I met in the forgotten city of Engrav had said. ¡°Kubo, what is sacred fire?¡± Jung Yu-shin asked. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤It¡¯s a flame that contains divinity. At least that¡¯s what we who serve the fire spirit think. But why is that?¡± ¡°How do you make it?¡± ¡°Usually, high-level priests create it with sacred magic. Intermediate priests consecrate it with oil. Why is that?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll explain later. Do you have Inferno Oil?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true... but I can¡¯t consecrate it yet.¡± Kubo scratched his head, trying to avoid confusion. ¡°Weren¡¯t you an intermediate priest?¡± ¡°You just became intermediate. When are you going to learn it?¡± ¡®Fuck.¡¯ Jung Yu-shin clutched his head. Oil. There is oil. The problem is that there has to be divinity there. ¡®Sacred Weapon.¡¯ A plan slowly began to form in his head. Jung Yu-shin, who had been sitting still, slapped his knee! ¡°Let¡¯s come up with a plan and go in. Listen.¡± He gathered the people and explained it simply. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤How is it?¡± ¡°Are you really crazy?!¡± The rat Suin Mars grabbed his hair. ¡°Is the liver sticking out of the stomach?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it like putting a bell around a cat¡¯s neck?¡± Everyone said something. ¡°I¡¯m the one putting the bell around that cat¡¯s neck.¡± When Jung Yu-shin spoke calmly, the people became dumbfounded. ¡°Scar, it¡¯s too dangerous.¡± Iron Mask warned. ¡°Iron Mask, someone has to do this. I¡¯m the right person for the job.¡± Iron Mask remained silent, but he seemed displeased that his party members had to do something dangerous. Jung Yu-shin stood up. ¡°Let¡¯s get started quickly. We don¡¯t know when the Eldritch Wave will come, so time is of the essence.¡± He checked his plate armor and slung his longsword over his shoulder. ¡®It¡¯s uncomfortable.¡¯ His shoulders were slightly uncomfortable. His movements were more restricted than when he was wearing leather armor. If he had known he would encounter such a large monster, he would have dressed a little lighter. It was too late to regret it. If he survived, it was something he would have to think about carefully. He put it off. The six gathered under the tree. ¡°...¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Jung Yu-shin slung his longsword over his shoulder and emerged from the bushes. The people formed a formation and came out. When he sensed the presence of people, the troll sitting in the open space turned his head. A terrible stench. A bumpy face like a bear. And the spreading toxic spores. It was a scary sight that would appear in dreams. But being afraid won''t do you any good. Imprint activated. [Venom Protection] He grabbed the sword. A longsword that Boron and Einhofer had painstakingly created. Since the name was engraved on the sword, there was no need for an epitaph. Just as the troll was about to touch the floor to get up, Jeong Yu-shin ran. A reckless, fast charge. The people scattered. "Geowoooooo!!!" The troll screamed and, as he got up from his seat, raised his other hand and struck Jeong Yu-shin. Whoaaaaang!!! The overwhelming weight tore through the air and pierced the air. Made it. ''Fuck.'' The troll''s fist was bigger than two wardrobes combined. If it hit, it would kill him instantly. He quickly turned his body and rolled to the side. Kkaaaaaaang!!! As his fist hit the ground, dirt and rocks flew into the air, obscuring his vision for a moment. That''s right!! Ground! The rocks hit the helmet and armor and bounced off. In the dust and dirt pile. Jeong Yu-shin, who had rolled around the ground, jumped out like a water spring. He held the longsword with both hands and twisted his waist. His target was the troll''s other hand. The hand that was touching the ground to get up. He swung his sword. Tsaaaaaaak!!! The cold blade sliced ??through the troll''s wrist. The skin on his wrist split open and the fat layer was exposed. Cheeeeeeek!!! A yellowish blood mixed with pus spurted out like a fountain and hit the armor. ¡®It¡¯s too tough.¡¯ He tried to completely cut the tendon in his wrist, but it wasn¡¯t enough. However, he didn¡¯t stop and immediately took out his dagger and stabbed it deep into his wrist. The dagger poked the gaping wound again and lodged itself deep inside his wrist. ¡°Geuu ... He jumped high and tried to avoid the troll''s hand that was sweeping the floor, but he dug deeper. It passed his wrist that was touching the ground and reached his back. The sword flashed in an instant and four slashes sliced ??through the troll''s spine. Blood spurted out and the troll screamed. "Geuu ... The ground shook as if a bomb had exploded. ¡°Fuck!!!¡± Jung Yu-shin, who was thrown to the side, jumped up from his seat and grabbed his sword in the opposite direction. [Ice Spear] A sharp icicle spear flew out and pierced the troll¡¯s chest. ¡°Keeeeek!!!¡± The troll screamed and opened its eyes wide. Pusheeeeee. The poisonous spores on its back shot into the air and sprayed around the surrounding area. The party members retreated while maintaining their formation. Jung Yu-shin jumped forward and stopped abruptly. ¡®Fuck.¡¯ The wound on his wrist was already healing. I heard he had excellent regenerative powers, but I didn¡¯t think it was this bad. The troll pulled out the icicle spear and threw it at Jung Yu-shin. Hoooooowung!!! He ducked his waist and kicked the ground to dodge. The wooden club that came down smashed the ground and the next hand swept the ground. Jung Yu-shin dodged each attack by jumping around like a grasshopper. An extraordinary feat that he would never have been able to do without leveling up, buff magic, and crazy guts. ¡®I feel like I¡¯m going to lose.¡¯ His mouth was already filled with a sweet smell. He was wearing heavy armor and running and rolling like crazy, so his whole body was soaked with sweat. The troll swung its club like crazy and attacked Jung Yu-shin. Ppeuuuuung!!! Kwaaaaang!!! The ground began to burst and turn bumpy as if it had been hit by a bomb. At that moment. The Iron Mask and the Dwarf, who had taken the antidote, rushed in and swung their swords and halberds. The Iron Mask¡¯s greatsword cut off one of the troll¡¯s fingers. The dwarf''s halberd sliced ??through the troll''s hide and blood vessels like butter. Whaaa ... The elven wizard screamed. ¡°Fuck!!!¡± The change came in an instant. The green bushes dried and twisted, and a sweet smell like something rotting in a swamp began to spread. The ever-changing environment shook the people¡¯s minds. A single moment of confusion caused the party¡¯s connection to creak. And once the connection was broken, it crossed a river of no return. The troll swung his wooden club while the party members were distracted. Hoooooooooo!!! The dwarf opened his eyes wide. He turned around late. Ppeu ... The dwarf who had been flying through the air crashed to the ground and rolled all the way to the elven wizard who was far away. ¡°Durin!!!¡± The elven wizard ran to the dwarf again, shouting his name. ¡°Keuheueek!!!¡± The dwarf, whose bones were all torn apart, began to laugh out loud as he vomited blood. The sense of loss at losing a party member who had been through thick and thin together. The extreme pain from the shattered bones and torn internal organs. The despair that the Eldritch Wave was right in front of him. All of this, combined with the ¡®laws¡¯ of the forest hierarchy, shattered Durin¡¯s mind. ¡°Durin!!! Come to your senses!!!¡± The elven wizard hurriedly took out a potion from his bosom and tried to feed it to the dwarf. However, it was all in vain for Durin, who had lost his mind due to madness. The troll held the tree stump proudly and smiled. Currently, Jeong Yu-shin and Iron Mask were standing in front of the troll. It was obvious who he was targeting. He must be stupid since he cut off his finger. Iron Mask. The troll raised the tree stump high. Jeong Yu-shin moved for a moment. He must protect the dealer. If Iron Mask falls, the vanguard is over. He instinctively jumped out and stood in front of Iron Mask. Iron Mask shouted something, but I couldn''t hear him. [Sacred Weapon] Granting characteristics. Half Ogre Gauntlets. He thought of the strength of the half ogre Stone Fist he had fought with in front of the labyrinth. He squeezed out all the magic power in his body based on his vivid experience. Hoooooooooooong!!! The tree stump tore through the air and fell toward Jeong Yu-shin''s head. Crunch. He gritted his teeth and swung his sword. ¡°No!!!¡± Mars screamed. Scar, standing in front of the Iron Mask and swinging his toothpick-like sword, looked exactly like someone trying to commit suicide. Jung Yu-shin¡¯s longsword clashed with the troll¡¯s tree. Kwaaaaaaaang!!! An explosion erupted and the troll¡¯s arm rose high. Jung Yu-shin¡¯s foot sank into the ground. [Revenger] Blue irises flared in his eyes. His knee joints felt numb as if he had gout. Not only his shoulder blades, but even his wrist bones were dislocated and his muscles were torn. The troll swung his left hand convulsively. ¡®I can¡¯t stop this.¡¯ Paaaaaaah!!! Jung Yu-shin¡¯s body flew through the air and crashed into the ground. He didn¡¯t stop there and rolled all the way to Kubo¡¯s side. "Ska!!!" The party members screamed. "Khaaaaak!!!" Jung Yu-shin staggered to his feet. The plate armor on his chest was dented. The shoulder armor was torn off. Helmet ''Fuck.'' The troll''s fist was bigger than two wardrobes combined. If it hit, it would kill him instantly. He quickly turned his body and rolled to the side. Kkaaaaaaang!!! As his fist hit the ground, dirt and rocks flew into the air, obscuring his vision for a moment. That''s right!! Ground! The rocks hit the helmet and armor and bounced off. In the dust and dirt pile. Jeong Yu-shin, who had rolled around the ground, jumped out like a water spring. He held the longsword with both hands and twisted his waist. His target was the troll''s other hand. The hand that was touching the ground to get up. He swung his sword. Tsaaaaaaak!!! The cold blade sliced ??through the troll''s wrist. The skin on his wrist split open and the fat layer was exposed. Cheeeeeeek!!! A yellowish blood mixed with pus spurted out like a fountain and hit the armor. ¡®It¡¯s too tough.¡¯ He tried to completely cut the tendon in his wrist, but it wasn¡¯t enough. However, he didn¡¯t stop and immediately took out his dagger and stabbed it deep into his wrist. The dagger poked the gaping wound again and lodged itself deep inside his wrist. ¡°Geuu ... He jumped high and tried to avoid the troll''s hand that was sweeping the floor, but he dug deeper. It passed his wrist that was touching the ground and reached his back. The sword flashed in an instant and four slashes sliced ??through the troll''s spine. Blood spurted out and the troll screamed. "Geuu ... The ground shook as if a bomb had exploded. ¡°Fuck!!!¡± Jung Yu-shin, who was thrown to the side, jumped up from his seat and grabbed his sword in the opposite direction. [Ice Spear] A sharp icicle spear flew out and pierced the troll¡¯s chest. ¡°Keeeeek!!!¡± The troll screamed and opened its eyes wide. Pusheeeeee. The poisonous spores on its back shot into the air and ? N§àv§Öl?§Ôht ? (Don¡¯t copy, read here) sprayed around the surrounding area. The party members retreated while maintaining their formation. Jung Yu-shin jumped forward and stopped abruptly. ¡®Fuck.¡¯ The wound on his wrist was already healing. I heard he had excellent regenerative powers, but I didn¡¯t think it was this bad. The troll pulled out the icicle spear and threw it at Jung Yu-shin. Hoooooowung!!! He ducked his waist and kicked the ground to dodge. The wooden club that came down smashed the ground and the next hand swept the ground. Jung Yu-shin dodged each attack by jumping around like a grasshopper. An extraordinary feat that he would never have been able to do without leveling up, buff magic, and crazy guts. ¡®I feel like I¡¯m going to lose.¡¯ His mouth was already filled with a sweet smell. He was wearing heavy armor and running and rolling like crazy, so his whole body was soaked with sweat. The troll swung its club like crazy and attacked Jung Yu-shin. Ppeuuuuung!!! Kwaaaaang!!! The ground began to burst and turn bumpy as if it had been hit by a bomb. At that moment. The Iron Mask and the Dwarf, who had taken the antidote, rushed in and swung their swords and halberds. The Iron Mask¡¯s greatsword cut off one of the troll¡¯s fingers. The dwarf''s halberd sliced ??through the troll''s hide and blood vessels like butter. Whaaa ... The elven wizard screamed. ¡°Fuck!!!¡± The change came in an instant. The green bushes dried and twisted, and a sweet smell like something rotting in a swamp began to spread. The ever-changing environment shook the people¡¯s minds. A single moment of confusion caused the party¡¯s connection to creak. And once the connection was broken, it crossed a river of no return. The troll swung his wooden club while the party members were distracted. Hoooooooooo!!! The dwarf opened his eyes wide. He turned around late. Ppeu ... The dwarf who had been flying through the air crashed to the ground and rolled all the way to the elven wizard who was far away. ¡°Durin!!!¡± The elven wizard ran to the dwarf again, shouting his name. ¡°Keuheueek!!!¡± The dwarf, whose bones were all torn apart, began to laugh out loud as he vomited blood. The sense of loss at losing a party member who had been through thick and thin together. The extreme pain from the shattered bones and torn internal organs. The despair that the Eldritch Wave was right in front of him. All of this, combined with the ¡®laws¡¯ of the forest hierarchy, shattered Durin¡¯s mind. ¡°Durin!!! Come to your senses!!!¡± The elven wizard hurriedly took out a potion from his bosom and tried to feed it to the dwarf. However, it was all in vain for Durin, who had lost his mind due to madness. The troll held the tree stump proudly and smiled. Currently, Jeong Yu-shin and Iron Mask were standing in front of the troll. It was obvious who he was targeting. He must be stupid since he cut off his finger. Iron Mask. The troll raised the tree stump high. Jeong Yu-shin moved for a moment. He must protect the dealer. If Iron Mask falls, the vanguard is over. He instinctively jumped out and stood in front of Iron Mask. Iron Mask shouted something, but I couldn''t hear him. [Sacred Weapon] Granting characteristics. Half Ogre Gauntlets. He thought of the strength of the half ogre Stone Fist he had fought with in front of the labyrinth. He squeezed out all the magic power in his body based on his vivid experience. Hoooooooooooong!!! The tree stump tore through the air and fell toward Jeong Yu-shin''s head. Crunch. He gritted his teeth and swung his sword. ¡°No!!!¡± Mars screamed. Scar, standing in front of the Iron Mask and swinging his toothpick-like sword, looked exactly like someone trying to commit suicide. Jung Yu-shin¡¯s longsword clashed with the troll¡¯s tree. Kwaaaaaaaang!!! An explosion erupted and the troll¡¯s arm rose high. Jung Yu-shin¡¯s foot sank into the ground. [Revenger] Blue irises flared in his eyes. His knee joints felt numb as if he had gout. Not only his shoulder blades, but even his wrist bones were dislocated and his muscles were torn. The troll swung his left hand convulsively. ¡®I can¡¯t stop this.¡¯ Paaaaaaah!!! Jung Yu-shin¡¯s body flew through the air and crashed into the ground. He didn¡¯t stop there and rolled all the way to Kubo¡¯s side. "Ska!!!" The party members screamed. "Khaaaaak!!!" Jung Yu-shin staggered to his feet. The plate armor on his chest was dented. The shoulder armor was torn off. Helmet Chapter 125: Baby 7th floor forest area. In the middle of the empty space that had become a mess. Jung Yu-shin and the troll met eyes. The troll''s face was frozen hard. He could see the hand holding the club trembling slightly. Was he afraid? Thinking about it, it made sense. The human, who was nothing more than prey, knocked away the wooden club he had swung. He hit the human with his hand with all his might, but he jumped up from his seat as if nothing had happened. Crap!!! Jung Yu-shin raised his palm and slapped his own cheek. ''You''re crazy.'' Trying to read the troll''s mind. This is serious. Jung Yu-shin turned his head and looked down at the dwarf priest next to him. "Kubo, tell Mars to find the holy relic and bury it in the ground." "Ah... I understand." In contrast to the calm voice of Jeong Yu-shin, Kubo¡¯s voice was trembling with fear. He held the longsword in his hand and the flint in his other hand. Thump. Thump. He slowly stepped forward, stepping on the dug-up earth. His upper body was naked again. The chain mail pieces embedded in his skin were annoying, so he dug them out one by one. It would be better to just go naked next time. This level of budget waste would make even the US Congress shake its head. I could see Iron Mask from afar. He got up on the ground and barely leaned on his sword. His eyes, which were always calm, were trembling violently as if they had encountered waves. He waved his hand once and immediately ran towards the troll. ¡°Kuuuuuuu!!!¡± The troll swung his club down. Whooooooooo!!! He moved his numb joints and stepped forward, dodging by a hair''s breadth. Kkwaaaaang!!! As the giant club slammed into the ground, dust flew out in all directions. Thud thud!!! Sharp pebbles scratched his cheeks and passed by. However, Jeong Yu-shin''s eyes were as calm as a calm lake. The troll swung his wooden club repeatedly as if he was going to end it here. Swinging down. Swinging sideways. Swinging upward. Kkwaaaaang!!! Kkwaaaaang!!! Blue chrysanthemums flew, dodging each and every one and going right between the troll''s legs. ''Whew.'' He took a deep breath. He drew the flint against the blade. Kagagagagak!!! Sparks flew into his left hand. Hwaruk!!! ¡°Keuaaa ... Chooo ... He cut off the troll''s Achilles tendon and stabbed it with his burning fist. His body was gradually recovering due to the Revenger imprint. New flesh grew on his arm, which should have been burned to the bone long ago. To be exact, muscles and nerves regenerated. And then the hellish flames burned everything again. As he repeated the burning and regeneration, the Revenger imprint also grew rapidly. A campfire to enjoy endlessly. I am the fuel. While he was thinking nonsense, Aldane suddenly appeared in front of him. The one-eyed elf wearing an eye patch laughed and pointed to one side. ''Scar, peel off the flesh well. That guy''s skin is thick, so stab him well with your sword. You know? Gently, like putting it in a virgin''s hole.'' "Yes." Jeong Yu-shin answered politely. "Scar!!!" Iron Mask, who had come close, swung his sword and shouted. ¡°Is it the 1st prince?¡± ¡°Scar!!! Come to your senses!!!¡± ¡°The 5th prince left me a message. He said he was waiting for his brother to be better. You have a good younger brother.¡± ¡°...¡± Jung Yu-shin left Iron Mask, who had frozen like ice, and continued his sword dance. The troll swung his club while screaming like crazy. I don¡¯t know if it was a scream or a scream. I might have screamed. As I felt the pain, my mind split into many parts. The smell of grilled meat tickled my nose and an old memory suddenly came to mind. I think it was when I went camping with my father and grilled meat. I remember sitting on a grill with pork belly on it. ¡®Father, isn¡¯t it cooked now?¡¯ ¡®Wait a minute.¡¯ ¡®Yes.¡¯ The smell of meat cooking rose to his nose. ¡®I think it¡¯s now.¡¯ ¡®Not yet.¡¯ ¡®I can smell something burning. Is it now?¡¯ ¡®Wait a minute more. And Yushin, come to your senses.¡¯ ¡®Yes. Father.¡¯ He returned to reality. Was it reality? People he knew were standing outside the vacant lot, watching him. Karl, Anne, and Marie. Einhofer, the sloppy wizard and Ahiman, Ori Roinel, Ashur, Swing Nose, Aldain and Darmon, Tarman, and even the beheaded Ditto¡¯s family. Finally, Karin and Mion. I wondered why they all gathered here. At that moment. The wind suddenly blew behind him. He turned around and saw Mars burying something in the ground and covering it with dirt. A strong wind began to blow as if he had buried the relic. His black hair swayed as if dancing in the wind. ¡®Is it now?¡¯ The burning flames were gradually eating away at his left arm. He couldn¡¯t hold on any longer. He held onto his mind that was wavering in pain. He picked up the halberd that had fallen to the ground and threw it at the troll¡¯s eye. Ssaeeeeeeek!!! The halberd flew straight and cut one of the troll¡¯s eyes. ¡°Kiaaaaaaaak!!!¡± The troll screamed and covered its face. Jeong Yu-shin reached out his hand to the Iron Mask. ¡°Prince, give me the sword.¡± ¡°My name is Evan.¡± ¡°Evan, turn your back. I¡¯ll step on it and jump up in one go to cut off the troll¡¯s throat.¡± ¡°You insolent brat.¡± The Iron Mask threw the greatsword. Thump! Jung Yu-shin grabbed Iron Mask''s greatsword and placed his longsword on the ground. "Let''s go. Hurry up. I think I''m going to die." Iron Mask ran towards the troll without saying a word. Jung Yu-shin also ran after Iron Mask. When he got close enough, Iron Mask lay down on the ground and turned his back. Boom!!! He stepped on Iron Mask''s back and jumped high into the sky. He soared high on the whirlwind that arose as his magic power was released. But it wasn''t enough. Was it not reaching? At that moment. [Wind] The wind magic blown by the elf wizard supported his feet. "Barbaroi!!! Go!!!" The elf wizard shouted from behind. Paaaaang!!! He jumped again and reached the troll''s face. He raised his blazing fist. [Sacred Weapon] I imagined a thin cloth glove and gave it characteristics by using all the magic power I gathered as a venger. To make it burn more fiercely. And to mix with divinity. I wonder if it was properly implemented. The holy weapon and fire mixed together and burned fiercely. Fire Punch. Once in a lifetime. If I was dead, I was dead. A technique I would never use again. Paaaaaaaaaaah!!!!! The fire fist struck the troll''s jaw. The troll''s jaw lifted toward the sky. "Kaaaaaaah!!!" He spun around in the air to cheer on the troll''s screams, grabbed his greatsword, and swung it. Kwaaaaaaaah!!! The greatsword cut halfway through the troll''s neck and got stuck. "Kkeueueueu!!!" The troll made a strange noise and flailed his arms. He pulled out the greatsword, threw it away, and grabbed the troll''s neck section. "Heuu ... Thump thump. The troll went crazy. Whether it was or not, Jeong Yu-shin used all his strength. The muscle fibers attached to the neck broke one by one, and blood gradually gushed out from the torn blood vessels. The result of the divine flame completely blocking the troll''s regenerative power. And then the white cervical vertebrae were visible. He raised his fire fist and struck it repeatedly. Bam!!! Bam!!! Bam!!! The cervical vertebrae, which were as big as a human torso, cracked. "Kak!!! Kaaaaak!!! Kaaaaak!!!" The troll let out a pitiful scream as if pleading. Without stopping, he swung his fist and shattered the cervical vertebrae. Paaaak!!! The troll''s neck was twisted abnormally. Jjaaaak!!! Without stopping, he grabbed the half-split neck with both hands and tore it off. Boom!!! The torn troll head fell to the floor. Subjugation complete. As the troll¡¯s body slowly began to collapse, Jung Yu-shin rolled to the floor. [Extinguish] The elf wizard quickly ran over and used extinguishing magic on Jung Yu-shin¡¯s arm. The flames, which had weakened after a long burn, were easily extinguished with extinguishing magic. ¡°Roynel, since when have you been using magic?¡± Jung Yu-shin asked, looking at his steaming arm. The elf wizard grabbed Jung Yu-shin¡¯s shoulder and shook it. ¡°Barbaroi! Come to your senses!¡± ¡°Ska!!!¡± His companions quickly ran over. Jung Yu-shin closed his eyes. As the pain subsided, he was too tired. * * * Jung Yu-shin¡¯s consciousness drifted here and there like a buoy on the sea. The sound of people talking rang in his ears. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Who on earth are you?¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Pouring oil on your arm and lighting a fire is scary.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Just a little more.¡± When he opened his eyes again, he saw a bonfire. The party members were sitting there huddled together. ¡°Scar, are you awake?¡± Iron Mask asked. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤You¡¯re fine. Are you still in the labyrinth?¡± ¡°Yeah. You just have to go one more day.¡± ¡°Is that so? Are you all hurt?¡± ¡°Everyone¡¯s fine. Kubo, the priest, must have had a hard time.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± He looked up and saw the elf wizard and the dwarf. The dwarf named Durin was laughing as if he had finally gone completely crazy. It was similar to the state of Dean I had seen before. ¡°Wizard, what are you going to do with that dwarf?¡± The elf wizard sighed deeply. ¡°Whew. I should take him to the Magic Tower. They¡¯re currently researching ways to cure the madness. But you were that guy.¡± ¡°What kind of guy?¡± ¡°The last time the Swordsmanship Guild Leader visited the Magic Tower. One of the black-haired disciples was suffering from a bit of madness, and he asked if there was a way to cure him.¡± ¡°So?¡± ¡°I told him there wasn¡¯t anything. The Swordsmanship Guild Leader said yes and left. We said we¡¯d take a look, but he declined.¡± I¡¯ve met this kind of fate before. Jeong Yu-shin didn¡¯t answer and closed his eyes again. Cool magic gently wrapped Jeong Yu-shin¡¯s body and mind. * * * A day passed after he came to his senses. Despite all the things that happened, the party arrived safely in front of the 7th floor transfer stone. We completed all the requests and survived. That was enough. ¡°Ah, I should rest.¡± Kubo muttered absentmindedly. ¡°Me too.¡± Mas nodded in agreement. ¡°...¡± Jung Yu-shin said nothing and placed his hand on the transfer stone. Iron Mask placed his hand on Jung Yu-shin¡¯s shoulder. A day had passed since he came to his senses, but his absentminded appearance was strangely bothering him. ¡°Scar, are you okay?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Jung Yu-shin shrugged and replied. Except that Ditto¡¯s head was flying through the air and circling around him. He couldn¡¯t let it show. If someone noticed, it would be difficult to re-enter the labyrinth. Especially if Ashur found out, he absolutely could not do so. Whoaaaaah. Red portals and blue portals were created. The party members entered the blue portal one by one. Jung Yu-shin also stepped into the blue portal. He felt floating and the hot air touched his skin. Jung Yu-shin covered his face with his hand from the strong sunlight. Was it morning or noon? He wanted to take a deep breath and sleep. ¡°Whew, I thought I would get the imprint this time.¡± Mars muttered with a deep sigh. Jung Yu-shin snickered. ¡°Mars, is it that easy to get an imprint...?¡± Jung Yu-shin stopped talking. The reason why the light was radiating strongly from his body. ¡°What, what is it?!¡± Jung Yu-shin looked down at his body in shock. The light gradually grew stronger and covered his entire body. And then. Flash! The light slowly faded away. The party members¡¯ eyes widened as if they were going to pop out. ¡°Oh... God.¡± Kubo looked for God with a trembling ? N§àv§Öl¦Éght ? (Read the full story) voice. In the place where Jeong Yu-shin disappeared. Only a black-haired pretty boy was left, standing there blankly. The pretty boy looked down at his hands and opened his mouth. ¡°Huh...?¡± Chapter 126: Who is it? Mas looked at the "boy" who had just been Skya a moment ago with trembling eyes. Well-built muscles. The sharp atmosphere of the barbarian, which had made her knees tremble just by looking at it, had disappeared. Only the cute boy remained. His flowing black hair. The flawless white skin and round eyes, like those of a young deer. He was handsome, yet with a beauty mark beneath his eye, adding a touch of sensuality. He was a little taller than Dwarf Priest Kubo but shorter than Mas herself. All of these elements combined stirred her protective instincts. Protective instincts? ¡®Am I crazy?¡¯ While Mas was in shock. Jeong Yushin looked down at his arms. "What... what is this? My muscles...?!" Looking at his soft arms, his head spun. How had he developed such muscles? After spending half a year in hellish conditions, pouring his blood and sweat into every moment, the real combat-ready muscles he had carved out with intense effort had disappeared in an instant. He had even shrunk in height. Jeong Yushin didn¡¯t realize it, but because his body had shrunk, his pants had fallen down. Something monstrous, in stark contrast to his innocent face, started to show under his underwear. "Sk... Skya, what is this?! Did I get the beautiful boy mark or something?! How could this...?!" Even Dwarf Priest Kubo was so shocked that he couldn¡¯t speak. "I... I don¡¯t know." A thin and clear voice escaped Jeong Yushin¡¯s lips. Kubo wanted to cover his ears. The man who fought like a demon, burning his own arms, was gone, and in his place, a beautiful boy had emerged, chattering away. Sensing the awkward atmosphere of the party, the priest and a guard approached. "...What¡¯s going on?" "It¡¯s... it¡¯s nothing. One of our party members turned into a boy." The iron-masked man answered. The priest looked down at Jeong Yushin. When his bright, sparkling eyes met his, his heart jolted. Seeing him holding up his falling pants and looking like he was about to cry, the feeling to protect him surged up strongly. "Ahem!!! It¡¯s not good to stand here at the exit magic circle. Let¡¯s go to the exchange office first and finish the report, and then it¡¯d be better to talk somewhere else." "Understood." The party members packed their things and tried to leave the magic circle. But they stopped in their tracks because of Jeong Yushin. "It¡¯s heavy." Jeong Yushin groaned as he struggled to move his bag. The backpack dragged on the ground, barely moving, but that was it. It seemed like it would take forever to get out of the magic circle. The bag contained broken armor, a helmet, and a longsword. On top of that, he had to keep holding his loose pants from falling down. The bulky walker, which had a lot of extra space, didn¡¯t help either. It was practically impossible to move the bag. "Ahem. I¡¯ll help." The iron-masked man cleared his throat and took Jeong Yushin¡¯s bag. Jeong Yushin smiled brightly and slapped the iron-masked man on the back. "Iron Mask, you¡¯re the best. Thanks." The party left the magic circle and headed for the exchange office. The explorers inside the exchange office saw Jeong Yushin and clicked their tongues. "Is that a barbarian?" "Too pretty to be one? Aren¡¯t they all burly men?" "Is this for real?! Does that beauty make sense?! Did he get some kind of marking?" ¡®They can hear everything.¡¯ Jeong Yushin frowned. They arrived at the exchange office and met the exchange clerk. After reporting the completion of the temple quest, he received his reward. Jeong Yushin looked up at the female clerk and cautiously spoke. "Excuse me..." "Y-Yes?" The clerk blushed and looked down at him. "Do you have a mirror? I¡¯d like to see my appearance." "Y-Yes, yes!" The clerk hurriedly got up and ran to the office. Bang! Thud! A moment of arguing and noise echoed, and then the clerk came out of the office. "You can come in here." The female clerk flipped her brown hair and glanced at Jeong Yushin as she looked down at him. "Thank you." "Fuh?!" The clerk stiffened for a moment, then shook her head vigorously. "No. I¡¯m the one who should be thanking you... Here, take this." ??? The clerk muttered quietly, but Jeong Yushin didn¡¯t hear it. When he entered the office, a full-length mirror came into view. The shiny, polished surface left an impression. Standing in front of the mirror, his entire body was visible at once. "Ex...?!" When he looked down at his soft arms, he had expected this, but it was just like his appearance when he was younger. "Th... this is how I looked when I was a kid?" "Wha... what?!" "Isn¡¯t this a beautiful boy marking?!" The party members were astonished. Jeong Yushin pouted his lips. "I¡¯m sure. It¡¯s just a youth-marking." Still, he understood why the party members were reacting this way. When he was younger, he had often been told that he resembled his mother. Suddenly, old memories resurfaced. It was when he was sitting on the couch watching TV. His father took a small vial from his pocket and placed it on the table. [Son, come here.] [Yes.] When he approached the table, he saw a bottle filled with green liquid. [Drink this. It¡¯s a growing potion.] [Eh...?! You want me to drink this?] The ominously swirling green juice didn¡¯t look like any kind of medicine. [Yes.] [They say some people don¡¯t grow no matter what they drink. And where did you even get this? Did you get it from that weird old man at the herbal shop again? That guy¡¯s strange, always teaching weird massages.] [It¡¯s not a weird massage. He¡¯s a smart man, so don¡¯t talk nonsense. And this potion was made with love by your mother and me. Of course, that old man helped a little.] [Ugh... I don¡¯t want to.] [Stop complaining.] [Heh, heh...?!] He had somehow ended up drinking the potion. And strangely enough, he grew taller afterward. ¡®I miss that.¡¯ He momentarily lost himself in the memories and then snapped back to reality. The party members were still staring at him in disbelief. "Stop staring. You¡¯re going to make holes in my face." "Huh? That¡¯s insane. It¡¯s insane." "This is a scam. This makes no sense." Kubo and Mas continued muttering nonsensical things, their minds clearly gone. "Enough. Let¡¯s go back to the inn. I¡¯m so tired. The quest is over, and we¡¯ll meet again later. Who¡¯s going to carry my bag?" "I¡¯ll carry it." The iron-masked man stepped up again and took Jeong Yushin¡¯s backpack. The party decided to meet again later and parted ways in front of the exchange office. Jeong Yushin and the iron-masked man walked down the street. "...Really?" The iron-masked man whispered quietly. It was an unexpected comment. But Jeong Yushin immediately understood what he meant. "Yeah. Your younger sibling is waiting. I didn¡¯t bring it up because I thought you wouldn¡¯t want to hear it." "I see." The iron-masked man fell silent afterward. They passed through the central district and reached the southern district. Even in the hot summer, the people on the street were busy with their work. Then. Someone stopped in front of Jeong Yushin and gawked at his face. "...Huh?! What kind of beauty is that?!" "Who¡¯s that? Who are they?! I¡¯ve never seen them before! And they have black hair." "Gemini, aren¡¯t you staring too obviously? I¡¯m embarrassed for you." "Hey, Mom was staring too! Smacking her lips! You¡¯re being shameless!" "What do you mean?! How indecent!" People gathered in groups, gossiping enthusiastically. Feeling awkward, Jeong Yushin grabbed his pants and walked quickly. They soon arrived at the Darmong Inn. The iron-masked man set down the luggage next to the inn¡¯s entrance. "I¡¯ll turn back now." "Go in and have a drink." "No, I¡¯m going to the Wind Spirit Temple. I need to check something. I¡¯ll see you later." "Okay. Take care." Jeong Yushin waved his hand to the departing iron-masked man and entered the inn. Screech. The door opened, and the familiar interior came into view. "Welcome. Huh?" Karin, who had rolled up her white shirt sleeves, walked over but stopped dead when she saw Jeong Yushin. "..." Jeong Yushin met Karin¡¯s gaze. Karin opened her mouth. "Kid, where did you get that longsword? That¡¯s Skya¡¯s. No way...?" Karin¡¯s face gradually hardened. "Karin, it¡¯s me." Karin¡¯s eyes widened in shock. Her red tail and ears stood up straight. "Wh... who?" "It¡¯s me. Skya." "You¡¯re Skya?!" Hearing Karin¡¯s scream, Tarman and Anne rushed out from the kitchen. "Skya! You¡¯re here? Huh?!" Tarman and Anne froze, standing stock-still when they saw Jeong Yushin. "No. Karin, you said Skya was coming, but who¡¯s this beautiful boy? Or is it a beautiful girl?" Tarman scratched his head in confusion. Karin looked down at the small boy who only reached her waist. ¡®I can¡¯t believe it.¡¯ Smooth skin with no blemishes, a cute little nose. Instead of sharp eyes, the gentle slant of his eyes invoked a maternal urge. His sparkling eyes, shining like starlight, sent chills down her spine. But he didn¡¯t look completely innocent. The black spot under his eye only added to his allure. ¡®Wait.¡¯ Looking more closely, Skya¡¯s features were still somewhat there. Realizing this, Karin¡¯s breath caught for a moment. She had to hold herself back. But it was hard. ¡®I want to mark him.¡¯ She wanted to push that little body to the ground and rub her scent into his private areas. As Karin stepped forward, Jeong Yushin took two steps back. "K-Karin? Why? You¡¯re scaring me." "Fuh. Fuh. Skya? Do you want to talk outside for a moment?" "Karin." When Anne¡¯s voice rang out, Karin snapped back to reality. "Sorry." "Don¡¯t tease me too much just because my appearance changed a little. And Tarman, my backpack is next to the inn entrance. Please take it upstairs." "Yes. Understood." Tarman still wore a confused expression but followed Jeong Yushin¡¯s instructions. Jeong Yushin climbed onto the counter chair with some effort. "Ugh. It¡¯s hard. Anne, give me some food." "Yes." Strangely, Anne didn¡¯t seem to suspect anything. Anne brought a plate of cool tomato soup, buttered sourdough bread, and a large serving of Salisbury steak with cheese. Jeong Yushin glanced down at the food and spoke. "Anne?" "Yes, Skya?" "What¡¯s this flag?" A strange flag was sticking out of the Salisbury steak. "Ah! I¡¯m sorry. Did you not like it?" "No. I¡¯ll just eat it." He was being treated like a child. Was he enjoying it? With someone as eerie as Anne, it seemed plausible. Anne, Tarman, and Karin just watched Jeong Yushin eating without doing any work. While eating the tomato soup, Jeong Yushin¡¯s face turned a little red. "Don¡¯t look." "No, Skya. This doesn¡¯t make sense." Eventually, Tarman spoke up, complaining. "What doesn¡¯t make sense?" "The guy who wiped out the bad guys with just a sword in the East District had this kind of beauty when he was younger?" "Beauty? I¡¯m a man." "Huh. Oh spirits. This is so unfair..." Tarman muttered softly while looking at the ceiling. He looked pale from shock. After finishing the meal, Jeong Yushin looked around. The inn was now packed with people, and most of them were women. And they were all staring at Jeong Yushin¡¯s face. "Who is he?" "Is he the barbarian boy? What a scary face. All the young women on the street will be enchanted." "Sis, I think I¡¯ll never get married now." "Me too." "Sigh." Jeong Yushin sighed deeply. He didn¡¯t think they would believe him even if he told them he was Skya. He got up from the seat. "I¡¯m going to rest upstairs. I¡¯m so tired. Tomorrow I¡¯ll go to the temple to check the marking." "Yes. Understood." "Rest well." After being sent off by the people, Jeong Yushin went upstairs to his room and saw the bed he had missed. He jumped onto the bed and buried himself in it. Soft. "Chirp!!!" "Ah." When he lifted the bedspread, a white mouse was fluttering around. It was Lyn, Ingrid¡¯s familiar. "Lyn! Where have you been?" Jeong Yushin carefully wrapped Lyn in his hands. "Chirp?" When Lyn came to its senses, it tilted its head and looked at Jeong Yushin¡¯s face. "What? Don¡¯t you recognize me? I¡¯m hurt." "Chirp chirp?" Jeong Yushin poked Lyn¡¯s belly with his finger. "Chirp!!!" Lyn hurriedly covered its belly. "This little thing. Don¡¯t you remember who I am?" Jeong Yushin¡¯s eyes became sensually slanted. He patted Lyn¡¯s bottom and gently rubbed its soft, pudgy belly, making Lyn¡¯s eyes widen. "Chirp? Chirp chirp!" "Now do you recognize me? It¡¯s me, Skya." "Chirp chirp chirp!!!" Lyn clung to Jeong Yushin¡¯s chest and started rubbing itself all over enthusiastically. It was too much affection. "Lyn, it¡¯s nice to see you, but I¡¯m really tired. I¡¯m going to sleep, so move away." "Chirp! Chirp chirp!" Lyn wriggled and snuck under Jeong Yushin¡¯s shirt, settling there. "Move away, why are you getting so deep inside?" "Chirp!" "Okay. Fine. Do what you want." Jeong Yushin lay down, resting his head on the pillow, and looked up at the ceiling for a moment. He had to meet Mion tomorrow, but he didn¡¯t know how to face her. ¡®Will she believe me?¡¯ He briefly worried but then gave up. It was an unsolvable problem. Moreover, he was so tired from the long labyrinth exploration. "Yawn." Feeling the soft texture of the bed sheet while holding the fluffy Lyn in his arms, he closed his eyes. Soon, darkness took over. Chapter 127: Got it. A hot wind came in through the window and caressed Jung Yu-shin¡¯s head. Her soft hair swayed. ¡°Hmm.¡± She opened her eyes. It was morning. Lin was wriggling inside her shirt. Was she having a good dream? A soft smile appeared on the corner of the young Jung Yu-shin¡¯s mouth. She gently stroked Lin¡¯s body over the shirt. ¡°Lin, you should wake up. It¡¯s morning.¡± ¡°Thump.¡± She carefully grabbed Lin, who was half-asleep, took her out of her shirt, got up, and sat down next to the bed. She worried for a moment about what clothes to wear because her body had gotten smaller, but it was a useless thought. There were small clothes neatly folded on the bedside table. A loose tunic shirt, slightly tight pants, and small walkers. I don¡¯t know who bought them, but they fit perfectly when I tried them on. ¡°The chest area is too loose.¡± Even though it was summer, the top was loose. If I bent over just a little, I could see right through it. Well, it didn¡¯t matter because I was a man. I searched through the closet, took some of the money I had saved, and grabbed the doorknob. ¡°Tick? Tick tick!¡± Lin got up from the bed and spread her two front legs wide. ¡®You look like a flying squirrel.¡¯ When I approached and held out my right arm, Lin clung to me tightly and crawled up onto my shoulder. ¡°Lin, aren¡¯t you clinging too much?¡± ¡°Tick tick.¡± ¡°Okay. Do whatever you want.¡± I patted Lin¡¯s head once and went down to the first floor. Tuck. Tuck. ¡®What?¡¯ When I came down the stairs, I saw a surprising sight in the inn hall. The inn was bustling with people. There were already a lot of people because the food was famous for its delicious taste, but this was just too much. There were explorers as well as people who usually do business in the southern district. As I walked towards the counter, all the people who had been talking became silent and started staring at my face. A heavy silence where not even a breath could be heard. One of the customers spoke up. ¡°This is crazy. Isn¡¯t this a face blessed by the... spirit god?¡± ¡°Wow, there¡¯s such beauty in the world!¡± ¡°House... butler, I really want to invite that person to our Lavrinde family.¡± ¡°Ah, Miss.¡± ¡°Whoa. I don¡¯t need a side dish. Just looking at that face makes my bread go slurp.¡± ¡°But is it a man or a woman? I¡¯m confused.¡± ¡°What does that matter? As long as it tastes good, that¡¯s all that matters.¡± The customers were murmuring. Jeong Yu-shin¡¯s eyebrows furrowed slightly. She didn''t like the way people were gossiping about her. Just because her appearance changed a little, she would make such a fuss. ''They''re such useless people.'' She shrugged her shoulders and sat down at the counter. Karin was looking at her with sparkling eyes. "Karin, give me some food." "Hey. Can you call me ''big sister''?" "..." Karin''s face looked so desperate. "Who, big sister?" Blood was dripping from Karin''s nose. "Karin, your nose is bleeding." "Hey. Sorry. Big sister will bring you food quickly." Karin wiped her nosebleed and quickly went into the kitchen to bring food. Breakfast was cream ravioli and apple juice. Dumpling-like square pasta dough stuffed with meat and cheese and then simmered in cream sauce. The apple juice was refreshing. The frozen magic tool I bought last time seemed to be doing its job well. I put the ravioli on a small spoon and took a bite. When I bit into the dumpling-like pasta, the cheese and meat juice flowed out, filling my mouth and mixing with the rich cream to create a fantastic harmony. ¡®It¡¯s delicious.¡¯ I took a sip of the cold apple juice and the sweet and sour juice washed my mouth clean. Anne¡¯s cooking skills were improving day by day. ¡®There might come a time when I have to send them away.¡¯ Anne and Tarman¡¯s faces had brightened up since meeting Marie and Dean at the last festival. If they wanted to leave, they were going to give them a lot of money and send them away. ¡°Even the way they eat is so elegant.¡± ¡°Did you see the way they licked the cream off their lips? Ha. I can¡¯t sleep tonight.¡± ¡°Bang...did you hear me call you sister just now?¡± ¡°Hyuuu. My legs are weak.¡± People were murmuring about something, but Jung Yu-shin was so absorbed in the food that he was only focused on eating. He emptied the remaining cream from his bowl and got up from his seat. ¡°Karin, it was delicious. Tell Anne that it was delicious. I¡¯ll go to the temple for a bit.¡± Karin¡¯s body stiffened slightly at Jung Yu-shin¡¯s words. ¡°Let¡¯s go together.¡± ¡°Where are you going with all these customers? Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll take care of my body. Instead, take care of Rin.¡± Karin bit her lip tightly. She didn¡¯t want to send him to that sinister milk cow priest. He would definitely crush the little Scar with his cheap udders and make him laugh. But she couldn¡¯t do that. She didn¡¯t want to act on her own and be hated by Scar anymore. For the same reason, she had also resisted the sly urge to go into Scar¡¯s room last night and ¡®mark¡¯ him. ¡®I was the one who broke the agreement first.¡¯ He also felt a little guilty. ¡°Don¡¯t go with that wet priest no matter where he tells you to go.¡± Karin warned him with a stern expression. ¡°Don¡¯t say anything bad about Priest Mi-on. Anyway, I¡¯ll be back.¡± Karin looked down at Rin, who was clinging tightly to Jung Yu-shin¡¯s shoulder, and grabbed the nape of her neck with two fingers and pulled it up. ¡°Tick? Tick tick!¡± Rin held onto Jung Yu-shin¡¯s shoulder hem and hung on. ¡°Huh? Rin!¡± When Jung Yu-shin¡¯s chubby belly was revealed as his shirt lifted slightly, several women sitting in the inn hall collapsed. Karin gestured to Jung Yu-shin. ¡°Hurry up and come back.¡± Jung Yu-shin smiled bitterly as he watched Rin struggling in Karin¡¯s hands, then picked up his clothes and went to the Earth Mother Shrine. As he went out onto the street, the gazes of the people around him were harsher than the summer sun. ¡®It¡¯s a bit burdensome.¡¯ He hurried his pace and arrived at the Earth Mother Shrine. The priestess sitting at the reception desk looked at Jung Yu-shin and took a deep breath. ¡°I want to meet Priestess Mi-on.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Mi, Priestess Mi-on is preparing for class.¡± ¡°I see.¡± You¡¯re a little late. Did she prepare for class early because the sun rises early? While he was thinking about this and that, the priestess asked. ¡°Are you going to wait? Don¡¯t you want to go to class? It¡¯s free.¡± The priestess looked down at Jung Yu-shin with a gentle smile. ¡®Wow.¡¯ Warmth was overflowing from her smile. I had seen her face several times while going back and forth to the Mother Earth Temple. She was polite and kind, ? N§àv§ÖIight ? (Read more on our source) but she never showed anything more than that on her face. Could she be a priestess who likes children? I heard that there are no bad people among those who like children. In fact, she might be a person with a warm heart. ¡°Is that so? Okay.¡± ¡°Should I take you?¡± ¡°No. I know the way.¡± I left the temple and went into the orphanage, leaving the priestess tilting her head. ¡®It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve been here.¡¯ Knock knock. I opened the classroom door and went in, and I saw the children. The children who had been chattering amongst themselves looked at Jeong Yu-shin and froze like ice. ¡°...¡± I walked slowly in quiet silence to my usual seat. When I was originally a small desk. It was a bit bigger now. As I sat down and waited for Mi-on, the children came over. ¡°Hey. Who are you?¡± ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Are you the new friend who came this time? That¡¯s strange. I¡¯ve never seen you before. What¡¯s your name?¡± It was a bit absurd to see the kids crowding around and asking all sorts of questions. It was funny to see the kids who were always scared and asking when they were going to leave suddenly showing interest as if they were turning their palms over. Just as Jung Yu-shin was about to open his mouth. Knock. The classroom door opened and Mi-on came in. ¡°Hello. Everyone.¡± Standing at the teacher¡¯s desk, he looked around at the kids and said. ¡°Yes, Teacher Mi-on.¡± The kids answered Mi-on¡¯s words halfheartedly and stared at Jung Yu-shin¡¯s face. Mi-on tilted his head. There was a strangely lively atmosphere among the children. ¡®What¡¯s going on?¡¯ His gaze, which had been carefully observing each of them, stopped at one spot. ¡®Huh?¡¯ Shiny black hair. Clear facial features. A mole around the eyes. He exuded an atmosphere that was a mixture of innocence and charm. This was the first time I¡¯d seen a boy with such beauty since I was born. As I stared into the boy¡¯s eyes that sparkled like starlight, I strangely felt a surge of longing. Was it because he had black hair? Mi-on slowly approached Jeong Yu-shin and crouched down in front of the desk. ¡°Hello? Are you a new friend?¡± ¡°Mr. Mi-on.¡± A clear voice came out of the boy¡¯s mouth. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Scar.¡± ??? The classroom became so quiet that you couldn''t even hear a sound of breathing. "..." The children were in shock and froze with their mouths wide open. Mion also stared at Jeong Yu-shin with wide eyes. Her bright golden eyes were not focused properly. "¡¤¡¤¡¤What, what?" Mion barely opened her mouth to ask back. "I''m Scar. I just got a strange imprint this time and became difficult." "That... that?! You''re joking too much, huh?!" Mion''s new voice filled the classroom. "Huh." Jeong Yu-shin snorted and curled his lips crookedly. "How can I make you believe me? Do I have to tell you a secret?" "Wh-what secret?!" "Teacher Mion, listen for me." Jeong Yu-shin smiled and gestured. Gulp. Mion swallowed dry saliva. A boy with a seductive smile like a little devil is Ska-nim. Is it true? ¡®No.¡¯ She still couldn¡¯t be sure. Someone could have been playing a prank. Mion rubbed her heavy breasts on the desk awkwardly and brought her ear to the boy¡¯s mouth as if possessed. ¡°Teacher, there¡¯s a symbol on your stomach that prevents the fall of virgin women. I pressed it hard, don¡¯t you remember?¡± A soft and clear voice pierced her ears and squeezed her brain. ¡°Whewww!!!¡± She immediately bent her waist and spread her thighs wide. As the long black one-piece priest¡¯s uniform opened, the heat that had been building up inside her thighs burst out. A vulgar gesture that she could never show to children. After hearing a whisper from the black-haired boy, he leaned against the desk and shook his butt, opening his thighs like an automatic door. ¡°Mion-sensei, is this enough for you to believe me?¡± A stream of blood flowed from Mion¡¯s nose. ¡°Hoooooo. Yes, yes.¡± Mion agreed with a trembling voice. It was definitely a secret that only Ska-nim and herself knew. The person he liked had become like this little devil. And then he whispered in his ear. Destruction. All he could see was destruction. ¡°If you really find it hard to believe, you can check the imprint after class.¡± ¡°Oh, no. I believe you.¡± Mion gritted her teeth and repeated to herself. ¡®Come to your senses!¡¯ This is the classroom. She is the teacher. She couldn¡¯t show herself any more shame. Mion barely straightened her posture and walked to the teacher¡¯s desk. ¡°Soo...let¡¯s start class.¡± Mi-on explained the class content with a red face, not knowing what she was saying. However, Mi-on¡¯s class content didn¡¯t matter. Because the other kids were also absorbed in admiring Jung Yu-shin¡¯s face instead of listening to the class. ¡°Mister, no. Oppa, do you want to read a book together?¡± The little girl next to her whispered. Jung Yu-shin turned his head and looked at the girl. Was her name Lily? She was always scared and trembled whenever she saw him. However, after her appearance changed, her title changed from uncle to oppa. And she was looking at him with sparkling eyes. It was hard to refuse when she saw Lily¡¯s hands trembling with nervousness. ¡°Should I?¡± She smiled softly, put her desk next to Lily, and took the class together. Four hours passed quickly and it was already lunchtime. The kids who had finished class left the classroom feeling regretful. In the empty classroom, only Mi-on and Jung Yu-shin were left. ¡°Mr. Mi-on, I would like to check the seal. Do you have time?¡± ¡°Oh, yes.¡± They left the orphanage together and walked down the hallway of the temple. Jung Yu-shin didn¡¯t know, but Mi-on¡¯s heart was currently swirling with desire. ¡®Isn¡¯t this temptation?¡¯ Skanim, who had become a defenseless boy. He was walking right next to her with a flirtatious gesture and a gentle smile. And soon, they would arrive at their room. No one would know what would happen. And yet, they knew that and still acted like this? ¡®Skaanim, this is so despicable...?!¡¯ Gulp. He swallowed dryly. A moment later. The two arrived in front of Mi-on¡¯s room. Mi-on opened her door and let Jung Yu-shin in. Click. Mion locked the door and approached slowly. ¡°Then I will check the imprint.¡± Mion spread her arms wide. Jung Yu-shin blankly stared at Mion. ¡°Mr. Mion?¡± ¡°I told you last time. From now on, we will check the imprint like this.¡± Was that so? He stopped in his tracks as he approached. The golden eyes that peeked through Mion¡¯s squinted eyes. I felt like I¡¯d seen them somewhere before. They were just like those of a hunter hunting for prey. ¡°Mr. Mion?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Your eyes are scary? You¡¯re not thinking bad thoughts, are you?¡± ¡°I...think bad thoughts? Lord Ska. Do you not trust me?¡± ¡°Oh, no. I trust you. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Jung Yu-shin approached hesitantly and hugged Mion tightly. Mi-on''s arms wrapped around Jung Yu-shin''s body like vines. "I caught you." Mi-on''s whisper was heard faintly. Jung Yu-shin''s body stiffened. "Huh...?!" Chapter 128: A life of sloppy, sloppy labyrinth In the depths of the temple. Jeong Yushin was trapped in Mion¡¯s embrace. Mion¡¯s arm strength was so strong that he couldn¡¯t move, like a fly caught in a spider¡¯s web. Kuuuuk. Her massive chest pressed down on his head. Mion¡¯s soft belly pressed against his face, making it hard to breathe. The smell of sweat should have been sour. But Mion¡¯s stomach smelled of soft, rich milk. What should he call it? If he had to name it, it was the scent of "mamma." Sniff sniff. As he was forced to inhale Mion¡¯s body scent, the dangerous alarm that had been ringing in his head quieted down. ¡®It¡¯s intoxicating.¡¯ His eyes, growing heavier, fluttered open. ¡®Hot!¡¯ It was dangerous. If he fell into Mion¡¯s "mamma" trap like this, he would lose his senses. "Ugh ugh!!!" He struggled once more. The more he did, the tighter Mion¡¯s arms squeezed. ¡®I can¡¯t breathe.¡¯ Was he going to die crushed by her chest like this? No. He couldn¡¯t. He gently bit Mion¡¯s soft belly. "Hii!" Mion flinched and pulled back slightly. Now. Jeong Yushin pushed his head through her chest and peeked his face out. "Mion Priestess, please let go." Mion looked down at Jeong Yushin, who was trapped between her chest. Tears were visible in her eyes. His heart sank. ¡®What have I done?¡¯ Extreme regret flooded in. He had lost his composure because of Skya¡¯s cuteness and had committed an inappropriate act as a priestess. Mion staggered back, stepping away. "Sk... Skya, I¡¯m sorry." Freed from Mion¡¯s grip, Jeong Yushin straightened his disheveled shirt. "No, no. It¡¯s fine. I know you like children, Mion Priestess." Mion, feeling guilty, remained silent. "..." "Please check the marking." "Y-Yes..." Jeong Yushin knelt before Mion and lowered his head. Mion, barely regaining her composure, cast a spell. About three minutes passed. "As expected." Mion nodded, as if she had expected this. Jeong Yushin raised his head. Why? What kind of marking was it? "What kind of marking is it?" "It¡¯s a physical regression marking." Jeong Yushin tilted his head. A physical regression marking? The term was too complicated. "Isn¡¯t it a ¡®youth marking¡¯?" "That¡¯s another way to call it. It¡¯s because you¡¯re returning to your appearance from when you were younger. By the way... are you going to erase it?" Mion cautiously asked. "I¡¯m not sure." He wanted to erase it, but there was a reason he couldn¡¯t. It was because of his insanity. After defeating the troll, he had started seeing things due to his half-broken mind. But since he had regressed, the insanity that had been pricking his mind faded away. No. It was more accurate to say it had lessened. He was worried that if he erased the marking and returned to his original form, the insanity might return. ¡®What should I do?¡¯ His goal hadn¡¯t changed. To go back home. For that, the minimum requirement was... He had to be able to enter the labyrinth. If he entered the labyrinth in this soft body, he would die within the first floor. What if he erased the marking and returned to his original body but saw things again? He might not be able to enter the labyrinth anymore. A dilemma. The best option in this situation was one. He needed to find a way to keep his sanity even after returning to his original body. He pondered for a moment but decided not to tell Mion. He didn¡¯t want to worry her. Instead. "Maybe it wouldn¡¯t be so bad to enjoy this appearance for a while." Jeong Yushin smiled faintly. "Y-Yeah." Mion¡¯s face brightened immediately. Jeong Yushin¡¯s face turned sour. "Mion Priestess, are you enjoying this a bit too much?" "Ugh! N-No!" Mion¡¯s face turned bright red, and she waved her hands in embarrassment. "Then I¡¯ll see you later." "Already? C-Can¡¯t you stay a little longer? Shall I escort you to the inn?" "No. I can go alone. It¡¯s broad daylight, who would try to harm me?" Screech. Thud. Mion stood there, staring blankly at the spot where Jeong Yushin had just left, then slumped to the ground. Her legs wouldn¡¯t hold. ¡®Dangerous.¡¯ She truly felt it. The beastly atmosphere. The muscular arms and sturdy chest of a man were gone. Instead. There was a little devil. Not even the word "wicked" was enough. ¡®No!¡¯ It hadn¡¯t been long since he left, yet Skya¡¯s image had already filled her mind. The sight of the black-haired beast boy looking up at her, smiling his mischievous smile. It felt like he was testing her. Then an unknown sense of betrayal crept up her spine, sending shivers down her. "Sc... scary Skya." Mion muttered with a trembling voice. Jeong Yushin, unaware of Mion¡¯s inner turmoil, walked lightly out of the temple and back to the inn. "I¡¯m back." As he entered the inn, Karin, who had been working at the counter, quickly ¡ô N§àv§Öl?g?t ¡ô (Only on N§àv§Öl?g?t) came over. "Are you alright?" "No problems. But what¡¯s all this?" There were various items piled up on the counter, like a mountain. "All these are gifts for you." "Really?" From clothes to desserts, jewelry, and even money and bouquets. "Who sent all this?" "From many places. Most are from explorers and residents living in the city." "Why?" "Well..." Karin scratched her cheek. "Because you¡¯re handsome." "Really?" "Yeah." "Still with black hair though?" Karin shrugged. "Because you¡¯re pretty enough to outshine black hair." Is that so? Jeong Yushin sat down in the chair opposite Karin and pondered deeply. They say looks are a weapon. ¡®This could be a super sweet labyrinth life.¡¯ Equipment? He could just sell all the gifts he got and buy what he needed. Accept only strong, big-chested women as party members and go into the labyrinth. Fight in the front lines, a bloody battle? No need at all. He could just wave his hands in the back and cheer them on. Maybe occasionally hand them some water to thank them. Wipe the sweat off their bodies with a towel when they¡¯re tired. A sticky, flirtatious labyrinth life. Just the thought made him smile. "Hehehe." Jeong Yushin¡¯s creepy laugh made Karin frown. "Skya, that laugh looks a little dangerous." Just as Karin was about to say something. Clunk! A little child opened the inn door and entered. With a yellow tail and perked-up fox ears. It was Luna. "Skya uncle! Luna¡¯s here!" "Eh?! Luna, hello?" Jeong Yushin waved with a smile. "Eh?!" Luna looked at Jeong Yushin, then froze like ice. "Wh... who are you?" "Skya." "Heh." Luna¡¯s eyes widened as she stared at Jeong Yushin. Jeong Yushin got off the chair and walked toward Luna. ¡®Phew. That was close.¡¯ He sighed inwardly as he stood before Luna. Luckily, he was taller than Luna. If he had been shorter, he would have felt some sense of pride hurt. ¡®Yeah. I might have regressed, but not that much.¡¯ Luna, looking up at him, blushed. "Why? Are you suddenly feeling hot?" Jeong Yushin, with a concerned expression, placed his hand on Luna¡¯s forehead. "Hiyaaaak!!!" Luna screamed, her tail straight up, her face turning bright red. "No, no!!!" Luna spun her tail like a helicopter and hid her face behind her hair. "No... no." She peeked her eyes out from her hair, looked at Jeong Yushin again, and quickly turned around and rushed out of the inn. "No. Luna..." Before Jeong Yushin could stop her, Luna vanished like the wind. Was her changed appearance that unbearable? She had always been a good kid who stuck close and showed affection. Karin, standing behind Jeong Yushin, furrowed her brow. ¡®Could it be Luna?¡¯ Wasn¡¯t that the behavior of someone falling in love? ¡®Ah.¡¯ A sense of unease started to rise. If it was hard to handle a competitor like Mion, now there was one more? Of course, Luna was still young. But as time passed, her beauty would surely shine. He was certain of it. After all, she was a girl like him. What if ten years passed? A horrific image played in his mind. The grown-up Luna, with her fluffy yellow tail swaying, slightly sticking out her tongue between her two fingers. ¡®Hmmm. Karin? Her tail lacks shine, and her chest is flat and sagging. All she can do is cling to Skya and act coquettish.¡¯ ¡®Tch! Luna.¡¯ ¡®That nasty breast of hers, trying to tempt Skya with it, that phase is over now. From now on, Luna is going to make babies with Skya!¡¯ "A... No!" Karin frantically shook her head, shouting. The nightmare of nightmares. If things went on like this, she would have to retreat to the back room and self-comfort. Should she keep Luna in check? How? ¡®I need to talk to Mion.¡¯ It was awkward to face that damp priestess, but she didn¡¯t see another way. Clearly, more competitors would be coming soon. People of the same age had to team up to survive. Whether Mion wanted that or not, she didn¡¯t know. While Karin was lost in serious thought. Jeong Yushin looked down at his hands. Honestly, he thought he had become handsome. Had he mistaken it? When Luna, who always approached with a smile, ran away like she was stung by a bee, his heart ached. Had he touched Luna¡¯s body too casually? As Karin finished her thoughts, she slowly approached and placed her hand on Jeong Yushin¡¯s shoulder. "Skya, don¡¯t worry too much." Jeong Yushin looked up. "Why?" "Luna is still young. It¡¯s only natural for her to need time to adjust to the sudden change, don¡¯t you think?" Is that so? "Do you think she doesn¡¯t like me anymore?" "Luna probably likes you the most. You can trust me on this." Karin said with a bitter smile. Another future rival had emerged. He had no choice but to swallow his bitter thoughts. At that moment. Clunk!!! The inn door opened again. A scruffy-haired boy entered the inn. He was holding a piece of paper in his hand and looked around before stopping in one spot. "Skya, Ashur-sama is calling for you." The boy said with a slightly flushed face. "Right now?" "Yes. He asked you to come right away." "What is it this time?" "He said he would explain once you arrive." "Understood." Jeong Yushin turned and looked up at Karin. "I¡¯ll be back soon." "Busy day, huh? Take your time. I¡¯ll keep watch." Karin waved her hand as she replied. Jeong Yushin walked out of the inn, following the scruffy-haired boy down the street, heading to the Swordsmanship Guild in the southern district. After lunch, the Swordsmanship Guild was quiet. Following the boy¡¯s lead, they went to the office where the guildmaster was staying. Screech. As they opened the office door, Jeong Yushin saw a familiar elf. Ashur. The guildmaster of the Swordsmanship Guild and his mentor. Ashur was sitting back in his chair, lazily looking down at Jeong Yushin. His face showed no surprise. It seemed he already knew everything. "Sit down." "Yes." "I heard you caught the forest troll?" "Yes." "Come here." Ashur gestured for him to come closer. Ashur grabbed Jeong Yushin¡¯s cheek and stared into his eyes for a while. "I heard you burned your left hand and caught the forest troll." "That¡¯s true." "Impressive that you¡¯re not crazy." "Yes. I¡¯ve been a little off. I think it¡¯s because of the marking." Ashur released his hold on Jeong Yushin and leaned back in his chair. "Physical regression marking? Before we continue, let me ask you one thing. You¡¯re smaller now, and your muscles are gone. What were you planning on doing if someone just takes you away while you¡¯re alone?" "Why would they take me?" "A lot happens in the Labyrinth City." "..." "So, what do you think about properly learning swordsmanship? It¡¯s a great way to correct bad habits. If you learn it now, you won¡¯t have to struggle later. Of course, I¡¯m saying this from a human perspective. You have talent." Ashur¡¯s gaze became serious. "I¡¯ll make you the strongest." Jeong Yushin shook his head. "No. Master, I have a plan." "What¡¯s that?" Jeong Yushin sat upright and explained his plan. "...And so, I¡¯ll gather beautiful and strong older women to make a party. That way, my labyrinth life will be full of fun and flirtation." Ashur, the elf master, widened his eyes. "..." He then raised a hand and covered his eyes. "Ah." "Ah?" Jeong Yushin tilted his head. "Ah" suddenly? Was his plan so perfect that Ashur was at a loss for words? At that moment. A cloth suddenly covered his head. "Ugh?! Ugh ugh!!!" Jeong Yushin struggled, flailing around. Outside the cloth, Ashur¡¯s voice echoed. "Deputy guildmaster, make sure to capture him and guard him. I¡¯ll speak to the inn people separately." "Yes." "Ugh ugh!!!" Despite his best efforts, it was useless. When Ashur¡¯s finger pressed against one spot on his neck, his body went limp. "Flirting with beautiful older women in the labyrinth, huh? This guy is dangerous. Deputy guildmaster, did you see the serious expression on his face? Wow! I got goosebumps." His consciousness gradually faded. Ashur¡¯s words echoed faintly in his ears. Then, darkness overtook him. Chapter 129: Elf Princess I had a dream. A blonde priestess wearing a skinny-fit one-piece priestess uniform that rivaled Dongtan Misiruk. A red wolf guide sister wearing a bikini armor. A gloomy, large-breasted elf sister wearing flowing clothes. A dream of exploring a labyrinth with three people. I was happy. At night, I fell asleep while burying my face in her chest. When I felt like I was going to sleep, I dreamed of being held by her voluptuous body and being nursed, sucking out all the bad energy. ¡®Okay. The bad energy of the labyrinth is all piled up here. I¡¯ll take it out with my hands, so just let yourself go.¡¯ ¡®Yes...yes.¡¯ ¡®Haa. I¡¯ve been soaking wet like this, but it¡¯s still hard. There¡¯s a lot of dirt accumulated? There¡¯s really nothing I can do. Here, let''s clean the pubic hair with the brush ?'' ''Yes, yes, net.'' I was enjoying the labyrinth life of happiness, hugging the pubic hair of my sisters. It must have been like that. Public? I opened my eyes to the hot heat. "Huh?" The big sisters disappeared somewhere and dark-skinned men filled my eyes. What is it? What is it? I looked around anxiously. As soon as I grasped the situation, my jaw lost its strength. I. I was lying under the tent, surrounded by rugged, muscular men. Wherever I looked, there were only sweaty men. Among the men, the elf master Ashur was looking down with a smile. Then, tears suddenly flowed from the corner of my eyes. ¡°Disciple, why are you crying?¡± Elf Master Ashur asked. ¡°I had a dream.¡± Jung Yu-shin answered. ¡°Was it a scary dream?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then was it a sad dream?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then why?¡± ¡°Because it is a dream that cannot come true.¡± Ashur smiled and put his arm around the muscular men¡¯s shoulders. ¡°That¡¯s wrong. You dreamed of living in a labyrinth, didn¡¯t you? I will make that dream come true.¡± My breath caught in my throat. ¡°But... where is this place?¡± ¡°Here? It¡¯s a forest near the labyrinth city. It¡¯s called the Silver Wind Forest. It¡¯s a very short distance, half a day¡¯s walk away.¡± Jung Yu-shin¡¯s eyes widened. You were caught outside the labyrinth city? Are you crazy? Even though it¡¯s only half a day¡¯s drive, isn¡¯t this crossing the line? ¡°Why on earth did you come here? Wait a minute. Putting everything else aside, why was I taken here? This is kidnapping!¡± ¡°Why? Because your face is too dangerous.¡± What the hell is this? Ashur made a serious expression. ¡°There¡¯s talk of kidnapping you in several bars. Most of them are joking, but there are some whose eyes are no joke.¡± What the hell. ¡°They¡¯re talking about kidnapping people in the labyrinth city in broad daylight? What are the guards doing?¡± ¡°They¡¯re busy guarding the labyrinth. And controlling the floating population is already overwhelming. Don¡¯t you know?¡± Oh, crazy. ¡°Karin seems worried too. She immediately agreed.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± ¡°Since it¡¯s come to this. You should train here. Let¡¯s train some muscles and learn swordsmanship. You haven¡¯t done it recently, have you?¡± ¡°You can speak politely. What if you kidnap me like this?¡± ¡°My disciple is talking nonsense. This is an opportunity that is hard to obtain even if you pay money. And didn¡¯t you learn this time? If you go out carelessly, you will be kidnapped.¡± That¡¯s right. My slimy, sloppy sister¡¯s labyrinth life. The dream that had disappeared pierced my heart. No. It didn¡¯t disappear. It was just sleeping. Ashur immediately read Jeong Yu-shin¡¯s expression and snickered. ¡°Are you still thinking about that slimy, sloppy, sloppy labyrinth or something? Wake up. When this training is over, your chest muscles will be bigger and heavier than most women¡¯s.¡± ¡°W-don¡¯t say scary things. And what¡¯s wrong with the slimy, sloppy labyrinth life? I think I have the right to be happy, too.¡± ¡°Happiness comes from the sweat of those who have overcome their limits.¡± Ashur said bluntly. Wow. The smell of sweat wafted from Ashur¡¯s words. And it wasn¡¯t a joke, the smell of sweat was really coming from the men surrounding him. Ashur frowned. ¡°The smell of sweat is terrible. Everyone, get out. How long are you going to watch?¡± ¡°Understood.¡± ¡°Is that really you? Oh, really.¡± ¡°I envy you. A body without muscle. You must have the joy of building up from the beginning.¡± The members glanced at him with envious eyes and left the tent. Were they crazy about muscle? I could sense that. No matter how much I leveled up, it was difficult to directly face a monster with a human body. I had no choice but to increase my weight class and hone my skills through training. At least if you want to survive the labyrinth. ¡®I understand.¡¯ Was it my own illusion that the members seemed more interested in fun than survival? They looked like children at an amusement park. ¡°Get ready and come out. The swordsmanship association has prepared all the necessities, so don¡¯t worry too much.¡± Ashur also said a word and went outside. Jeong Yu-shin sat blankly in the tent and patted his face once to dry it. ¡°Ah. My life.¡± Suddenly being kidnapped and dragged to the forest near the labyrinth city. What if he had bad intentions? He shook his head. He didn¡¯t even want to imagine what would have happened. Wasn¡¯t it because he had reverted to his childhood appearance that he had let his guard down? ¡®I should be a little more careful.¡¯ Thinking about it, the elf master was right. Although he sometimes talked nonsense, he was sincere when it came to training. It was not bad to learn anything well when you were young. Maybe a solution to the madness would come to you while you were training. When he got up and pushed through the tent, it was a dense forest. Mossy rocks. Hundred-year-old trees filled the area. Birds and bugs I had never heard of or seen on the branches. When he looked up, sunlight was shining through the leaves. It felt like a dreamy forest. There were several tents pitched around the open space, which looked like the members'' quarters. People were gathered in the center of the open space and lined up. Jeong Yu-shin stood at the very back. Ashur gestured. ¡°Ska, stand in the front. Where are you going to fall back to?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± He stood in front, receiving the attention of the people. Ashur looked around at the members. ¡°There are some who are here for the first time, so I¡¯ll explain briefly. This is the Silver Wind Forest. It¡¯s where the high-ranking families of the Eastern District stay for vacation, so don¡¯t go astray and just do what you have to do. As a side note, it¡¯s also where high-ranking elves usually stay. You know? Those guys have lived long enough that their brains are a bit weird. Don¡¯t get involved with them for no reason.¡± ¡°¡°Yes!¡±¡± Jung Yu-shin quietly raised ~N§àv§Ölight~ his hand. Ashur nodded. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I heard you¡¯re coming for vacation, but is there a reason why the high-ranking people come here instead of the city?¡± ¡°They come because the water is good and the air is good. What¡¯s so good about being in the city with people? And in the summer.¡± Jung Yu-shin nodded. After hearing it, it seemed right. ¡®A villa.¡¯ Bourgeois? The proletarian revolution was a squeaky word. ¡®Let¡¯s release the poison?¡¯ He shook his head. Suddenly kidnapped and dragged to the forest, all sorts of thoughts came to mind, ¡°I know you have a lot of questions, but hold on. I¡¯ll tell you everything later.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Just run lightly along the first path. It¡¯s not hard. Everyone, warm up and get ready.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The union members answered loudly and warmed up. ¡°We¡¯ll do it hard this time too.¡± ¡°It¡¯s summer.¡± ¡°If you build up your muscles this time, you¡¯ll be fine in the fall and winter.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Newbies are lucky.¡± The union members were warming up behind him, muttering something. Jung Yu-shin also warmed up and looked to the side. A face he had seen often. A boy with brown hair was moving his body here and there. ¡°Is it hard?¡± ¡°The first summer was hard, but it¡¯s okay. Looking back, it¡¯s all just memories.¡± The boy with the bushy hair¡¯s calm tone made me dizzy. Memories, looking back? It wasn¡¯t guerrilla training. No. It wasn¡¯t that kind of arrangement. Jung Yu-shin shook his head. ¡°Okay, now that you¡¯re all warmed up, our vice-chairman can take the lead and go around the forest. The vice-chairman¡¯s hair is shiny, so don¡¯t worry about getting lost.¡± Killa, the vice-chairman of the swordsmanship association, scratched his bald head. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going, chairman?¡± ¡°I have someone to see, so I¡¯ll start tomorrow.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± People lined up. Killa took the lead. Jung Yu-shin and the bushy hair boy were right behind him. ¡®What could be so hard?¡¯ After struggling in the labyrinth, this kind of running was not enough. Jung Yu-shin¡¯s eyes sparkled. I¡¯ll show you. ¡®My tenacity.¡¯ Jung Yu-shin slowly started running along the flat forest path with his feet moving. * * * About 2 hours later. ¡°Guaaaaaaak. Heeeeeeek. Gueeeeeek.¡± Jung Yu-shin, drenched in sweat all over, fell to the ground. Killa and the boy with the bushy hair looked down blankly. ¡°Ska, isn¡¯t it too soft?¡± ¡°Ska, is this all?¡± ¡°Heeeeek. C... crazy.¡± He ran leisurely for the first hour. It was a cool forest without sunlight, and he had become stronger due to the effects of leveling up. However, after about 30 minutes, his legs started cramping. Another hour passed and his mind became hazy. After that, he couldn¡¯t remember whether he ran or crawled. The boy with the bushy hair brought him a water bottle. Jeong Yu-shin hurriedly opened the bottle and drank the water. ¡°Whew...whoosh. I think I¡¯ll survive.¡± Killa raised his head and looked at the members. ¡°Everyone, I¡¯ll rest for about 20 minutes. Stretch your body and catch your breath.¡± ¡°It¡¯s really lukewarm.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I put sandbags on my legs.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a deadly guy. Are you the only one benefiting?¡± ¡°This is when you should use your brain. Melson said he has a few more, so you can borrow them later.¡± The members were chatting behind him. They weren¡¯t even breathing hard. It was ridiculous. He raised his hand and looked at his arm. All his muscles were gone, so his arm was soft. Today, it was even more painful. Objectively, it was amazing that he ran for two hours straight with his body as a boy. But. With his original body, running like this would have been like chewing gum. No. He shook his head. It was something he had expected from the beginning. The main goal was to correct the rough edges in his swordsmanship. And find a way to overcome his madness. The second goal was to ask Master Ashur when he had time. He rested for about 20 minutes and got up. Killa, who was sitting on the rock, looked at Jung Yu-shin and smiled. ¡°Ska, your eyes are starting to come back.¡± ¡°How was it before?¡± ¡°Your expression was filled with empty dreams. It¡¯s fortunate that you¡¯ve come to your senses now.¡± Only then did he realize. Vice-Chairman Killa was there when he was kidnapped. Jung Yu-shin sighed deeply in disbelief. ¡°Hoo. Let¡¯s keep going.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Let¡¯s all go!¡± The members of the union started to run along the forest path following Killa. They ran for the remaining two hours and returned to the empty lot. ¡°Huh-huh.¡± Jung Yu-shin squirmed on the ground, making the sound of a balloon deflating. Isn¡¯t this child abuse? What did I do at this age? As he was thinking back on the past, Ashur approached him. ¡°Okay. It¡¯s time to correct your sword skills. Everyone except Ska, go train your muscles.¡± ¡°Wait... Just rest a little longer. My body doesn¡¯t move well.¡± ¡°Oh! Let someone else show off!¡± ¡°Ska, cheer up.¡± ¡°Yeah. Learn well from the union leader.¡± The members waved their hands and muttered a few words before walking along the forest path and disappearing somewhere else. Ashur threw his wooden sword. ¡°Take this. It¡¯s a wooden sword specially prepared for you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s heavy, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°There¡¯s an iron core inside. Isn¡¯t it good? Instead of a heavy chest, it¡¯s a heavy wooden sword.¡± ¡°...¡± He immediately started swordsmanship training with Ashur. Kagagak!!! Ashur¡¯s wooden sword and Jeong Yu-shin¡¯s wooden sword clashed in the air. ¡°Don¡¯t swing your dagger, swing your sword!¡± ¡°Do you really have to swing your sword so sluggishly to use it?! Stand straight on the ground! Put strength into your lower body!¡± ¡°Your shoulders and wrists are stiff. Then your posture will be stiff. Since your flexibility will decrease, it will be difficult to create a cutting angle. Relax.¡± He swung his sword like crazy while hearing the shouting. His breath reached his chin. After running nonstop for 4 hours, he couldn¡¯t get his posture right when he grabbed his sword. Nevertheless, Ashur kept pushing without stopping. It seemed as if he was determined to pull out something inside Jung Yu-shin. As he approached the limits of his body, Jung Yu-shin¡¯s eyes became clearer and clearer. It was as if his spirit under his young body was awakening. There was another strange thing. Ashur¡¯s teachings were etched into his head. The reason why he had to handle his sword like this. Things that had been vague as if covered in fog before began to be understood by his body. ¡®Ah.¡¯ Just before Jung Yu-shin¡¯s swordsmanship took a leap forward. Someone walked lightly into the empty lot. ¡°Did I interrupt your good time?¡± She was an elf woman who looked to be in her early 20s. Green hair. Shining golden circlet. Her calm eyes contained nature itself. A one-piece dress that looked like something worn in ancient Greece. Even when she was still, the scent of grass that made her feel at peace permeated her. There were no special accessories, but judging by her elegant appearance, she could guess that she was not an ordinary person. Ashur put away his sword and stepped back, kneeling on one knee in front of the female elf. ¡°Princess.¡± The woman smiled faintly. ¡°It¡¯s been a while. Ashur Startree, Sword Master who draws stars. Is everything okay?¡± Jeong Yu-shin stood there blankly, not knowing what was going on. ¡®Princess?¡¯ Should I kneel too? While she was brushing back her sweat-soaked hair. Her eyes met the female elf¡¯s. ¡°...¡± The elf princess¡¯s body stiffened. ¡°Hot...!¡± And a limp sound came out of his mouth. Chapter 130: Heart-pounding night date Suddenly, the female elf let out a weak voice. ¡®Why are you like this?¡¯ Jung Yu-shin didn¡¯t know what to do and just stood there. Then, the female elf blushed slightly and hesitated. ¡®I guess I should at least say hello.¡¯ Regardless of whether she was royalty or not, she was someone Ashur knew. It would be rude to just sit there and do nothing. ¡°Hello?¡± She bowed and greeted him. ¡°Hello.¡± The female elf bowed back and greeted him. ¡°...¡± When she looked up, she saw the female elf constantly brushing her ears back. It was like a handsome man and a beautiful woman coming to see the fairies. Unable to stand by, Ashur got up from his seat. ¡°Princess, what are you doing here?¡± The female elf called princess glanced at Jung Yu-shin and opened her mouth. ¡°I heard that you came to the villa a few hours ago and came to see me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. But if you waited, I would have come to see you later.¡± ¡°No. I can¡¯t keep you waiting. I was out for a walk. And I had a message from my mother.¡± Jung Yu-shin¡¯s ears perked up. Mother? If that elf is a princess, then her mother must be the queen or the queen. If I just stand there blankly and listen to secrets, wouldn¡¯t I get caught up in something strange again? It didn¡¯t seem good to be here. Jung Yu-shin quickly backed away. ¡°I¡¯ll rest in the back.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Jung Yu-shin leaned against a large tree at the edge of the vacant lot and sat down. A cool breeze blew from the forest, blowing his hair. He watched Ashur and the princess talking from afar for a moment. Because of the distance, he couldn¡¯t hear the content. Jung Yu-shin closed his eyes and thought back to his swordsmanship duel with Ashur. That elf princess was beautiful. ? N§àv§ÖIight ? (Read more on our source) But that was all, her chest was small. He couldn¡¯t help but be interested. While Jung Yu-shin closed his eyes and meditated, The elf princess opened her mouth. ¡°Ashur, is that Barbaroi boy your disciple?¡± Ashur nodded. ¡°Yes. He is a friend with skill, courage, and the right mind.¡± ¡°You rate him quite highly?¡± ¡°He sometimes spouts nonsense, but he¡¯s cute to that extent.¡± The elf princess tilted her head. ¡°What nonsense are you talking about?¡± Ashur stopped himself from telling the innocent princess about his disciple¡¯s sinister plan. It would be too shocking. ¡°I don¡¯t want to dirty your ears, princess. I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± The elf princess glanced in the direction where Jeong Yu-shin was sitting, as if she was quite curious. Ashur broke out in a cold sweat. ¡®Could it be that my disciple...?¡¯ ¡°Princess.¡± ¡°Oh! I¡¯m sorry. By the way, you¡¯re really handsome. You have a beauty that rivals that of our race.¡± ¡°...¡± Ashur was speechless as he looked at this pure princess. How dare you jump into the mud yourself. This was even more so after hearing about the disciple¡¯s bold plan. Ashur felt he had to send the princess away quickly. ¡°Princess, I heard that there is a message from the queen.¡± ¡°Yes. Ashur Startree, the queen said that you should come to the kingdom as soon as possible. It¡¯s an urgent matter.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Was there anything else?¡± ¡°No. But I don¡¯t think it was a simple summons. It¡¯s something I can¡¯t say here. You can hear it from your mother. Then, that¡¯s it.¡± After finishing her words, the elf princess turned and left the clearing. Concernedly, she didn¡¯t forget to glance at Jeong Yu-shin before leaving the clearing. Ashur saw the princess off and sighed softly. A summons from the queen. What¡¯s happening in the kingdom? They say that the longer you live, the more worries you have. ¡®There shouldn¡¯t be anything wrong. There¡¯s no time.¡¯ Jeong Yu-shin, who was resting on a large tree, got up and approached Ashur. ¡°Are you the princess?¡± ¡°Yes. Don¡¯t worry about it. She¡¯s just stopping by for a moment. Take up your sword again.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Hmm. I guess I¡¯ll have to change my plans a bit.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the plan?¡± Jeong Yu-shin asked after hearing Ashur¡¯s muttering. ¡°What kind of plan is this? It¡¯s a plan to help my disciple grow.¡± ¡°Huh?!¡± Jung Yu-shin flinched and stepped back. Ashur snickered and raised his sword. ¡°Let¡¯s go. Get in position.¡± * * * Three days had passed since he came to the forest. After eating breakfast, he ran through the forest. From lunch to dinner, he received swordsmanship lessons from Ashur. It was a simple plan. The content was hellish, though. Ashur carried Jung Yu-shin, who was lying sprawled, on his shoulder and approached the members. ¡°Build some muscle.¡± ¡°Should I take it easy? Aren¡¯t you young?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve leveled up quite a bit. You can hold up better than most people your age.¡± ¡°Huh.¡± The members looked down at Jung Yu-shin with shining eyes. Jung Yu-shin, who had finally come to his senses, looked around. He must have lost consciousness after being beaten up while sparring with his master. When he woke up, he was somewhere else. ¡°No?!¡± Another clearing in the forest. There were iron weights placed here and there. It was like an outdoor gym. Is it okay for something like this to exist in the forest? No. Is it okay for something like this to exist in this day and age? People were moving around with iron weights as if it were a given. Seeing their solid muscles glistening with sweat made his stomach churn. ¡®This crazy other world.¡¯ It was just like ancient Roman gladiators exercising. I thought their muscles were voluminous, but I didn¡¯t think they would be this serious. ¡°Whew. This is delicious.¡± There was a man who was controlling his breathing by lifting and putting down dumbbells. ¡°Thirty-four. Hmph. Thirty-five!¡± There was also a man sweating profusely while bench pressing. ¡°Come here.¡± The muscular elf motioned to Jung Yu-shin. ¡°Just a moment. Ma, be mentally prepared.¡± ¡°When your body is ready, your mind will follow.¡± ¡°Ah!¡± In an instant, the muscular elf grabbed him and made him lie down on the bench. In the meantime, he grabbed the horizontal bar. The muscular elf smiled brightly. ¡°Is this your first time? Let¡¯s go easy.¡± His head felt dizzy. ¡®Ah.¡¯ Weight training in another world. Does that make sense? It was like a dream. That¡¯s it. Jung Yu-shin opened his eyes wide. ¡®Since you¡¯re here, you should do your best.¡¯ The muscular elf stuck out his tongue and licked his lips at the sight. ¡°Good look. Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± * * * 3 hours later. ¡°Kkaaaaaaah!!!¡± Jung Yu-shin screamed as he lifted the horizontal bar. His biceps and chest muscles were burning. ¡°I can¡¯t do this anymore!!! I¡¯m dying!!! This can¡¯t be done anymore!!! Stop it!!!¡± ¡°Just one more!!! Just one more!!!¡± The men surrounding Jung Yu-shin shouted loudly. The sweat on his forehead lingered around his eyes and trickled down. Jung Yu-shin screamed loudly. ¡°No, I can¡¯t!!! Please!!!¡± ¡°Just one more!¡± His eyes were bloodshot and a murderous intent rose from the depths of his heart. Where on earth would someone order him to do just one more dozens of times? Muscle-crazy guys! In the end, thanks to the union members¡¯ passionate support, I was able to lift and lower the horizontal bar 15 times and finally get free. On the way back to the dorm, staggering. The sun was slowly setting. ¡°Ah. I feel like I¡¯m really going to die.¡± I sighed and muttered, but there was no time to rest. After dinner, I went into personal training with Ashur again. Clap!!! Kagak!!! Ashur and Jung Yu-shin¡¯s wooden swords clashed in the air and fell. The union members lit a bonfire in the open space and sat around, watching Ashur and Jung Yu-shin fight each other. Sparks flew from the bonfire. A muscular elf man opened his mouth while watching the sword dance. ¡°Your posture has become much cleaner. What do you think, Vice-Chairman?¡± Killa nodded. ¡°The sword is standing straight. The posture is flexible. The growth is really fast. Now I see that the guild leader is cutting a jewel.¡± One of the guild members muttered, resting his chin on his hand. ¡°I want him. I want him in our clan. Didn¡¯t you say he¡¯s a mid-level explorer? Should I seriously recommend him?¡± ¡°Arthur. I made the first move.¡± ¡°He¡¯s a greedy guy. From what I see, he doesn¡¯t seem like someone who would be subordinate to anyone.¡± While the guild members were chatting among themselves, Jeong Yu-shin and Ashur¡¯s duel was reaching its end. Kagagagak!!! He took the sword in a half-swording stance and struck Ashur with the pommel. Ashur just wiggled his chin to avoid the pommel and stepped back. ¡°Ska.¡± ¡°Ugh. Ugh. Yes.¡± Ashur placed the wooden sword on his shoulder and looked down at the boy. The boy, whose whole body was drenched in sweat, had shining eyes. Eyes clearer than anyone else¡¯s, without any evil thoughts. ¡°Excellent. The sparring ends here.¡± Ashur smiled brightly and praised him. Jeong Yu-shin slumped down in the empty space, gasping for breath. Ashur lowered his sword and looked up at the sky. ¡°It¡¯s unusually cool for summer.¡± The Milky Way spread out in the night sky above the empty space. ¡®Good.¡¯ ¡°Vice-Chairman, bring the sword.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Killa entered the tent and brought Ashur¡¯s longsword. Ashur handed the wooden sword to the vice-chairman and drew his beloved sword. Slurrung. The sword was slowly drawn out, emitting a refreshing light. Ashur raised his sword and bowed his head slightly. ¡°You worked hard today too. It¡¯s nice to see you working hard.¡± The members straightened their postures and smiled. ¡°The chairman worked hard. We just followed.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Thank you, chairman.¡± Ashur smiled brightly. ¡°I feel happy. I¡¯ll show you my sword dance today.¡± The elf master swung his sword slowly. So that Jung Yu-shin and the members could see it clearly. Sparks flew from the bonfire and the swords scattered like the wind. A group of stars appeared in Ashur¡¯s sword dance. The majestic flow of swords that captured and shook the soul was like the Milky Way scattering and gathering under the sky. ¡®It¡¯s beautiful.¡¯ Jung Yu-shin forgot to even breathe and blankly engraved the master¡¯s sword dance in his eyes. His mind was itching. He felt it instinctively. ¡®This.¡¯ This is the path that the master showed. It was also the master¡¯s sigh for not being able to find an answer to madness. That heart. That sword dance. He put it in his mind. The sword of stars settled down like feathers where the madness was nailed down. It might be light at first, but it will become heavier as the sweat and blood flow. Summer night. In front of a blazing bonfire. The boy, who was a crazy man, engraved his master''s sword in his heart. How much time had passed? Whirl. The elf swung his sword lightly. As if he was trying to shake off the world''s storms. Ashur looked around at the members and smiled. "Look at your blank expressions. You''re going to get a fly in your mouth." "You''re always amazing." "Whew. What day is it today?" The members smiled and answered. On the other hand, Jeong Yu-shin closed his eyes and sat quietly. This was the action he took immediately after Ashur''s sword dance ended. Ashur gestured. "Everyone, go inside and sleep. Leave Ska behind. Be quiet." ¡°¡°Yes.¡±¡± The members answered quietly and got up from their seats and went into their tents. Jung Yu-shin, who had been sitting for a long time, opened his eyes. Starlight sparkled in his clear eyes and then slowly subsided. Ashur slowly opened his mouth. ¡°How is it?¡± ¡°It was a beautiful sword dance.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Ashur approached and patted Jung Yu-shin¡¯s head. ¡°Don¡¯t do that.¡± ¡°Tsk. How can you not pat his head even once after seeing a sword dance that you wouldn¡¯t be able to see even if you paid a million dollars?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°You know how to wash your body, right? Around the lake. Your acquaintance is waiting. Go.¡± ¡°Who is it?¡± ¡°You know it too.¡± Jung Yu-shin tilted his head. Who is it? ¡°Can¡¯t you just tell me?¡± ¡°It won¡¯t be fun if you tell me now. Your eyes will pop out in surprise.¡± Surprised? What could be more surprising than the Master''s sword dance? "Okay, I understand. Let''s meet up and wash up." Jung Yu-shin went into the tent and grabbed some clothes to change into and some toiletries. In the meantime, Ashur seemed to have disappeared somewhere, perhaps because he had something to do. ¡®What?¡¯ Jung Yu-shin scratched his head. Is it a woman? Is it Geoyu noona me? Did she come looking for me because she was worried about Karin? Oh no way. Bathing together with naked Geoyu noona in a cold lake on a hot summer night. Just thinking about it made his face lighten up. Jung Yu-shin walked along the forest path, hurriedly walking. After walking for about 30 minutes, he arrived at the lake. The quiet lake was gently reflecting the stars and shaking. ¡®I should at least see your face before I bathe.¡¯ He looked around with a pounding heart. There was no sound. ¡®Did the Master make a mistake?¡¯ That couldn¡¯t be true. No one would joke around like this. No. ¡®No. I don¡¯t know that.¡¯ Wasn¡¯t he the one who kidnapped her? Jung Yu-shin searched around the lake for a while, but couldn¡¯t find anyone. ¡°Ugh.¡± I don¡¯t know. Should I take a bath first? Just as he was about to lower his hand and untie his belt. A rustle. One side of the grass shook. Jung Yu-shin turned his head. Someone slowly walked out. ¡°Huh?!¡± A huge body. Tall. An old man with white and black hair. ¡°That old man?!¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a while.¡± Ragnar Hellblade. Barbaroi smiled under the moonlight. Chapter 131: Breakup Barbaroi was standing next to the lake. Jung Yu-shin''s eyes widened as if they were going to pop out. A terrifying sight, as if it were a dream. His heart began to pound rapidly. What should he do if he meets Barbaroi at night? ''Keep calm.'' Even if he gets caught by a tiger, he can survive if he doesn''t show his back. "..." Jung Yu-shin and the old Barbaroi met eyes. A moment of silence passed. ''No...no!'' I can''t stand it. Jung Yu-shin turned around and ran away. "S-save me!!!" The boy ran screaming. Ragna scratched his head. "Ouch." Jung Yu-shin gasped for breath and moved his feet with all his might. He felt dizzy. It felt like a nightmare. ¡®Ashur tricked me!!!¡¯ He felt a crisis of chastity before the betrayal that his master had sold him out. At least the elf wouldn¡¯t look at his back. And how on earth did he recognize him? No way. Did Ashur tell him? His master must have lost his mind. ¡°Guaaaak!!!¡± He ran hard along the lakeside, moving his feet. Ragna shook his head and jumped lightly, flying through the sky. Boom!!! Ragna landed right in front of Jung Yu-shin. ¡°Calm down. I didn¡¯t come to hurt you.¡± Jung Yu-shin¡¯s body froze. ¡°You want me to believe that?!¡± ¡°Look. I didn¡¯t even touch you with a fingertip.¡± Old Barbaroi spread out his palm and waved it in front of Jung Yu-shin. That¡¯s true, though. What palm was the size of a person¡¯s head. ¡°Grandpa, what¡¯s your name? Who the hell are you?¡± ¡°Hoo. Do you want to hear my true name?¡± Old Barbaroi looked down with a gentle smile. ¡®I feel like I¡¯m going to throw up.¡¯ My stomach felt nauseous. Wait. That¡¯s not it. The problem isn¡¯t the smile. ¡®I heard that Barbaroi reveals his true name to his wife or close friend who he will spend the rest of his life with.¡¯ Long ago. That¡¯s what I heard when I first came to the labyrinth and registered as an explorer. The receptionist must have said that. His face turned pale. Jeong Yu-shin took a few steps back. You wouldn¡¯t use the word close friend to a child, would you? Then. All the color drained from Jeong Yu-shin¡¯s face. Old Barbaroi laughed. ¡°I can¡¯t tell you that. Bring Ragnara.¡± ¡®Ragna.¡¯ Is that a pseudonym? Should I be thankful that he didn¡¯t tell me his real name? ¡®I don¡¯t know yet. Get your wits about you.¡¯ ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤What brings you here?¡± Jeong Yu-shin asked without letting his guard down. Instead of answering, Ragna folded his arms and turned his head to look at the lake. A quiet night lake. ¡°Ashur seems to care for you a lot.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤There are a few things that have happened.¡± ¡°I heard about it.¡± Was this old man and the elf master acquainted? Elves are the long-lived race, so it¡¯s nothing to be surprised about. ¡°Looking back, it¡¯s been a funny time. When I first met Ashur, he was a runny nosed, a snotty bastard.¡± ¡°Have you been in the Labyrinth City for quite some time?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve traveled all over the world.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Can I get to the point?¡± ¡°Big!!! You¡¯re in a hurry. I see.¡± Ragna took something out of his bag. A glass bottle that looked expensive at first glance. There was a blue liquid sloshing around in it. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s an elixir called the Wizard¡¯s Tears.¡± ¡°What is that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a potion that permanently increases a person¡¯s magic power. It can¡¯t be converted into gold. If it were released into the market, there would be a huge mess.¡± An elixir? Jeong Yu-shin looked up at the bottle as if possessed by something. His mouth watered. Gulp. If he took that elixir, wouldn¡¯t he be able to escape his chronic lack of magic power? His magic power did increase somewhat when he buried the holy relic last time. It was only a small amount. And he didn¡¯t know when he would be able to level up again. Of course, it wasn¡¯t like I was going to die right now because I didn¡¯t have enough magic. I just felt regretful. When Ragna shook the bottle, the sky-blue liquid shook gently. ¡°Scar, your mouth is drooling. Do you want it?¡± When did he even know your name? Scary old man. Jung Yu-shin nodded but stopped. ¡°Yes. I want it. But I heard that you shouldn¡¯t accept things from strangers.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the right attitude. But since this is our second meeting, aren¡¯t we the ones left? If you need it, I¡¯ll give it to you.¡± Ragna¡¯s natural and innocent response was absurd. If it¡¯s not someone else after seeing it twice, then who else is the one left? ¡°Why? Do you want anything in return?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± Ragna shook his head and said bluntly. Jung Yu-shin¡¯s eyes narrowed. His suspicions grew deeper. You¡¯re just giving me an elixir that can¡¯t be converted into gold? That too without any price? ¡°Isn¡¯t there really nothing?¡± ¡°Yes. Take it if you want.¡± Ragna held out the bottle. Jung Yu-shin slowly approached Ragna. The elixir in front of him was too desirable to be suspicious. Besides, he knew the elf master, didn¡¯t he? ¡®This is definitely a coincidence that the heavens gave me because they were moved by my sincerity.¡¯ A kind of cliff-edge coincidence. I heard in some martial arts novels that people give up their buttholes to receive teachings from masters. If you can get this coincidence by just moving your hand in front of Barbaroi, it¡¯s a good deal. Jung Yu-shin, who had made up his mind, slowly held out his hand. Thump. He grabbed the bottle and held it in front of his eyes. His heart pounded as he looked at the sky-blue liquid. He had obtained the elixir that would increase magical power without any trouble. Ragna smiled and took out another item from his bag. An old-fashioned elven single-edged sword. Jung Yu-shin''s head quickly turned. He''s not even a magician, but he took out a sword from his bag. Is this a magic bag or something? Ragna held up the single-edged sword and thrust it in front of Jung Yu-shin. "Do you want this too?" "What''s that sword?" "This is the sword that this old man got from the labyrinth. It''s a magical sword with a special ability." "Ohhh!!!" Jung Yu-shin''s eyes sparkled. "What special ability is it?" "It has the magic ''Gale'' engraved on it." "Gale?" Jung Yu-shin tilted his head. "This sword lets you move quickly." "Wow!" "Take it." Jung Yu-shin moved closer to Ragna and held out his hand. Thump. It was light for a sword. It was a bit heavy for a boy to lift. But don¡¯t worry. If you return to your original body, it will be easier to use. If not, you can build up your strength. Jeong Yu-shin smiled brightly and stroked the sword. ¡°There¡¯s something to be careful of when using this single-edged sword.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°You can only swing it three times. If you¡¯re surrounded or in a hurry to evade an attack, it could be a life-saving weapon. Use it wisely.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± ¡°Oh! I forgot.¡± Ragna reached into his bag again and rummaged through it, pulling out something. A red stone. ¡°A top-grade magic stone. I hope it helps you on your journey.¡± ¡®This old man.¡¯ Isn¡¯t it almost like a vending machine? He was standing still, but suddenly he was handing out expensive items one after another. ¡®Could it be that he has an imprint that wants to give good things to cute children?¡¯ A very reasonable inference. He was the honey pot grandfather. Jung Yu-shin, intoxicated by the sweet coincidence, gradually approached Ragna. In fact, Barbaroi was a good person, but wasn¡¯t he being slandered? Jung Yu-shin¡¯s suspicions about Barbaroi were gradually being corrected in his mind. When he first heard the rumor about Barbaroi, he showed an image of him almost at the lowest point, with his pants and panties down. Now. He looked like a gentleman in a suit. ¡°Please.¡± Jung Yu-shin held out his hand as if it was natural. ¡°Okay.¡± Ragna smiled and held out the magic stone. Thump! He grabbed the magic stone, but Ragna didn¡¯t let go. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°This old man has a wish, won¡¯t you grant it?¡± ¡°Wha...what?!¡± He only then realized. This old Barbaroi¡¯s sinister trick. He really doesn¡¯t want to lure people with sweet rewards and kidnap them? A high-level trick. ¡°Let me hug you.¡± ¡°Ah...?!¡± Without even a moment to say yes or no, Ragna moved his huge body and hugged Jung Yu-shin. ¡°Guaaaak!!!¡± Jung Yu-shin struggled, but Ragna didn¡¯t budge. ¡®Giyeon is a hole-paying Giyeon?!¡¯ No. He expected Ragnar to do something different, so he wiggled his body with all his might. But Ragnar just held Jung Yushin and stayed still. ¡°...?¡± Jung Yushin stopped struggling and stayed still. A few minutes later. Ragnar put Jung Yushin on the floor. ¡°...¡± Ragnar didn¡¯t say anything. His eyes were just a little red. The old warrior¡¯s eyes were filled with sadness. Ragnar patted Jung Yushin¡¯s head once. ¡°I want to hug you more, but I don¡¯t have time.¡± ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a bad guy I have to chase.¡± Ragnar paused for a moment and opened his mouth again. ¡°And if you think you lack the knowledge of the Swordsmanship Guild, find my subordinates in the northern district. Don¡¯t worry too much. I have properly ¡®educated¡¯ my compatriots in the city.¡± Educate Barbaroi? Are those people the ones who can be educated? Aren¡¯t they just unrehabilitated baby copiers? By the way. ¡°The northern district?¡± ¡°The ones who don¡¯t listen are moved there and are being rolled around. If you go and show them the ring, they will all understand.¡± ¡°Who are you, sir?¡± ¡°Me?¡± Ragna snickered. ¡°Are you curious?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s talk about that when we get back.¡± ¡°No...?!¡± Ragna turned and disappeared into the grass. When I blinked at how fast it was, all I could see was the wind blowing. ¡°Oh, really.¡± Jeong Yu-shin slumped down in his seat. He was completely out of his ~N§àv§Ölight~ mind, as if some kind of storm had passed. He had poured fate into his mouth. How could he be this lucky? And why did he hug him? It was full of things that I couldn''t understand. I sat there blankly for a while, then took off my clothes and dipped into the lake. ''This is strange. The elf master and that old man too.'' They all acted quickly, as if they were in a hurry. While thinking about this and that, I washed myself and came out of the lake and returned to the empty lot. A familiar face was sitting at the campfire. "Huh?! Iron Mask?!" Iron Mask waved his hand. Jung Yu-shin sat across from Iron Mask across the campfire. "Scar, I heard everything from Karin. You''re getting separate training at the swordsmanship association. You''ve had a hard time." There was a faint smile in Iron Mask''s voice. "I was kidnapped." Jung Yu-shin grumbled with a frown. ¡°I heard it was a good opportunity?¡± ¡°Since you¡¯re here, why don¡¯t you join me?¡± Iron Mask shook his head. ¡°Scar, don¡¯t you know? I don¡¯t have time.¡± ¡°...¡± Jung Yu-shin immediately understood and closed his mouth. Crackle. Crackle. In the silence. The bonfire burned quietly. Iron Mask opened his mouth. ¡°I have to move forward.¡± ¡°...¡± After keeping his mouth shut for a long time, Jung Yu-shin raised his head. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Brother, don¡¯t worry about me and go.¡± Iron Mask stroked the greatsword. ¡°Scar, what you said gave me a realization. I thought I had given up everything, but that wasn¡¯t the case. The fact that there was someone waiting for me was what sustained me. Thank you.¡± Jung Yu-shin smiled slightly. ¡°We don¡¯t see each other often, so let¡¯s not say anything too sentimental. Please stop by the store often to increase sales.¡± Iron Mask chuckled. ¡°That¡¯s not like me.¡± ¡°By the way, who will take my place?¡± ¡°Charis. Do you remember the elf wizard you fought the troll with last time?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°And another human warrior has joined.¡± ¡°A five-person party.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Good.¡± ¡°If I have the time, I¡¯ll try making a clan. If I can gather a lot of trustworthy party members.¡± ¡°Can I join you?¡± ¡°Of course. But I don¡¯t think you¡¯re the type of person who would be subordinate to others.¡± ¡°...¡± Jeong Yu-shin scratched his head. He was embarrassed when Iron Mask overestimated him. ¡°That¡¯s true, but I guess I have to find a new party. Ugh.¡± ¡°It won¡¯t be easy. The Barbarians these days...¡± These guys again? I heard that Ragnar ¡®educated¡¯ them. Wasn¡¯t he? Iron Mask shook his head and got up from his seat. ¡°It¡¯d be better if you see for yourself. Of course, he¡¯s not a total outlaw like the last time I saw him.¡± Iron Mask left just as he had come. Jeong Yu-shin saw Iron Mask off and returned to the tent. ¡°Haa.¡± The relationship we had met like this is leaving again. It was a pity. But I couldn¡¯t hold onto that poor crown prince¡¯s trouser leg. There wouldn¡¯t be time. I lay down and closed my eyes, lost in thought. ¡®Let¡¯s put Karin in the party first..¡¯ I made various plans and fell asleep right away. Summer night. In the forest, only a bonfire was burning quietly. Chapter 132: Mom? Three weeks had passed since they arrived in the forest. Clang!!! Kakakak!!! In the open area, Jeong Yushin and Ashur were clashing their wooden swords. Jeong Yushin didn¡¯t swing his sword with all his might but instead moved smoothly from one stance to another, positioning his sword where it was needed. Even with just that, the elegant flow of swordplay poured out like water. Vomt tag. Pflug. Schrankhut. Ochs. Wechsel. After witnessing Ashur¡¯s sword dance, Jeong Yushin¡¯s swordsmanship had advanced by a level. On top of that, the experience gained from actual combat. The meticulous teachings of the Sword Master. All of it, combined with his youthful body, produced explosive synergy. Of course, running and strength training to constantly stimulate the dormant abilities within him had also helped significantly. Clang!!! Ashur knocked Jeong Yushin¡¯s sword away and stepped back. "That¡¯s enough. You''ve really changed beyond recognition." "Huuh... huuh... thank you." Jeong Yushin panted heavily and lowered his head. "The correction of your swordsmanship is complete. I¡¯ve taught you most of the grappling techniques. I¡¯ve also shown you the path ahead. So, I¡¯ve done everything I can." His tone made it sound as if he were finishing his teachings. "Are you leaving somewhere far?" "Yes. I need to briefly leave the labyrinth city and return to my hometown." As expected. The elf teacher was in a hurry, as I thought. Is he leaving? "...I see." "I might take longer than expected." "How long will it take?" "Hmm, hard to say. Maybe you¡¯ll see me when your hair turns white." Is he really from the long-living race? The passage of time was different for him. "Is something big happening back home?" At Jeong Yushin¡¯s question, Ashur shook his head. "I¡¯m not sure either. I¡¯ll know once I go. Skaa, step in and take your turn." The guild members stood up one by one and sparred with Ashur. Skilled and refined martial arts unfolded before them. As a swordsmanship guild, they didn¡¯t limit themselves to just swords but used various weapons. At first, there were more unfamiliar faces than familiar ones. But after spending nearly a month training together, they had become familiar with each other. And with familiarity came observation. It was clear that they were all warriors who were notable in the labyrinth city. "Marson, your wrist holding the spear is twisted. Fix it." "Yes." "Viktor, you know without me telling you, right? Your steps are always off. It¡¯s a sign of weak lower body strength. Either reduce the weight of your greatsword or build up your strength." "I understand." Ashur sparred with the guild members, pointing out each flaw one by one. The sun had now risen high in the sky. Ashur looked around at the guild members, who were sweating profusely. "Listen up, guild members." "Yes." "I¡¯ll be leaving the labyrinth city for a while to return to my hometown. It might take a long time, or I might return quickly. Don¡¯t worry about that and make sure to continue training diligently under the vice-leader." "¡°Yes! Understood.¡±" Killa slowly approached and stood next to Ashur. Ashur patted Killa¡¯s shoulder. "Vice-leader." "Yes." "I¡¯m entrusting everything to you. If needed, ask my acquaintances for help. I¡¯ll occasionally come by to check on your swordsmanship." "I understand." Just as Ashur finished speaking, elves on horseback appeared in the open area. Despite it being midsummer, they were dressed in full armor. It was clear they weren¡¯t of ordinary status. They looked like the royal guard. Among the armed elves, the elf princess from before was also present. The elf princess glanced briefly at Jeong Yushin before urging her horse toward Ashur. "Shall we go?" "Yes, Princess." Ashur mounted the horse brought by the royal guard and looked down at Jeong Yushin. "I¡¯ll see you next time." "Take care." Clop-clop. Clop-clop. Ashur left the open area with the elf princess and her entourage. Killa looked around at the guild members and smiled. "Pack your things. We need to head back to the city." "¡°Yes!¡±" Jeong Yushin tidied up the tent and slung a small bundle over his shoulder. He didn¡¯t have much luggage to begin with. After all, he had been kidnapped. The only items he had were the gifts given to him by Grandpa Barbaroi. "Let¡¯s go." Under Killa¡¯s guidance, Jeong Yushin and the guild members started walking down the forest path. Half a day passed. As the sun began to set. Jeong Yushin passed through the southern gate of the labyrinth city and arrived at the inn entrance. The guild members gathered and patted Jeong Yushin on the shoulder. "Skaa, have you ever considered joining our clan? We¡¯re looking for a decent swordsman." "Oh, this guy¡¯s already trying to butter him up? Skaa, I called dibs first. Skaa, we¡¯ve got plenty of pretty girls in our clan, you know? Think it over. What¡¯s the fun in wandering the labyrinth with a bunch of gloomy guys?" "Pretty girls? The labyrinth isn¡¯t some playground for kids. Skaa, think carefully. If you get charmed by them, you¡¯ll regret it later." Jeong Yushin secretly smiled to himself. "Thanks for the offer. I¡¯ll think about it." Jeong Yushin bowed his head to the guild members. One of the members spoke up. "I heard you¡¯ve risen to the rank of intermediate explorer. Are you planning to operate in the explorer¡¯s headquarters in the central zone?" "Yes. I heard there are good quality requests there." "That¡¯s right. See you at the headquarters then." "Let¡¯s do that." After seeing off the swordsmanship guild members, Jeong Yushin stood at the entrance of the inn. "Phew." Ashur. The Sword Master Elf teacher had left. Although he knew they wouldn¡¯t be together forever, it still felt sudden. Could something unusual be happening outside the labyrinth city? Jeong Yushin took his gaze away from the inn entrance and looked at the setting sun. ¡®I¡¯ve had some time for reflection. Life¡¯s not bad, huh?¡¯ He tapped his cheek lightly and opened the inn door. "Welcome!" Karin, who was approaching, stopped dead in her tracks when she saw Jeong Yushin. Her heart skipped a beat. The soft, boyish appearance was gone. Now, a sharp, refined young man stood before her, his features more defined as the baby fat had disappeared. He had a toned body that seemed to have just the right amount of muscle. His calm eyes and composed demeanor. The maternal, endearing aura was gone, replaced by the presence of a young man. She thought he had gone into the forest to gain the strength to defend himself, but it had been an illusion. Instead of muscles, he returned with an unusual charm. In short, His training had carved his beauty like a gemstone. If Karin were his age, she would have fallen for him immediately. Truly. ¡®Dangerous...!¡¯ A chill ran down her spine. The boy smiled. "Karin, did nothing happen?" "Uh...uhh." Karin barely managed to answer. This shouldn¡¯t be happening. Skaa was still a boy. Why does he give off such a masculine vibe now? "Feed me." "Y-yeah." Karin awkwardly turned and went into the kitchen. At that moment, the wild boar beastman approached with a bright expression. "Skaa-nim!" "Snub-nose!" A soft-hearted subordinate of Aldain. It had been quite a while since he last saw him. Snub-nose approached and smiled brightly. "I heard you¡¯ve gotten younger. Seeing you now, you¡¯re really quite terrifying." "Terrifying? I¡¯m not here to eat anyone. Don¡¯t talk nonsense. What are you doing here?" "I was helping out since they were short-handed." Jeong Yushin nodded inwardly. "A lot of customers, huh?" "Yes, Taruman and En have developed a new menu, and it¡¯s been surprisingly successful." "Really?" "Ah! Please, sit down first." Jeong Yushin sat at the counter with Snub-nose. "It seems you have something to say, but let¡¯s talk about it later. Don¡¯t mind me and just do your thing." "Ah! Thank you." Snub-nose left the counter, took orders, and began delivering food. He greeted Taruman and En in the kitchen before returning to sit at the counter. "Here." Karin brought over the food. The menu was cold tomato pasta, black rye bread, and well-grilled sausage. Jeong Yushin devoured the food quickly. "It¡¯s delicious." It was the first home-cooked meal he¡¯d had in almost a month, and it made the experience even more moving. After dinner, he relaxed in the counter chair and looked at the people laughing and enjoying themselves. Everyone seemed satisfied and happy. Though it felt strange to think this way, It was definitely better than when Darlmonger was in charge. Karin returned from the kitchen and placed a wooden cup on the counter. "Is this the new menu?" It looked like a red-colored shaved ice. "Yes. We froze raspberries using a freezing mage tool, then ground them up and mixed it with honey. People seem to like it more with a bit of alcohol added. Ah! I didn¡¯t put alcohol in yours, though. You¡¯re still a kid." "Really?" Jeong Yushin scooped a spoonful of the crunchy ice and tasted it. ¡®Not bad.¡¯ Being able to eat ice like this in the summer was great. The freezing mage tool seemed to be worth its price of 15 gold coins. Thanks to Karin¡¯s good purchase, he was able to enjoy a comfortable summer. Jeong Yushin patted Karin¡¯s behind, who was standing next to him. "Thanks to our Karin, my mouth is enjoying this feast. Thank you." "Whooo?!" Her plump buttocks bounced under the tight leather pants. Karin instinctively straightened her tail and swayed her hips. Suddenly, Karin showed an intense female movement. Jeong Yushin was flustered and quickly removed his hand. Karin glared at him, her face bright red. "Ha...don¡¯t do that! People are watching!" "Uh...right." Jeong Yushin scratched his head in embarrassment. Karin quickly moved away from him and went back to work. How much time had passed? As the night deepened, the drunken customers slowly left their seats. "Skaa-nim, I¡¯ll see you tomorrow." Taruman and En bowed their heads with smiles on their faces. "Alright. Good work." Jeong Yushin waved his hand to send them off. The inn was quiet now. Snub-nose approached. "Kuh! Skaa-nim." "What is it?" "Aldain-nim wants to meet you sometime." "What¡¯s it about?" "He said he¡¯ll explain after you meet him." "I see. Tell him I¡¯ll visit soon." "Yes. I¡¯ll tell him." Snub-nose politely bowed to Jeong Yushin and Karin before leaving the inn. Now, only Jeong Yushin and Karin remained in the inn lobby. "Karin, really nothing happened?" Jeong Yushin asked. Karin folded her arms, thought for a moment, and then spoke. "Well... sometimes people came looking for you. Mostly women." "Really?" "I just told them you were away for a bit. They haven¡¯t come back after that." Jeong Yushin crossed his arms and looked down at the table for a moment. "Karin, how much money have you saved?" "..." Karin avoided his gaze. "Why are you looking away? You''ve been working for quite a while. How much have you saved?" "U-uh... I¡¯ve been buying a few things..." Karin fidgeted with her fingers, muttering. Jeong Yushin looked at Karin¡¯s face and then realized. No. This wolf beastwoman? No matter that she¡¯s a princess, this is too much. "Aren¡¯t you going to buy some equipment?" "Ah, just wait a bit. It¡¯s harder to save money than I thought." "Where the heck did you spend it?" "Th-there¡¯s something." What could that something be? "Be honest with me." Jeong Yushin raised his hand and petted Karin¡¯s tail. "Don¡¯t, don¡¯t touch my tail!" Karin looked up at him, her face turning into a frown. Jeong Yushin kept playing with her tail. The soft red fur felt well taken care of, and it was quite satisfying to touch. It wasn¡¯t quite like Lin¡¯s soft belly, but still. Still. ¡®This is strangely addictive.¡¯ "Tell me quickly." Suddenly, Karin slightly lowered her top. Her black sleeveless shirt stretched, and her bra popped out. The scent of Karin''s body wafted through the air. Jeong Yushin¡¯s eyes widened. "This...what¡¯s this?" Karin bit her lip slightly. "Y-yeah. Since I knew you liked leopard print underwear, I bought a few things. They¡¯re top-notch underwear made by the Arakne, so they were expensive." Karin fixed her shirt back to its original position, then slightly lowered her pants. Smooth hips and lower abdomen, and beneath them, leopard print panties peeked out. Karin¡¯s face was now bright red, almost as if it could explode. "..." Jeong Yushin was at a loss for words. "Can you kiss my belly?" "No, no?! And go take a bath! You smell!" Jeong Yushin put his nose to his arm and smelled it. ¡®Is it really bad? I don¡¯t smell anything.¡¯ He was drenched in sweat from marching for half a day, but it didn¡¯t seem like he smelled bad at all. Karin pointed to the restaurant. "There¡¯s water in the wooden barrel in the storage on the first floor. Go wash slowly and come back." "Alright." Jeong Yushin grabbed his toiletries from the second floor, then came down and found Lin sitting at the counter, looking dazed. He smelled and was covered in stains, as if he had been rolling in the sewer. "Lin? You [N O V E L I G H T] little rascal!" Jeong Yushin grabbed Lin by the scruff of the neck. "Chirp? Chirpchirp!" "Let¡¯s take a bath together." Jeong Yushin grabbed Lin and headed for the storage. He undressed and stood in front of Lin. Lin covered his eyes with both hands. Jeong Yushin chuckled. ¡®Sometimes he acts so human.¡¯ He poured some water into a small wooden barrel for Lin, then washed off the filth from his body. Afterward, he scooped some cold water and washed himself off. "Ahh, that feels good." After roughly washing himself off, he stepped into the large wooden barrel. "Come here." "Chirp!!!" Jeong Yushin grabbed Lin by the scruff of his neck, who was struggling in the small barrel. ¡®I¡¯ll need to use soap, right?¡¯ Carefully, so as not to get water in his ears, he lathered up with animal soap and gently massaged Lin¡¯s soft body. Lin resisted with all his strength, but after a while, he grew limp and let Jeong Yushin take care of him. "Chirp...chirpchirp." Jeong Yushin cleaned Lin with fresh water, then placed him in the large wooden barrel with him. Lin clung to Jeong Yushin¡¯s chest and shook his head. Jeong Yushin smiled as he petted Lin and rinsed his body before stepping outside. As they passed through the restaurant and returned to the inn, someone was sitting at the counter. It wasn¡¯t Karin. Red ears and tail. A dignified posture. A cold expression. One of the labyrinth city committee members. Ingrid Redtail. "Mm...?" Ingrid froze when she saw Jeong Yushin. Jeong Yushin tilted his head and smiled. It was amusing to see Ingrid, usually with a cold expression, with her mouth agape. "Ingrid-nim, sorry, I was late because I was washing with Lin." "Wh-Who? S-skaa? Bath...? Ah." Ingrid fumbled, and a trickle of blood started running from her nose. Karin stared blankly at Ingrid¡¯s face. Suddenly, a nosebleed? "...Mom?" Chapter 133: Did you think it was fate? Ingrid Redtail. A working mom who guards the labyrinth day and night. After giving birth to Karin, she sent her husband away and had to lead the Suin Alliance alone. For a long time, she devoted all her energy to protecting the Suin Alliance amidst external threats and internal conflicts. That¡¯s why. She thought that the healthy Suin Alliance and her precious daughter, who was the thorn in her eye, were her pride. There was no charm as a woman. But she was mistaken. After meeting Scar, she became proud of other parts. A little more personal. To put it bluntly. Her body. Her unnecessarily large breasts and butt became her pride as a ¡®female.¡¯ Whenever Scar glanced at her breasts, her heart raced. Whenever she smelled this man¡¯s sweat, her head got dizzy and her face got hot. It was because she received a massage that was too vulgar to even mention. He realizes that the place that once held Karin has been crushed and crushed by this man''s hands and has crossed a river of no return. He also knows that Scar wants his humiliating submission. His daughter is showing affection for Scar. Still. He was confident that whatever Scar''s plan was, it would never fall apart. Why? Because he is the leader of the Suin Alliance who has been through a lot. But. Ugh. Ingrid gritted her teeth slightly. ''I never expected that.'' He never dreamed that he would become such a sharp pretty boy. If his daughter hadn''t mentioned it, he would have never recognized him. His slender cheeks, his sharp features, his innocent-looking eyes and the dark spots under his eyes. Even his hair was wet and damp, just from a shower. Wasn''t he like a young incubus? ¡®Scary.¡¯ For the first time, she felt fear of a ¡®man.¡¯ She couldn¡¯t predict how far this man would destroy and twist her walls. Ingrid wiped her nosebleed with trembling hands. ¡°Oh... It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve seen you.¡± ¡°Yes. Ingrid, are you okay? My nose is bleeding.¡± The pretty boy had a worried expression. ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay. I¡¯m just tired from working for a long time.¡± Ingrid¡¯s heart started beating wildly as she stammered. This shouldn¡¯t be happening. If she had to be intimate, she should be with someone the same age as Karin. She had been through hell, so she was getting excited just by looking at a boy? This couldn¡¯t be happening... ¡°Mom...?¡± When she turned her head, Karin was looking at her. Looking at her narrowed eyes, she seemed to be suspicious of something. I can''t get caught. I''m finished as a mother. Ingrid opened her mouth calmly. "Scar, did you take a bath with Rin?" Jeong Yu-shin nodded. "Yes. I even soaped her and washed her thoroughly." "Whew!!! That, that''s right?" Ingrid''s body twisted slightly and her voice trembled. Every nook and cranny of her body. Soapy. Just hearing those words made my brain melt. The image of her being soaped and massaged all over her body by gentle hands began to form in her head, entrusted to the boy''s body. And naked on naked. One side of Ingrid''s leopard-print panties began to get wet. ''Calm... calm down. Don''t fall for this devil''s temptation!!!'' Ingrid crossed her legs and fanned her face with her palm. Her whole body felt hot as if she had a fever. "Mom...?" Karin''s eyes began to narrow. Ingrid came to her senses and coughed. "Big! Let''s get to the point." "As for Rin''s massage gun, I''m sorry. I had to leave the city for a while, so I couldn''t take good care of her." "It''s okay, it''s okay. I know you''re taking good care of Rin." "Is that so? But how?" Scar nodded. Ingrid''s heart pounded. "I, I know everything! That''s not the important part." "Huh?" "Scar, you know about the Labyrinth City Committee, right?" "Yes. I know a little bit. You''re in charge of protecting the Labyrinth City, right?" Why are you suddenly bringing this up? ¡°That¡¯s right. And my turn is over. There¡¯s someone else coming next.¡± Jeong Yu-shin thought deeply. I know that the committee takes turns guarding the labyrinth. Spring is the spirit teacher, Luke Wiseman. Summer is the representative of the Suin Alliance, Ingrid Redtail. Next? ¡°Who is that?¡± ¡°The Demon Queen Lilith.¡± ¡°...¡± The ruler of the Eastern District. I¡¯ve only heard her name, but never seen her face. ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Lilith doesn¡¯t come in person. She always stays underground in the Eastern District. She¡¯ll send a representative.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°It seems that one of Lilith¡¯s subordinates is interested in you. Keep that in mind.¡± ¡°Huh? What on earth did I do?!¡± ¡°I heard you were active at the last festival?¡± ¡°No... that¡¯s true.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, he won¡¯t hurt you or anything. Besides, there¡¯s no guarantee that he¡¯ll meet you. He¡¯s a guy who¡¯s always changing his mind.¡± Jung Yu-shin nodded. ¡°I understand for now.¡± ¡°That¡¯s all for now. I need to talk to Karin for a moment, so can you leave?¡± ¡°I understand.¡± ¡°Leave Rin there.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Jung Yu-shin carefully placed Rin on the table and got up from his seat. Ingrid turned her head as she watched Scar¡¯s back as he quietly left. Her daughter¡¯s eyes had sharpened. ¡°Mom...? You¡¯re not?¡± Karin was looking at her with eyes that seemed to be in disbelief. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not having feelings for your daughter¡¯s boyfriend, are you?¡± Her daughter¡¯s direct question. She was usually an obedient daughter. Did she become rebellious after spending time in the Labyrinth ?N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t? City? Ingrid''s crossed legs suddenly gained strength. The wet Hopi underwear dug deep into Ingrid''s private area. "Karin, what do you mean? And your boyfriend? You didn''t even ask for my permission, what kind of nonsense is that? Even though you''re an explorer, you still have a status." "Do I have to ask for permission for something like that? That''s weird!" "Karin, isn''t it possible that you''re obsessed with that guy? I''m worried that you''re starting a relationship too hastily. Did Scar agree to you calling him your boyfriend?" "That... not yet." Karin hesitated and couldn''t answer. "Have you forgotten what you said before you came to the Labyrinth City? Didn''t you say that you''d follow me and prove that you could stand on your own as an explorer, and then take my place? And now you''re suddenly calling me your boyfriend? Was that all you could think of?" ¡°...¡± Karin bit her lip at Ingrid¡¯s words. Her mother¡¯s words were true. Her purpose in coming to the labyrinth. To prove that she could stand alone while working as an explorer like the successors of the high-ranking families of the Eastern District. It was the ¡®minimum¡¯ ability that a ruler should have. ¡°Think carefully. This is advice from the head of the Red Tail family.¡± Ingrid got up from her seat and left the inn, holding Lin tightly in her arms. Creak. Thump. The inn door closed. Karin crossed her arms and sighed deeply. ¡°Whew. I really need to prepare properly.¡± To achieve her original purpose. And to not become a burden to Scar. * * * Jeong Yu-shin sat cross-legged on the bunk bed. ¡°Hmm.¡± There are three items on the bed. An elven single-edged sword with the magic ¡®Gale¡¯ engraved on it. An elixir called the Wizard¡¯s Tears. A top-grade magic stone. Even thinking about it now, I don¡¯t know why that old man gave me such expensive items. Was it because he lived properly, unlike other Barbaroi? That could be true. I heard he had been in the labyrinth city for a long time, so these items might have been worthless to that old man. Da. ¡®I¡¯ve been bullied dozens of times without reason, but I can receive favors without reason. If you think about it too much, you¡¯ll go crazy, Yushin-ah.¡¯ I repeated this to myself and picked up the elven single-edged sword. A sword case with an antique gold pattern engraved on it. Slurrung. When I grabbed the handle and pulled out the sword, a cool blade stuck out. Compared to the typical sword, it was sleek and straight, with no bends, and a shape close to a straight sword. ¡®If I use this, I can move quickly?¡¯ Grandpa Barbaroi said it was fast. If someone who looked strong said that, it must not be ordinary fast. How fast could it be? I wanted to try it once. However, I only used it three times in total. I decided to save it for when my life was in danger. I put the sword in and checked the next item. The highest-grade magic stone. It was a red magic stone full of cool air. Since Karin couldn¡¯t save money to buy underwear that suited her taste, I thought I should sell this magic stone and buy Karin¡¯s equipment. I couldn¡¯t sell the panties that Karin was wearing. Karin¡¯s panties. Will they sell well? I don¡¯t know. In any case, it was certain that Karin would join the party. If Karin refused, I planned to try to coax her by any means necessary. It wasn¡¯t easy to find a trustworthy mid-level explorer. Furthermore, there was a possibility that Barbaroi¡¯s notoriety would remain in the central area. He was considered harmless in the southern area, but it would be different in the explorer headquarters in the central area. It was hard to find a trustworthy explorer. ¡®Connections are important.¡¯ I thought I understood why Iron Mask was running around the labyrinth city with his feet on fire. By the way. I fiddled with the highest grade magic stone in my hand. ¡®Where should I sell it to get a good reputation?¡¯ It was an expensive magic stone at first glance, but I wondered if there was a place that would handle it properly. I could sell it to the Explorers¡¯ Guild, but it would attract attention in an instant, and there was the annoying procedure of having to explain where I got the magic stone, and there was a possibility that strange people would stick to it. In the end, I had no choice but to rely on Dulchangko or Aldain to dispose of it properly. ¡®I have to go out and meet people.¡¯ I felt that going into and out of the labyrinth and training were not enough. Better equipment and reliable companions didn¡¯t just fall from the sky. I decided to put off selling the highest grade magic stone until I met Aldain. Finally. The wizard¡¯s tears. ¡°Hehehe.¡± The sky-blue liquid in the bottle sloshed. Just looking at it made me laugh. Didn''t the elf master look surprised? After Ragna left, I spoke briefly with the elf master. I told him that I received a precious item. ''Scar, you''re lucky. If someone saw you, they''d think you were Ragna''s grandson.'' ''That''s right. Why did you do me such a favor?'' ''I don''t know. I think you did something pretty and gave it to me.'' I stopped thinking and lifted the elixir. The elf master must have said that. He told me to drink it when all the training was over and I was alone. He told me not to tell anyone. There would be a bloodbath. "Now''s your chance." Phong! I straightened my posture and removed the stopper from the glass bottle. "Hoo." I felt nervous for no reason. How much would my magic power increase? It would be perfect if it increased enough to use Sacred Weapon and Venom Protection. He put his mouth on the bottle and drank the elixir. Gulp. Gulp. The sky-blue liquid spread a refreshing scent in his mouth, passed through his throat, and went down to his stomach. The taste was bitter like MilX soda. It wasn¡¯t something he couldn¡¯t eat at all. Gulp. He drank it all without stopping. ¡°Pfft.¡± He put the empty bottle on the bedside table and looked down at his body. There was no change. It was strange. ¡®No way?¡¯ Was that old man cheating? At that very moment when his suspicions were deepening. Suddenly, his stomach lurched and his whole body felt hot and trembled. An excruciating pain slowly rose up from the soles of his feet to his body. ¡°Ugh!!!¡± Jung Yu-shin gritted his teeth. Wasn¡¯t it just a potion that increased his magical power?! ¡®What the hell. What is this?!¡¯ He twisted his body like a bug in excruciating pain. Now, no words could come out of his mouth. ¡®It wasn¡¯t... coincidence?!!!¡¯ Jung Yu-shin screamed inwardly as he lay on the bed convulsing. Chapter 134: Let’s do just one thing together. Jung Yu-shin cursed inwardly. ¡®Fuck..¡¯ It was hard to come to his senses because of the pain that came after taking the magician¡¯s elixir. It felt like the blood vessels in his entire body were being forcibly torn apart. I¡¯ve experienced many kinds of pain, but this kind of shit was a first. ¡°Keuu ... Barbaroi Grandpa Ragnar. Elf Master Ashur. No one explained the precautions for the elixir. All he did was tell her to take it when she was ¡®alone¡¯ without telling anyone. ¡®At least I should have told Karin.¡¯ A belated regret surged up. Jeong Yu-shin¡¯s convulsive body froze. He trusted Karin to this extent? And he relied on someone this much? Since when did he become so flabby? It¡¯s not in his nature to seek and rely on someone in pain. To stand alone. To get by with what he has. ¡°Huh.¡± He burst out laughing when he realized it. He didn¡¯t know why, but he knew one thing. He was currently. Unbearably cheerful. ¡®I¡¯m not ready to die.¡¯ He burned his own arm. Compared to that horrible pain, this fake burning sensation was nothing. He bit his lips hard. Blood flowed out. ¡®This is not enough.¡¯ He chewed his tongue. Blood began to fill his mouth. He got up from the bed, shaking, and sat cross-legged. Crack!!! Jung Yu-shin slapped his own cheek once. ¡°Fuck. Do you think I¡¯m going to end here?¡± He groaned to himself. He closed his eyes, raised one hand, and lowered the other, assuming the position of class president. ¡°Asurabalbalta.¡± The mind of Buddha. Shonen Jump is being pressed hard. Jung Yu-shin didn¡¯t realize it. The powerful energy of the current leap was forcibly piercing through the magical circuits that were spread throughout his body, one by one. The pain from there was truly immense, but the Magician¡¯s Tears were not something you could easily find on the market. It means that few people know the details of how the elixir works. Coincidentally, both Ragna and Ashur were born as physical warriors. Black waste formed like beads of sweat on the skin of Aekmun Jeong Yu-shin. A terrible stench began to fill the room. It was like the smell of a rotting corpse. Jeong Yu-shin did not notice the stench. He focused all his mind on accepting the pain. ¡®It¡¯s painful at first.¡¯ It¡¯ll be okay once you get used to it. No one taught me how to overcome painful moments. All I knew was how to grit my teeth and endure it. It was better if I smiled. It was proof that I was first-class. * * * A few hours later, I opened my eyes. The room had become brighter. The dawn was streaming in through the windows. I stayed up all night. ¡®Did I survive?¡¯ The unprecedented energy that had been surging inside my body subsided. I didn¡¯t feel any pain either. I should have been tired since I stayed up all night, but for some reason, I was full of energy. I sighed on my own. ¡°Whew. I¡¯m dizzy.¡± How can there be no days that pass quietly? This is a really terrible leap. I thought I knew why it was called the ¡®Tears¡¯ of a Wizard. Jung Yu-shin jumped up from the bed and frowned. ¡°What¡¯s that smell?¡± He looked down at his body. His clothes were covered in black, sticky dirt like tar. Even the smell of someone who hadn¡¯t bathed in 30 years was more fragrant than this. Jung Yu-shin lifted his clothes in embarrassment. At that moment. Knock knock. Someone knocked. ¡°Ska, eat breakfast.¡± It was Karin¡¯s voice. ¡°Karin, can you get some water from the yard storage? I need to take a bath.¡± ¡°Bath? Okay.¡± Karin¡¯s voice was full of curiosity, but she didn¡¯t say anything else. ¡°Oh my. What the hell is going on?¡± Jung Yu-shin looked down at her body again. I had only heard that her magical power increased. Suddenly, she felt like she had pooped all over her body. ¡®I should wash up first and think about it.¡¯ The stench was unbearable. She packed a change of clothes and went down to the first floor. It was early in the morning, so there were no guests. She thought that was fortunate. Tarman, who was cleaning the inn hall, flinched when he saw Jung Yu-shin. ¡°Ska? Your face suddenly turned black... hmph?!!!¡± Tarman suddenly covered his nose and stepped back. ¡°Did you go to the sewer?!¡± Tarman was startled and let out a squeaky noise. Jung Yu-shin scratched his head. ¡°I¡¯ll explain later. First, take a shower.¡± ¡°Oh, I understand.¡± When they entered the kitchen, Anne immediately turned her head and stared at Jung Yu-shin. ¡°Ska-nim? The smell is...¡± ¡°I know. It¡¯s terrible? I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Yes. Karin-nim filled the yard storage with bath water.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Jung Yu-shin passed the kitchen and came out into the yard. Karin was waiting in front of the storage. ¡°Tsk!!!¡± Karin covered her nose and glared at Jung Yu-shin. ¡°Where did you go out at night without telling me?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯ll explain later.¡± Karin stepped aside. On the subject of Karin, who always rubs her breasts and sniffs them while keeping her close to him. I felt sorry for Karin who was backing away with her tail raised. Who would spend a lot of money to buy equipment? Jung Yu-shin smiled and slowly approached Karin. ¡°Sister Karin, should we go into the bathtub and wash together?¡± Karin¡¯s face turned red as if she was going to explode. ¡°What...what?!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t like it?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make embarrassing jokes and get into the bathtub quickly!¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Jung Yu-shin stumbled into the storage room, took off his clothes, and immersed himself in the bathtub. The water was warm, as if Anne had warmed it up. After about 20 minutes, thick broth rose to the surface. At this point, it must have been a broth of the level of an open-air bath. He soaked his body in warm water, soaked his body in it, and scrubbed it off diligently. The stench didn¡¯t go away, so he got new water and washed it several times. Jeong Yu-shin, who had washed off all the waste stuck to his body, looked into the bathtub. ¡°This is horrible. It feels like I really pooped with my body.¡± He changed into new clothes and left the warehouse. Karin, who was waiting outside, froze when she saw Jeong Yu-shin. His face glowed. His skin was already soft. Now, it was smooth as if he had applied honey. ¡®This is really scary.¡¯ He was already handsome, but he became even more handsome. Where on earth will it end? ¡°Karin, I¡¯m sorry.¡± Jeong Yu-shin explained to Karin what had happened. Karin, who had been listening to the story carefully, looked down at Jeong Yu-shin with surprised eyes. ¡°What?! The magician¡¯s elixir?¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Where on earth did you get that?!¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you last time? That you met that old Barbaroi?¡± Jeong Yu-shin explained calmly. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Does that make sense?¡± Karin, who had heard the whole story, gaped open her mouth. The Magician¡¯s Tears is an elixir that you can¡¯t get even with money. You just gave away such a precious item? ¡®It¡¯s an elixir that permanently improves your body¡¯s constitution to a form that¡¯s friendly to magic.¡¯ Did it save the Barbaroi tribe? The Magician¡¯s elixir. Long ago. Theoretical knowledge is excellent. There was a wizard who was born but was in despair because he lacked innate magical power. Despite leveling up numerous times, the wizard, who was desperate because his magical power was insufficient compared to that of other wizards of the same level, locked himself in the tower and studied for a long time. However, the wizard, who could not find a way, entered the labyrinth with a feeling of despair. As if by a twist of fate, the wizard discovered an elixir deep in the labyrinth. The wizard returned to the tower and studied the elixir for a long time. And then he realized. This elixir fundamentally changed the body into a body friendly to magical power. The wizard took the elixir immediately. Although his magical power had increased, the gray-haired wizard, who was already old and facing death, shed tears and regretted it. Why didn''t he enter the labyrinth a little earlier? That was the story behind the elixir being called the Wizard''s Tears. It must have been an elixir that could only be obtained by going quite far down in the labyrinth. In any case. Karin let out a deep sigh. She felt relieved that Scar hadn¡¯t been sneaking out somewhere without her knowing. And she felt great joy at the fact that the person she liked had grown up. Karin explained about the magician¡¯s elixir. Jung Yu-shin tilted his head. ¡°Is that why it stank?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. The body must have changed to accept pure magic and expelled useless waste.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Jung Yu-shin stretched out his hand into the air. [Sacred Weapon] A golden dagger bloomed from his hand in an instant. ¡°Crazy!¡± Jung Yu-shin was astonished. The imprint magic unfolded three times faster than he could feel. The magic naturally responded to his will as if he was breathing through his nose. Jung Yu-shin stared blankly at the summoned dagger. The overwhelming power of the elixir was keenly felt on her skin. ¡®It¡¯s scary.¡¯ Karin¡¯s face hardened. ¡°This elixir has even greater advantages.¡± ¡°What, what is it?¡± ¡°As you level up, your magical power increases exponentially.¡± ¡®You¡¯re getting level-up boosts too?¡¯ A situation that was a huge win. She was touched that such an absurd coincidence had come into her life. ¡°Sex.¡± ¡°What...?¡± Scar suddenly shouted for copulation. Karin¡¯s face turned red. Scar smiled brightly and looked very happy. ¡®If it¡¯s now?¡¯ Could they copulate? Gulp. Karin¡¯s throat moved. ¡°T... that¡¯s a bit. It¡¯s morning now. How about at night?¡± ¡°What are you talking about? It just feels good. Sex.¡± ¡°...¡± Karin glared at Jeong Yu-shin with resentful eyes. The man who had brutally destroyed her first night and was talking about sex with a natural expression. But when she thought about that night. Her thighs clenched on their own and her nipples stood out stiffly. Karin¡¯s breathing became ragged. As she looked at that innocent face, a wet desire naturally leaked out. She wanted to touch this man with her scent once more. She would once again touch that embarrassing place that was too hard to talk about. While receiving this man¡¯s embarrassed gaze. The desire to finally ¡®mark¡¯ her surrender slowly showed its face. She had been busy helping Scar with the inn work. She had done it on purpose. If she hadn¡¯t, she might have been controlled by her lust and made the same mistake again. It seemed like she knew why Scar had forbidden sex. Karin and Scar were both hot and bothered each other. Unrestrained. It was obvious that she would put the labyrinth work on the back burner and roll around in the inn with Scar day and night. Then one day, the slime condom ran out and she ended up receiving Scar''s heavy penis as it was. She got pregnant by completely putting Scar''s seed ? N§àv§Öl¦Éght ? (Read the full story) in her uterus. And gave birth to a child. Scar and her child. ''How many children would you like to have?'' "Karin, are you okay?" "Huh!" Karin opened her eyes wide at Jung Yu-shin''s question. "Uh...uh. Clean up and come back. I have to eat breakfast." Karin raised her arms and hurriedly covered her chest and turned around. Her nipples, which were not aware of anything, were so hard that it hurt. A thin summer bra couldn''t even cover them. Jung Yu-shin scratched his head. Did he feel hurt because he ate only the good things? He went back to the yard storage, cleaned up, and returned to the inn. The inn staff gathered around the table. The menu was simple chicken breast sandwiches and grape juice. Jung Yu-shin explained what happened this morning. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤So it seems that the waste came out of the body.¡± Tarman nodded. ¡°I see. I thought you went somewhere again under Aldain¡¯s orders.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m not the type of person who poops with my whole body, even if I poop with my mouth.¡± ¡°...¡± The people looked at Jung Yu-shin quietly. It was hard to tolerate someone talking about poop at the dinner table, no matter how pretty they were. Karin crossed her arms. ¡°So what are we going to do first? I heard you left the Iron Mask Party?¡± ¡°Ah! That¡¯s right.¡± Jung Yu-shin slapped his knee. ¡°Karin, let¡¯s go into the labyrinth together.¡± ¡°Okay. I wanted to ask you a favor.¡± Karin readily accepted. Jung Yu-shin smiled brightly. ¡°Then we should go get our equipment ready first. To do that, we need to meet Aldain.¡± In the past, he had received a magic stone appraisal through Snood to treat Edel, who had magic hardening. Aldain probably had some knowledge about the distribution of magic stones. Karin scratched her cheek. ¡°Thank you, Scar.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re grateful, repay me with your body.¡± ¡°Tsk!¡± Karin¡¯s face turned red. It was hard to get used to the young pretty boy Scar who sexually harassed her without warning. Regardless, Jung Yu-shin got up from his seat. It¡¯s right to pull out the bull¡¯s horn in one go. ¡°Are you going to the Demon Dismantling Center?¡± Tarman asked. ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ll go quickly and come back.¡± Jung Yu-shin stopped by the second floor to get the highest-grade magic stone and ran to the Demon Dismantling Center in the western area. ¡®I¡¯ve made money and gotten a chance, so I¡¯m lucky.¡¯ How can I be this lucky in another world? Jung Yu-shin¡¯s face was filled with smiles as he ran down the street. * * * However, Jung Yu-shin¡¯s smile hardened when he arrived at Aldaine¡¯s office. Aldaine sat down at his desk and clasped his hands together, resting his chin on his hand. ¡°It¡¯s half and half. Ska, you¡¯ll just work with me.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Jung Yu-shin¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Wh...what¡¯s going on?¡± Chapter 135: Murder Early morning. In the Monster Dissection Office. "..." Silence passed between Jeong Yusin and Aldein. Aldein, holding his scimitar, glared at Jeong Yusin. "Crazy bastard. This is a damn mess." A sudden curse. "Excuse me?" A flustered Jeong Yusin asked in return. The elf captain had asked to work on something together, yet suddenly he was cursing. Moreover, it was clear how furious Aldein was, as his hand holding the red scimitar was faintly trembling. "Why are you angry? Did I do something wrong?" Jeong Yusin¡¯s question made Aldein brush his gray hair. "I''m not angry." ??? Jeong Yusin looked at him with a dumbfounded expression. ¡®Is he out of his mind?¡¯ Aldein tapped his head. "...Aigo, my head." "If you''re not feeling well, I''ll come back later." "No. Let¡¯s finish business first." Aldein leaned the scimitar against the table and straightened his posture. "Something interesting is happening in the labyrinth city these days." "..." "Don¡¯t shrug your shoulders like you don¡¯t know anything." "I really don¡¯t know." "Well, you wouldn¡¯t know. You¡¯ve been outside the labyrinth city for a month, right?" "How do you know I was outside the labyrinth city? And how do you know I got younger?" "Don¡¯t we have our sweet-nosed friend? And the southern district is in chaos because of you. They¡¯re saying a black-haired handsome boy appeared." "..." Jeong Yusin swept his hair back. His shoulders slowly began to rise. Maybe it¡¯s time to admit it? ¡®I might be handsome.¡¯ "Don¡¯t act like you''re so deadly. You look like a cocoon in front of an elf." "..." Jeong Yusin slowly lowered his hand and gently placed it on his knee. Aldein cleared his throat before speaking again. "Ah! Drugs are circulating inside the city." The sudden statement made Jeong Yusin¡¯s eyes widen. Drugs? "What do you mean by drugs all of a sudden?" "You might be familiar with it. You¡¯ve been in the forest tier, so you probably know. What¡¯s the ¡®law¡¯ of the forest tier?" "¡®Pain,¡¯ right?" In the forest tier, pain triggers madness. It was an absolute rule of the labyrinth that no one could escape. "Right. Recently, a ''strange'' pain-relieving cream has been popular among explorers in the forest tier. It hasn¡¯t been long." "Shit." Jeong Yusin cursed. During the forest troll hunt before. He had once used the pain-relieving cream given to him by a warrior. He had smeared it thickly on his skin. And that was... drugs? Aldein looked at Jeong Yusin¡¯s expression and crossed his arms. "Have you used it once? Strictly speaking, it''s a narcotic painkiller. Isn¡¯t it better than going crazy?" It might be true. Whether you go mad from the madness. Or get addicted to the drugs and slowly deteriorate into a useless wreck. Both seemed like the worst possible outcomes. "Why would someone use a narcotic painkiller when there are quality potions?" "There are many reasons. Maybe during a critical battle, there¡¯s no time to take off your helmet and drink a potion. Maybe there¡¯s no priest in the party. Additionally, the drug¡¯s effect helps to shake off fear. And potions can''t erase the pain they''ve already experienced." "..." Jeong Yusin had no words in response. "So?" "Recently, there¡¯s a drug that¡¯s been released to the market. Its effect is terrifying. It works well as a painkiller, but that''s it. The addiction is so severe that it messes up the brain." Aldein paused for a moment before continuing. "The problem isn¡¯t just that. It was only popular among explorers, but now it¡¯s starting to affect ordinary people as well. With how fast it¡¯s spreading, it looks organized. I can¡¯t ignore it. Some of my subordinates are addicted and losing their minds." Jeong Yusin thought deeply and then spoke. "I understand what¡¯s going on. So, there¡¯s some kind of organization behind this? But how can someone like me, so weak, capture them? If the captain can¡¯t do it, how would I have the power?" Aldein gave him a bewildered look. "You think you''re weak?" "Yes. Look at my innocent face. Do I look like someone who would cut someone down?" Aldein widened his eyes and looked down at Jeong Yusin. "..." An uncomfortable silence lingered for a moment between them. Aldein rubbed his eyebrows. "You¡¯re fine, but sometimes you say ridiculous things. The madness of the labyrinth, and whatnot, you just sound like a crazy bastard." "It¡¯s not that bad." "I get it. Think about it. This is related to the southern district as well." Jeong Yusin pulled out a red magic stone from his pocket. Aldein immediately recognized it. "This is a top-grade magic stone, isn¡¯t it? Where did you get this?" "Some barbarian old man gave it to me. Is there anyone who would buy this magic stone?" Aldein stared at the stone for a while, then slowly spoke. "I can think of a few places." "Can you sell it for me?" "You know I¡¯m the monster dissection office head, right? I¡¯m not a black market dealer." "Can¡¯t you do it?" Jeong Yusin rubbed his hands together, looking at Aldein with sparkling eyes. Aldein grabbed the scimitar. "...Captain, why are you holding the sword?" "To feel the love and peace in my heart." "Your hands are shaking, though?" "I have tremors. It happens after working for a long time." "..." Another uncomfortable silence passed between them. Aldein shook his head and sighed. "Aigo. Darmong must¡¯ve given me a huge burden." "Isn¡¯t that what we do, helping each other?" "You¡¯ve gotten really sly. Life looks easy, huh? The commission is 30%." "Captain, what commission are you talking about? Can¡¯t you do 20%? I¡¯ve got a family to support." "You guys make a lot of money from your inn. The innkeepers in the southern district are sighing heavily. You¡¯re sweeping all the money." "..." They made that much? "If you¡¯re using connections, there¡¯s a price to pay. Who¡¯s living off the land?" "Understood." Aldein waved his hand. "Alright. I¡¯ll send the payment for the magic stone to the sweet-nosed friend. It might take some time. Go now. Think about what I said." "Yes." Jeong Yusin stood up, bowed his head, and left the office. Creak. Thud. Aldein sighed as he looked at the spot where Jeong Yusin had been sitting and fiddled with the scimitar. "Little brother, please stop talking. I¡¯m dying here." The scimitar shuddered. Aldein stared blankly at the scimitar. "...You really want to be held tightly by that pretty boy, huh?" Aldein leaned back in his chair and rubbed his forehead. ¡®This is really dangerous.¡¯ He had known from the report by the sweet-nosed friend, but he didn¡¯t expect it to be this bad. The kind of beauty that could rival any elf. Could this really be the same old Sky? He had heard rumors about a handsome boy appearing in the southern district, but it must¡¯ve been true. ¡®And doesn¡¯t he also have the Virgin¡¯s Corruption imprint?¡¯ Just a little twisted, and he could become a walking virgin killer. The scene of countless virgins with imprints engraved on them flashed vividly in his mind. A bomb of a guy. "Ugh. Please don¡¯t take off the ring." Aldein sighed and muttered. Jeong Yusin walked down the street with light steps, exiting the western district. The hot sun was beating down on his head, but he didn¡¯t mind. He had gained something from the walk. He entrusted the sale of the top-grade magic stone to Aldein. Soon, the payment from the stone sale would be in his hands. Then he could buy equipment with Karin. While waiting, he could train and prepare to enter the labyrinth. He thought over his plans for the future. ¡®Things are going smoothly.¡¯ Jeong Yusin, smiling widely, was walking through the southern park street when he suddenly stopped. The narcotic painkiller Aldein mentioned lingered in his mind. ¡®Should I look into it a bit more?¡¯ His tone had been serious. He sat down on a park bench and stared at the fountain. What should he do? He knew well that there was no need to poke the hornet''s nest. ¡®But should I just stand by and watch?¡¯ He hadn¡¯t gotten the full details from Aldein. He needed to understand how serious the situation was with the narcotic painkiller circulating in the market before he could make a decision. As Jeong Yusin was lost in thought, a person came to mind. Edel. The mother of the fox beastman, Luna, and the owner of the pharmacy. He had met her when she helped him with magic sclerosis. ¡®I should ask her.¡¯ Since she ran a pharmacy, she probably knew something about the pain-relief cream. Jeong Yusin stood up. ¡®I¡¯ll stop by to see Luna¡¯s cute face too.¡¯ Southern street. A small pharmacy. The wooden door opened, and the doorbell rang. Ding-dong. "Welcome..." Edel stopped mid-greeting and stiffened. Three men with rough appearances had entered. One was a lizard beastman. The other two were humans. Unwelcome visitors. Luna, who had been organizing potions on the display rack, looked up and frowned. "What do you want again?" "Luna, step aside." Edel sharply warned Luna, and Luna closed her mouth and stepped back. The lizard beastman flicked his tongue and stepped closer. "You know, I¡¯ve seen your daughter¡¯s temper a lot. But anyway, madam, how long are you going to keep refusing?" "...I told you clearly, didn¡¯t I?" Edel responded coldly. The lizard beastman grinned. "Madam, why are you refusing when we¡¯re offering such a good deal? We¡¯re just trying to do good business here. Are you going to keep acting this way? If you do, I¡¯ll be very disappointed." "The pain-relief cream you¡¯re offering is close to a drug. I can¡¯t sell such things at our store." Edel firmly stated. The lizard beastman laughed in disbelief. "Madam, don¡¯t you know? In labyrinth exploration, such drugs are essential. In some layers, people go mad from pain. Have you ever seen someone go crazy from madness? If you had, you wouldn¡¯t be able to deny how strong the effect is." "...Even so, your products are too extreme. I can¡¯t accept them." "Hah! Damn. Other pharmacies just accept them without a word." The lizard beastman sighed and shook his head. "Ugh. Guys, do something. This lady¡¯s stubbornness is really something." The two rough-looking men smiled sinisterly. Crash!!! The two men swept the potion bottles off the pharmacy display and smashed them on the floor. The glass bottles shattered instantly, and colorful liquids spilled across the floor. "I¡¯m calling the guards!" Edel yelled. "Call them. What happens next, you know, right?" The lizard beastman smiled slyly and continued. "When we leave, who do you think will come next? Hmm? You know the labyrinth committee is changing soon, right? When that happens, no one will care if we burn down a tiny pharmacy like this." The lizard beastman slowly approached Edel and grabbed her chin. "Such a pity. Such a pity. A mother and daughter working in the same place." "Stay away from my mother!!!" Luna, unable to hold back, swung her arms wildly and lunged. The lizard beastman laughed. Slaaap!!! Without hesitation, he slapped Luna across the face. Bang!!! Luna flew through the air like a doll and crashed into the corner. Her cheek turned bright red, and blood flowed from her mouth. "Luna!!!" Edel screamed and tried to rush to Luna, but the lizard beastman grabbed her arm. "Madam, I think you¡¯ve crossed the line while we¡¯ve been so gentlemanly with you." "Let go of me!!!" Edel struggled. Slaaap!!! The lizard beastman slapped Edel across the face with his other hand. He didn¡¯t stop there¡ªhe grabbed her hair. "Are you underestimating us? Decide now. Take the drugs, or close down your store." "Cough!!!" Edel clenched her lips, furious. How had she come this far? She had been given a second chance to live after being diagnosed with magic sclerosis, thanks to Sky¡¯s help. But before she could feel happiness, misfortune found her. Repeated visits, threatening not-so-subtle threats, and pushing products she didn¡¯t want to sell. She kept refusing, but things kept escalating, leading to today. Tears welled up in Edel¡¯s eyes, desperate. "Ah... I understand." "Stop right there." A cold voice rang from the back. The lizard beastman turned his head. "Huh? What¡¯s this?" A black-haired handsome boy stood by the door. A twisted expression, like a devil. Jeong Yusin looked around. Luna, unconscious, was crumpled in the corner, blood dripping from her mouth. Jeong Yusin¡¯s eyes sparked with fury. "These damn bastards." An assassin''s intent surged through ¡ô N§àv§Öl?g?t ¡ô (Only on N§àv§Öl?g?t) the heart of the formerly peaceful boy. Chapter 136: Labyrinth City Drug Enforcement Unit The lizard man who was holding Ethel''s hair snickered. "Kid, are you crazy? Why are you barging into someone else''s business and swearing at them all of a sudden? It seems like your parents have no talent for educating their children." "..." Jeong Yu-shin silently took out a dagger from his bosom. The lizard man made a dumbfounded expression. "Young friend, if you take out such a vicious weapon, our attitude will have no choice but to change." "Young punk, let go of that hand." The lizard man grabbed Ethel''s hair and shook it back and forth. "Ha! I was trying to spread some good influence in the labyrinth city, but now even the little kid is acting /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ up. Kids, touch me properly. I''ll break off my arms and legs and sell them to some perverted sodomite. Don''t touch my face." ¡°¡°Yes!¡±¡± Two human men approached with dark laughter and rushed at the same time. Just as one man was about to grab Jung Yu-shin by the collar. Jung Yu-shin slid aside and swung his dagger. Bam!!! The sharp dagger sliced ??through the man¡¯s knuckles. Clink. His fingers fell limply. ¡°Kkaaaaaaaaa!!!!¡± The man let out a pig-snapping scream. Without stopping, he swung his dagger and sliced ??the man¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple, then jumped into the other man¡¯s arms. Bam!!! Bam!!! Bam!!! Bam!!! He held the dagger in his hands and shot him twice in the liver. He grabbed it again and shot him once in the heart. Finally, he shot him deeply under the neck. ¡°Bam!!!¡± The man''s body jerked and he stepped back, then knelt down and slammed his head on the floor. Boom!!! The lizard man let go of Edel''s hair and looked down at Jung Yu-shin. "Who are you?" "..." Jung Yu-shin didn''t say anything. "Where did you learn dagger skills? Don''t be so arrogant. I''ll kill you." The lizard man took out a dagger and rushed at him. Jung Yu-shin threw the dagger upward. Now that Edel, who was almost taken hostage, was released, I have to show him properly. [Sacred Weapon] The magic particles responded to Jung Yu-shin''s will and ran in an instant through the widened magic circuit. A longsword made of light. The lizard man''s eyes widened. "Holy magic?" No questions asked. I don''t even feel like it''s worth answering. He grabbed the sword and swung it. Ssaeeeeeeeeek!!! Four lines of light were drawn in the air. Overwhelming speed. It was a speed that even Jung Yu-shin himself couldn''t see. Chooaaaaaaah!!! The light sword sliced ??off the lizard man''s two arms and two legs. The severed body fell to the floor. Clang. Next, the dagger that Jung Yu-shin had thrown fell to the floor. The lizard man squirmed on the floor like a legless bug. The lizard man looked up at Jung Yu-shin with eyes of disbelief. Blood began to spurt out from the cut surface. Cheeeeeeek!!!! "Keuuuuuuuu!!!" Only then did the lizard man start screaming as if he felt pain. Jung Yu-shin lifted his foot and stepped on the lizard man''s neck. Drumroll. The lizard man''s body twitched. As he put strength into his foot, his cervical vertebrae began to break one by one. The lizard man glared at Jung Yu-shin, spewing blood. "Kururuk!!! O, we''re finished...!" Drumroll. The lizard man died with his cervical vertebrae broken. Jung Yu-shin lifted his foot and approached Edel. Edel was trembling with her eyes wide open. It was bitter to see such a shocking scene for no reason. I should have killed him more beautifully. He swallowed his belated regret and placed his hand on Edel''s shoulder. "Edel, calm down. It''s Scar." Edel''s eyes widened. "S...Scar-nim?!" ¡°I¡¯m sorry I¡¯m late. I should have visited you more often.¡± ¡°Ah... no.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go somewhere safe first. Close the store.¡± ¡°But Luna!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take a look.¡± Jung Yu-shin checked Edel¡¯s body and quickly approached Luna. Luna was still unconscious. Her mouth was completely torn open because she had been hit so hard. Jung Yu-shin carefully touched Luna¡¯s body. ¡®There¡¯s no serious injury except for her cheek.¡¯ After treating Luna with Edel¡¯s help, they all left the store together and returned to the inn. When Jung Yu-shin returned to the inn, Karin, who was working, approached him in surprise. ¡°Luna? Edel? What¡¯s going on?!¡± ¡°The bad guys were causing a commotion in the store. Luna and Edel were hurt. Let¡¯s talk about the rest in my room.¡± Jung Yu-shin brought the mother and daughter to his room on the second floor. He laid Luna, who had lost consciousness, on the bed and looked at Ethel. ¡°What happened? Those guys were talking about business or something.¡± ¡°That...¡± Ethel hesitated and explained. Jung Yu-shin¡¯s face hardened after listening for a while. ¡®Pain relief cream.¡¯ A narcotic painkiller that is popular these days. He kept forcing me to buy it, so when I refused several times, he said he had been violent. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you ask me for help?¡± Ethel looked at Luna with sad eyes. ¡°It happens often. And you even saved my life, so I didn¡¯t want to worry you, Ska, over such trivial things.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡®Hold on to your temper.¡¯ Was it because she had raised her daughter alone for so long? He was trying to solve everything alone. Still. He couldn''t say any more regrets. Because Edel would be the one who would feel the pain more. After waiting for a moment, Luna opened her eyes. "Uhm." Jung Yu-shin approached and held Luna''s hand tightly. "Luna, are you okay?" Luna looked up at Jung Yu-shin''s face and suddenly shed tears like chicken poop. "Woooo. Woooooo." Jung Yu-shin gently hugged Luna and patted her back. Luna, who had been crying for a long time, fell asleep again out of exhaustion. Jung Yu-shin got up from his seat. "Please stay here until it''s safe for the time being." "Ska-nim. You can''t..." "Please do the same for Luna." This kind of thing had to be done once and for all. If it dragged on, you never knew what kind of retaliation she''d receive. "Karin, guard the inn." ¡°I¡¯ll go too.¡± ¡°No. You¡¯re the only one I can trust.¡± ¡°...¡± Karin bit her lips tightly. ¡°Karin.¡± ¡°Haa. Okay. I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re trying to do, but don¡¯t get hurt. And don¡¯t overdo it.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± He searched through his luggage, grabbed a single-edged sword with ¡®Gale¡¯ engraved on it, and ran to the monster dismantling center. Boom!!! Jung Yu-shin opened the door to Aldain¡¯s office and strode in. Aldain scratched his blindfold. ¡°The door¡¯s going to break.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s do what we talked about before.¡± Aldain snickered. ¡°Good. Dulchangko, who had been out on a reconnaissance mission, is here.¡± Dulchangko, who was standing next to Aldain, nodded and opened his mouth. ¡°I found out the organization that is currently releasing the drug on the market.¡± ¡°What kind of organization are you?¡± ¡°Blackwell is a new clan. They¡¯re currently based in the corner of the Eastern District.¡± Jeong Yu-shin frowned. That damn Eastern District. If you don¡¯t do something bad even for a day, do you get thorns in your mouth? His stomach was boiling. ¡°Do you have a backer?¡± When Aldain asked, Dulchanko shook his head. ¡°No. However.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a retired explorer.¡± ¡°Who is he?¡± ¡°Max.¡± ¡°Who is he? Oh! Isn¡¯t that guy a lieutenant explorer? Did he retire this time?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°What does he do?¡± ¡°He¡¯s a guy with a pretty good imprint. Maybe...?¡± When Aldain scratched his head and tried to avoid it, Dulchanko quickly chimed in. ¡°I have a health strength imprint. It¡¯s an imprint that increases my body size and strength as my physical strength increases.¡± Even just running a marathon is an imprint that increases my strength and height. With such a fraudulent imprint, what I¡¯m doing is selling drugs. Really. It¡¯s hard to keep him alive. Deulchangko took his time explaining the Blackwell Clan in detail. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤The total number of members is close to thirty.¡± Jeong Yushin listened carefully and then stood up. ¡°I¡¯ll go.¡± ¡°With that body? Aren¡¯t you going to de-imprint?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s particularly necessary.¡± Aldain snickered and held out a red single-edged sword. ¡°Take it.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t refuse.¡± Jeong Yushin took the red single-edged sword and put it on his waist. ¡°Chief, please do me one favor.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I know a pharmacy. Send someone to clean up after it. Deulchangko will know the exact location.¡± ¡°Is there a body? I understand. Deulchangko, send your men to clean up after the pharmacy.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Dulchanko nodded and answered, then left the office. Aldain folded his arms. ¡°Scar, is there a separate plan?¡± Jung Yushin opened his mouth. ¡°Massacre.¡± Aldain¡¯s smile deepened. ¡°Good.¡± * * * Late at night. Jung Yushin checked his weapons. A dagger. A red single-edged sword he received from Aldain. A single-edged sword with the ¡®Gale¡¯ magic engraved on it. He left the monster dismantling center with both single-edged swords on his waist. Dulchanko took the lead and opened the way. After walking for a while, they arrived at the eastern zone gate. The guard looked at Dulchanko and sighed deeply. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Don¡¯t cause too much trouble.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Pass.¡± The guards sent Jung Yu-shin and Deulchang-ko into the eastern district without even checking. After passing the checkpoint, they saw buildings emitting dazzling lights. Buildings that looked like bright apricots. No matter how much they looked, they didn¡¯t feel even a hint of inspiration. After walking for a while, they passed the entertainment district and arrived at a dark alley. The alley wasn¡¯t a very pleasant sight. A thick cloud of unknown smoke was gushing out from under the sewer. Underneath the walls covered in various wastes and vomit, people who were drunk on drugs were strewn like trash. After walking through the alleys that spread out like a maze for about an hour, they arrived at a place. A house blocked by a solid iron gate. Jung Yu-shin turned his head to the side. ¡°Is this the right place?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m sure.¡± ¡°Deulchang-ko, hide somewhere.¡± ¡°Oh, I understand.¡± He knocked on the iron gate with his nose open. Knock. A small door on top of the iron gate opened and a man with only his eyes peeking out appeared. ¡°Who is it?¡± Jung Yu-shin raised his head with bright eyes. ¡°Is this the Blackwell branch? I came to get medicine.¡± ¡°...¡± Knock. The small iron gate closed again. After a while, the iron gate opened and a human man stood there with his arms crossed. ¡°Are you an errand boy? It¡¯s selling like hotcakes these days. I¡¯ll give you a low price.¡± ¡°Where¡¯s Max?¡± The man¡¯s face hardened at Jung Yu-shin¡¯s question. He still looked like a young boy, so I let my guard down, but seeing his eyes sparkling gave me a chill down my spine. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤You¡¯re not the guy who came to buy medicine, are you?¡± ¡°You know that now? I¡¯ve never seen such a retard like you before.¡± Jung Yu-shin grabbed the red single-edged sword. Baldo. Ssaeeeeeeek!!! The sword sliced ??through the man¡¯s neck. Puhaaaaak!!! The severed head flew up and hit the ceiling of the hallway and fell to the floor. Thump. The headless corpse knelt down on the spot. Chuuuuk!!! Blood gushed out from the severed neck. Jung Yu-shin looked down at the single-edged sword drawing. This cool sensation. It¡¯s been a long time. ¡®I think I shivered a little. Could it be my imagination?¡¯ He stopped thinking. There are so many people I have to kill, I can¡¯t delay here. He kicked the corpse and stepped inside the iron gate. ¡°The enemy!!!¡± In the narrow hallway, several tattooed men saw Jung Yu-shin and shouted, and the wooden door opened and other men rushed out. ¡°What?!¡± ¡°That little brat is holding a sword and cutting Huey!¡± ¡°Are you crazy?! Where the hell do you think you are?¡± ¡°Whew. Huey, that bastard used medicine so often that his head is spinning.¡± ¡°I told you. You shouldn¡¯t be the gatekeeper.¡± The men in the hallway muttered as they pulled out their weapons. Swish. Jung Yu-shin pulled out his single-edged sword with the ¡®Gale¡¯ ability. Looking at the men covered in black hair, I felt nauseous. ¡°Kill him!!!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t let him off easy on you because he¡¯s young!!!¡± The men rushed in from the narrow hallway. His hands were itching. Originally, I was going to save it for when my life was in danger, but that wouldn''t work. How fast could it be? I grabbed the two single-edged swords and crossed them in an X shape and pulled hard. Here we go. Boom!!! Jung Yu-shin''s foot stepped on Jin-gak. He leaped forward and swung the two single-edged swords horizontally. Ssaeeeeeeeeek!!! Jung Yu-shin''s body stretched out for a moment. A straight line of light. For a moment, I could clearly see the men slowly swinging their weapons. Phuhwahwahwahwahwa!!! The blades of the two single-edged swords mercilessly cut through the men''s torsos and continued forward. Kagagagagak!!! Not only that, the two single-edged swords scratched the stone walls of the narrow corridor, sending sparks flying. From the entrance to the end of the corridor. He went forward at the speed of light and chopped them all up. In an instant, thirty men fell down, becoming pieces of meat. ¡°Whew.¡± Crazy performance. He crossed the hallway at a speed that was literally like a ¡®whirlwind.¡¯ Tsuaak! He swung his sword and shook off the blood. Dulchangko, who was standing at the entrance of the hallway, turned pale to the point of fright. ¡°S...Ska-nim?!¡± Dulchangko called to Jeong Yu-shin from afar. Jeong Yu-shin gestured. ¡°Come quickly.¡± Dulchangko walked carefully through the narrow hallway. They were all torn to pieces and died. Some men died instantly without even knowing what had happened. There was a man who looked at his half-cut lower body and flailed his hands. It felt like a nightmare. If there was a hell, would it be here? ¡°Ugh!!!¡± The squeaky nose barely suppressed the rising nausea and reached the end of the corridor covered in blood and viscera. At the end of the narrow corridor, there was another iron door. Jung Yu-shin knocked on the iron door. ¡°Please...please save me!!!¡± A trembling voice was heard from behind the iron door. ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°I was kidnapped by the West Pharmacist Association!!! I came here because they offered me a lot of money, but they confined me and made me do illegal work.¡± ¡°Open the door first. Before I break it down.¡± ¡°Ah, I understand.¡± Gurrrrrrrr. The door opened and people in white gowns gathered. Mole Su-in was standing among them. Jung Yu-shin approached Mole Su-in. ¡°You know Max? Where is he?¡± ¡°Hwan, he¡¯s in the entertainment district.¡± ¡°Be more specific.¡± The mole pharmacist stammered and explained. Dwarf-nos nodded with a pale face. ¡°It seems to be pretty close.¡± ¡°Dwarf-nos, call your subordinates and watch over these guys. I¡¯ll go alone and catch and beat up Max.¡± ¡°Are you okay?¡± Dwarf-nos asked cautiously. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You just saw me.¡± ¡°But...who are you?¡± Mole Suin asked hesitantly. ¡°Me?¡± Jung Yu-shin snatched the black sunglasses from Mole Suin. That was strange. All the mole Suin I¡¯d seen up until now had been wearing black sunglasses. ¡°I¡¯m from the Labyrinth City Drug Enforcement Unit, my name is Scar.¡± ¡°...¡± Jung Yu-shin turned around after saying that. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Drug Enforcement Unit? Was there something like that in Labyrinth City?¡± The mole muttered blankly. Chapter 137: Are you kidding me with this? East District''s shopping district. A place more dazzling at night than during the day. It was a place that could only be seen deep inside, after passing through the gates of the East District. The busy street was full of various monsters. Harpies and killer bees were flying around, handing out flyers from the sky. A venom spider with green spots on its back was swinging lights with its web. Cobalts, goblins, and slimes were marching in a line, following the orcs. Jeong Yusin stopped walking. Watching people walk around in the skins of monsters, he realized one thing. ¡®These bastards.¡¯ He had experienced peeling off flesh at least once. An indescribable emotion surged through him. What should he call it? Was it the feeling of a butcher walking among pigs? He had never felt this way before. ¡®Why am I feeling this way?¡¯ As he tried to calm his restless heart, two figures approached. A tall dark elf with long silver hair. A girl with orange hair tied in twin tails. A black horn was attached to the left side of the orange-haired girl¡¯s forehead. Her height was similar to his. For some reason, she gave off a mischievous vibe. The orange-haired girl got a little closer. "Hello, little barbarian. Lost your way?" Her voice was clear, contrasting with her lazy eyes. Jeong Yusin tilted his head. ¡®What¡¯s this? Is she possibly swooning over my looks again?¡¯ He couldn''t ignore the stares he had felt as he walked down the street. He was a cool, handsome guy wearing sunglasses, so of course, people would be drawn to him. Jeong Yusin ran his hand through his hair. He decided to atone for his sinful beauty and intentionally made his voice as nasal as possible. "Yeah. Do you happen to know where the ¡®Orc Barrel¡¯ tavern is?" The orange-haired girl smiled. "I know it well. Want me to take you there?" "Astharoth, we¡¯re on a tight schedule. We can¡¯t waste time here." The dark elf, standing behind, spoke with a concerned voice. The orange-haired girl, called Astharoth, shrugged her shoulders. "So what? I¡¯ll just take him there for a moment. We¡¯re going to have to work for months anyway. Let me do this." "...Fine. I understand." The dark elf sighed reluctantly. "Alright, let¡¯s go, kid." Astharoth smiled again, revealing a sharp fang. "Yes." As he walked with the girl named Astharoth, Jeong Yusin could feel the tension in the air. ¡®This isn¡¯t normal.¡¯ The dark elf and Astharoth. Both gave off an oppressive feeling, the kind you couldn¡¯t quite gauge the depth of. It felt like staring into an abyss. Strong. If he had to compare, it was a similar vibe to Ingrid. Jeong Yusin muttered to himself. ¡®Got it. Astharoth.¡¯ Passersby glanced at Jeong Yusin and the girl as they walked down the street. Many eyes were on them, but the three of them didn¡¯t seem to care. The group passed through the noisy red-light district and stopped in front of a building. "This is the ¡®Orc Barrel¡¯ tavern." "Thank you, miss." Jeong Yusin bowed slightly in gratitude. Astharoth crossed her arms and locked eyes with him. "Kid, don¡¯t kill too much, alright?" Jeong Yusin trembled. "Wha...what do you mean by that? I¡¯m a good boy, I don¡¯t do murder or anything like that." Astharoth looked at him with a bewildered expression and opened her mouth. "Kid, good kids don¡¯t carry three swords on their body. And there¡¯s blood all over those two scimitars. Do you really think your murderous gaze is hidden by those sunglasses?" "..." Jeong Yusin paused for a moment before raising his hand and subtly lowering his sunglasses. "Did I get caught?" "Try at least making an effort to hide it. Anyway, I¡¯m going. See you next time." Astharoth turned away and waved her hand. Jeong Yusin tilted his head. ¡®See you next time?¡¯ She seemed to expect they¡¯d meet again. ¡®Is that really the important part? Get a grip, Yusin.¡¯ Jeong Yusin slapped his cheek and opened the tavern door. Ding-dong. The wooden door opened smoothly, and the doorbell rang. He stepped inside and looked around. Dim lighting. People quietly conversing. An old man was polishing glass cups with a rag behind the antique wooden bar. Jeong Yusin slowly approached the bar counter. "Grandpa, is there someone named Max here?" The old man, who had his hair slicked back, placed the glass on the counter and looked down at Jeong Yusin. "Who are you?" "I¡¯m a friend of Max. I came to discuss business." The old man smiled faintly. "The smell of blood is overwhelming." "Don¡¯t worry, I didn¡¯t spill my own blood." "At least thirty people. No, thirty-one. You killed them all in one blow, huh?" The old man¡¯s words made Jeong Yusin¡¯s expression turn cold. "...Where is Max?" "Room 4 on the 3rd floor. Irlil, show him the way." "Yes." A cat beastman approached and stood before Jeong Yusin. "Follow me." "Let¡¯s go." Jeong Yusin followed the cat beastman up the tavern stairs and stood in front of the door to Max¡¯s room. "Is it here?" "Yes." Jeong Yusin opened the door and entered. Inside, a huge, muscular man was sitting on the couch. He was over 2 meters tall. His hair was a brown mess, almost the color of earth. He was shirtless, with muscles rippling all over his body, radiating heat. ¡®Is this Max?¡¯ An ex-mid-level explorer. His imprint was the "Health Strength" imprint. It was said that as stamina increased, so did one¡¯s body size and muscle mass. He looked exactly like that. Jeong Yusin ? N§àv§Ölight ? (Exclusive on N§àv§Ölight) sat down on the couch opposite Max. "Good evening, Mr. Max." "Who are you?" Max asked in a low voice. "You don¡¯t need to know who I am." In response, Max picked up a bottle of alcohol and filled a glass. Chug. "Kid, I¡¯m not in the mood to talk right now." Jeong Yusin sunk into the couch. "Max. Max. Max. Max, you bastard." "..." Max silently took a drink and downed it in one go. Clink. After setting the glass on the table, Jeong Yusin grabbed the bottle and leaned forward, refilling Max¡¯s glass. "Boss, I¡¯ve never seen such a foolish doorman in my life." "Was it Hui? That guy was a bit off his rocker from the drugs. He really messed up in the end." "And you¡¯re kidnapping pharmacists from the western district? What are you planning to do if things go south? Are you drinking like nothing happened after causing this mess?" "..." Max emptied his glass without answering. Jeong Yusin picked up an apple from the plate and stuck it with a fork, offering it. "Here, have some snacks." Max silently accepted it and chewed the apple loudly. "You eat well." "I¡¯ve always eaten everything well since I was young." "That¡¯s bragging. You pig." "..." Max glared at Jeong Yusin, then sighed deeply. "Ugh. Do we really have to do this here?" "Then where else should we do it?" "..." Max took a cigar out of his pocket, lit it with a flint, and tried to light it with a shaky hand. Click-click. The spark didn¡¯t take. Jeong Yusin stood up, grabbed a candle, and held it to the cigar. Whoosh. The end of the cigar glowed red as Jeong Yusin sat back down next to the candle. "Ugh." Max exhaled smoke. Jeong Yusin tapped the wooden table with his fingers. "Drinking, eating apples, smoking a cigar. I bet our friend, the middle-aged guy who smokes a single cigarette before he leaves, is really envious." Max stared at him with confused eyes. "Jungu? An explorer?" "You don¡¯t need to know. You¡¯ll be gone soon too." Max scratched his head and spoke. "...Did the butcher, Sky, kill all my subordinates?" "Yes. Do you know me?" "Black hair. Red scimitar. The guy who slaughtered all those slave hunters?" "That¡¯s me." "Really cruel." "You shouldn¡¯t have been selling drugs from the start. Forcing people is even worse. That¡¯s why I came to find you." Max turned his head and looked out the window. "Yeah. Nothing ever goes as planned. Business, life... it¡¯s all the same." "..." "In the East District, why are all these monster-like things crawling around? How many people are trying to tell us what to do? Tch. I¡¯ve wasted my life." Max, with a cigar in his mouth, looked down at Jeong Yusin. Jeong Yusin noticed Max¡¯s trembling hand starting to steady. The boy and the man sat silently, staring into each other¡¯s eyes. "..." One. Two. Three. The two men laughed. Max swung his fist. Jeong Yusin also swung his fist in return. [Sacred Weapon] Attribute enhancement. Half-Ogre Gauntlet. The light enveloped Jeong Yusin¡¯s hand, and their fists collided in the center of the tavern. Boom!!!! Crash!!! Bang!!! The impact of their fists shattered the windows and sent objects flying around the room. Boom!!! The two of them leapt out through the tavern¡¯s windows and landed on the busy street. People on the street stared at Jeong Yusin and Max with wide eyes, but no one ran away. Max grimaced and shook his hands. "Slaughterer, you really are unreasonable. You take my punch with that body?" Jeong Yusin silently drew the red scimitar. The cold blade gleamed in the starlight and lights. ¡®What impressive strength. My hands are still shaking.¡¯ His hand on the hilt trembled slightly. His opponent was overwhelmingly stronger in terms of raw power. Taking a hit head-on would be a one-time thing. The difference in their physiques made a strength contest the worst possible strategy. The solution? Use his smaller body¡¯s agility to evade Max¡¯s attacks. While planning his approach, Max charged forward and swung his fist. A downward blow. Boom!!! The wind pressure made Jeong Yusin¡¯s hair fly. Jeong Yusin dodged, avoiding the punch. Boom!!! With Max¡¯s tremendous strength, the road cracked, and stones and dust scattered into the air. ¡®Good thing I wore sunglasses.¡¯ If any of that dust had gotten in his eyes, it would¡¯ve been over. Jeong Yusin gripped the sword¡¯s hilt tightly. Now that Max¡¯s punch was buried in the ground, it was the perfect opportunity. A vertical slash. Swish!!! The red scimitar sliced through Max¡¯s wrist. Whoosh!!! Blood splattered, but Max didn¡¯t flinch. The feeling from the scimitar was shallow. The muscles were solid, and part of his strength had diminished. ¡®Max is an experienced explorer skilled in various martial arts and wrestling. If he grabs me, it¡¯s over.¡¯ The sweet-nosed friend¡¯s explanation echoed in Jeong Yusin¡¯s mind. Max brought his arms together and stepped forward. After two exchanges, he had clearly identified Jeong Yusin¡¯s weaknesses. Despite his massive body, he quickly closed the distance and swung his fist. This time, he didn¡¯t throw his full force into it. Instead, he focused on quick, short jabs. Bang!!! Bang!!! Bang!!! Jeong Yusin dodged them with quick steps. Though Max¡¯s fists hit empty air, the pressure felt like explosions, shaking the air. ¡®His strength is no joke. If I get hit properly, I¡¯ll die.¡¯ Jeong Yusin¡¯s black hair whipped around as he swung the scimitar. Whenever he saw an opening, he jabbed and slashed. Max¡¯s arms were slowly getting covered in blood. Their fight was like that of a butterfly and a bear. Jeong Yusin, gracefully avoiding Max¡¯s punches and swinging the red blade, while Max relentlessly threw punches. Despite the pain, Max continued to relentlessly throw quick punches, waiting for an opening to grab him. People on the street watched, clearly entertained by the fight, holding their breath. Even while moving this way and that, one question lingered in Jeong Yusin¡¯s mind. ¡®Should I use the Storm Sword or not?¡¯ Was his life in danger right now? No. But there was no other way to deal with him. Dragging it out like this would only increase the risk. Using Sacred Weapon would only leave him open for more openings. What should he do? Jeong Yusin suddenly stopped walking. Something flashed in his mind. Can he do it? He didn¡¯t know. But he had to try. Max swung his fist quickly. Boom!!! As Jeong Yusin was dodging, he tripped on a stone and staggered. "Ah!!!" "Kid!!!" "Watch out!!!" People watching screamed. A rabbit beastman, who had been hawking, closed his eyes tightly. A slime, wriggling on the street, shuddered, and the harpies flapped their wings. "It¡¯s over." Max¡¯s cold voice echoed from above. Then, his fist came crashing down toward Jeong Yusin¡¯s head. Boom!!!! In that life-or-death moment. Jeong Yusin, still staggering, smiled slyly. "You think you¡¯ve got me?" Chapter 138: Naelm Max''s lips curled into a smile. "Heh." Seeing the bastard stumble over a stone sticking out of the ground made him laugh involuntarily. The butcher, who had skillfully avoided every attack, had finally shown an opening. No matter how agile someone is, they¡¯re bound to make a mistake eventually. It¡¯s just human nature. Out of a hundred explorers, every one of them who ran around dodging this way and that ended up getting hit once and having their skulls cracked open and dying. Over fifty of them had died that way. Even though he was retired, he was still an intermediate-level explorer who had been through many battles. ¡®I can''t miss this opportunity.¡¯ His heart raced wildly. "It''s over." With all his strength, he clenched his fist. He twisted his body with all his might and swung his fist downward with a spin. WHAM!!! The heavy punch, full of weight, cut through the air, falling from above. An overhand hook. A punch so powerful it could crush the butcher''s skull and immediately collapse his body. But... Was it the drugs? In that moment, the surroundings began to slow down. Max¡¯s eyes widened as he looked at the butcher¡¯s expression. ¡®Is he smiling?¡¯ A smile danced on the face of the butcher wearing sunglasses. Max¡¯s heart turned cold. A punch with no backup. He had put all his strength into it, and now it was irreversible. Max gritted his teeth. WHAM!!! As the punch fell like it was going to split his head open, Jeong Yushin smiled. "Did you fall for this?" He never expected to be fooled so easily. ¡®This bastard, has he lost his sense of things?¡¯ They always say to check the stone bridge twice before crossing. And yet, he had thrown a punch with no way out. He might be out of his mind from the drugs. But whatever the case, it didn¡¯t matter. He opened his palm. [Sacred Weapon] A trait enhancement. What he wanted was... A gale. At the same time he felt the mana draining from his body, a brilliant golden single-edged blade appeared in his hand. ¡®It¡¯s done!¡¯ Jeong Yushin¡¯s smile grew even broader. It was a bit smaller than expected, but this was still a great success. This was how gambling worked. It was more thrilling than leverage at 125x with coin futures. He gripped the blade tightly. Using his right foot as the pivot, he spun around, bending his knee. Now. He crossed the two blades and pulled them to the edge of his shoulders. "This ends now." SWOOSH!!! In a crouched position, he shot upward like lightning, swinging the two blades. SWISHHH!!! Swoosh. The two blades sliced through Max¡¯s neck in an instant. Max''s head was cleanly severed and flew high into the air. THUD. As Jeong Yushin landed, Max''s severed neck burst with a strong gush of blood. SSSHHHH!!! It wasn¡¯t until then that Max¡¯s body, without a head, slowly collapsed to the ground. THUD!!! Jeong Yushin shook the red single-edged sword. It made a louder noise than before, likely because there was more blood on it. He looked down at the sword. ¡®There¡¯s so much blood on it? Wait, no... this is water?¡¯ He drew a line with his finger. It was transparent and a bit sticky. What was this? Could the blade suddenly produce water? Was there some sort of automatic cleaning magic on it? He paused for a moment, then shook it off a few more times and sheathed the blade. "..." The people on the street were staring blankly at Jeong Yushin. A few murmured. "That kid has such courage at his age! It¡¯s hard to believe." "Is he... insane? He fights so well!! Who the hell is he?" "Black hair. Red single-edged blade. Could he be the butcher?" "The butcher? But I thought he was a young man? And there''s no way he¡¯s that handsome..." Others muttered. "Max died so easily?" "I knew he was on drugs and struggling, but I could tell his skills had dropped." Jeong Yushin didn¡¯t care about what people said. He just looked down at Max¡¯s head. Max¡¯s eyes were wide in horror. His expression was close to that of someone witnessing the impossible. ¡®If I¡¯d met him somewhere else, would he have been a good friend?¡¯ I don¡¯t know. He stared at Max''s head for a while before lifting his gaze and looking around at the people. There were far more people watching now than before the fight. "Ladies and gentlemen, drugs are bad for your health. Look, he lost his head. Scary, isn¡¯t it?" "..." "Thank you for cooperating to build a healthy society." "..." When the unexpected words came out of Jeong Yushin''s mouth, everyone, from monsters to people, shut their mouths. But what they were thinking was all the same. ¡®This guy¡¯s a little crazy, huh?¡¯ Jeong Yushin brushed his hair aside and turned to look at the ¡®Orc Barrel¡¯ tavern. He had unintentionally caused some trouble for the shop. It was only right to apologize and compensate. Just as he was about to approach, an elderly man and a cat beastman were standing at the tavern¡¯s entrance. Jeong Yushin walked up to the elderly man. "Owner." The elderly man shook his head and sighed deeply. "Hoo. Let¡¯s talk inside." "Let¡¯s do that." "Iluril, send someone to clean up the body." "Yes." The cat beastman bowed respectfully and walked off somewhere. The elderly man and Jeong Yushin sat at the bar counter. "I¡¯ll pay for the damage to the room." Jeong Yushin¡¯s tone returned to its usual self. The elderly man adjusted his clothing. "Skah-nim." Jeong Yushin''s eyes widened. "You know me?" "Yes, I know about things happening in the eastern district to some extent." The elderly man spoke calmly. "This situation can¡¯t be helped, but it¡¯s better not to provoke others in the eastern district too much." "..." "There are many strong-willed individuals among the strong. They usually don¡¯t care about others¡¯ business, but when it comes to matters concerning their own interests..." "Especially when it¡¯s something directly related to their own gain, you mean?" Jeong Yushin¡¯s question made the elderly man nod. "Max was one of those cases. After retiring, he started a small business in the eastern district but ended up doing things he didn¡¯t want to do due to pressure from several clans." "Max worked for someone else? Wouldn¡¯t it have been easier for him to retire and leave for another city?" "Could you have done that, Skah-nim?" "..." Jeong Yushin fell silent. Honestly, he wasn¡¯t sure. Even if he were doing business, he¡¯d want to do it somewhere he was familiar with. He understood that. But he wouldn''t bow down under someone else''s pressure and do bad things. "You might not know, but Ingrid-nim will be stepping down soon, and a new Labyrinth Committee will take charge of the entrance." "Rilis." "It¡¯s not Rilis. One of her trusted subordinates will take her place." "By the way, owner, what¡¯s your name?" "Heh heh. Why would you want to know my insignificant name? There¡¯s no need for compensation. I just hope you¡¯ll stop by for a drink sometime." Jeong Yushin looked up at the elderly man for a moment, then nodded and stood up. "Let¡¯s do that. I¡¯m sorry for the trouble." "Have a peaceful night." The elderly man smiled and nodded. After leaving the tavern, Jeong Yushin walked down the street and arrived at an alley. "Skah-nim!!!" Duchanko approached. A few of Aldain¡¯s subordinates were already gathered at the entrance to the Blackwell hideout. There were about 15 of them. Jeong Yushin took off his sunglasses and handed them to the mole beastman. "They worked well." "Ah... yes." The mole beastman accepted the sunglasses with a humble expression. "Duchanko, are all the five left in white gowns pharmacists?" "Yes." "You sure caught a lot." "Skah-nim, I¡¯ll dispose of all the drugs. There¡¯s still some property left in the hideout; what should we do with it?" Jeong Yushin looked up at the sky for a while, then spoke. "Give it all to the people who lost. If anyone died, give it to their families. By the way, how many people have been addicted to drugs?" "More than 300 people are known." Jeong Yushin clicked his tongue. "Tsk. I think I killed Max too easily." Duchanko pulled out a small book. "And I found this in Max''s room while searching the hideout." "What¡¯s this?" "It looked like a journal. I couldn¡¯t check it in detail." Jeong Yushin tucked the journal into his coat and turned his body. "Okay. If you¡¯re done, let¡¯s go back." "Yes!" Aldain¡¯s subordinates all respectfully lowered their heads around Jeong Yushin. Jeong Yushin looked around at them. "Relax a bit. Why is everyone so stiff?" Duchanko scratched his head with an awkward expression. "Actually, some of the friends who saw your fight with Max are worried." "Really?" Aldain¡¯s subordinates'' eyes lit up. "That was amazing!!!" "You moved like lightning and used two single-edged blades to slice off Max¡¯s head! I got chills down my spine!" "I¡¯m a fan now! Boss!" Jeong Yushin tucked the journal under his arm and shrugged. "These guys aren¡¯t doing what they¡¯re supposed to. Let¡¯s go. To my place." Jeong Yushin''s group passed through the Eastern District gates and returned to the main street. "Duchanko, send your subordinates to escort the pharmacists home." "Yes! Got it! Escort them well." "Understood!" Just before parting. The five pharmacists bowed deeply to Jeong Yushin. "Skah-nim, thank you. We¡¯ll never forget this favor!" "If you come to my shop, I¡¯ll treat you well!" Jeong Yushin nodded. "Go home safely." After seeing the pharmacists off, Jeong Yushin and Duchanko arrived at the Monster Butchery in the Western District. Aldain was sitting by a campfire in the yard. Jeong Yushin sat down beside Aldain. "It¡¯s done. Blackwell Clan is destroyed, and Max is dead." Aldain turned his gaze from the fire and looked at Jeong Yushin. "Is that so? Good work." Jeong Yushin unstrapped the red single-edged sword from his waist and handed it to Aldain. "I¡¯ll return this to you." "Okay." "By the way, can I ask you something?" "Go ahead." "Earlier, the blade was dripping sticky water. Does it have any cleaning magic on it?" "..." Aldain held the blade and fell silent for a moment before handing it back to Jeong Yushin. "Keep it for a while. I can¡¯t quite remember if it has ¡®cleaning¡¯ magic. It has so many functions..." "Really?" "I¡¯ve lived long enough for my mind to go a little... and with the way the world is, it wouldn¡¯t hurt to keep it for now." Jeong Yushin thought for a moment and nodded. That wasn¡¯t a bad suggestion. Even though he had leveled up and trained to get stronger, his old longsword had been a bit heavy. "Let¡¯s do that." He took the blade and strapped it to his waist. "I got Max¡¯s journal from the Blackwell hideout. Do you want to see it?" "It¡¯s fine. It¡¯ll help you /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ more than it helps me." "Alright, then I¡¯ll go." "Come by before you enter the Labyrinth." "Yes." After Jeong Yushin left the yard, only Aldain and Duchanko remained. Aldain looked up at the burning campfire. "How did he fight?" "Skah-nim and Max, you mean? Hoo, it was amazing." "Quickly, tell me." "Ahem. At first..." Duchanko cleared his throat and began explaining the fight. Ten minutes passed. "...Suddenly, a flash of light, and Max¡¯s head flew into the air. Skah-nim landed from the air, and as soon as he hit the ground, Max¡¯s neck burst with blood!!!" As Duchanko made gestures and explained, he finished with a red face. Aldain''s jaw dropped. "Did he really chop off his head in one insane strike? Is that even possible with his body?" "He did." "...I can''t believe it. He¡¯s getting stronger too quickly, isn¡¯t he?" Duchanko''s eyes sparkled. "It makes sense. Ah! Have you heard about the time Skah-nim hunted a troll in the last Labyrinth? He set his arm on fire and swung his fist!" "I¡¯ve heard about it, but is it true? I can''t believe it." "It¡¯s true." "Are you a Skah fan? Sometimes I get confused. Are you my subordinate or Skah¡¯s?" "..." Seeing Duchanko in silence, Aldain made an exasperated face. "Why are you quiet? Is it true?" "All the subordinates who secretly watched Skah¡¯s fight with Max must have fallen for him." "Ha, unbelievable!" Aldain laughed and looked down at the campfire. "Skah takes everything." "Are you worried?" At Duchanko¡¯s question, Aldain¡¯s smile grew deeper. "On the contrary, it¡¯s good." After crossing the Western District, Jeong Yushin returned to the Southern Inn. Creeeek. As soon as he opened the door, Karin rushed toward him. "Skah!" "Oof!" Karin''s heavy chest pressed against his face. The scent of her warm, soft body made Jeong Yushin feel at ease. It smelled like he could fall asleep right then and there. Unconsciously, he sniffed a few times before snapping back to his senses and pulling away from Karin''s embrace. Karin looked worried. "Skah, are you hurt?" "Not at all. Was there a problem at the inn?" "No." "Everyone asleep?" "Yeah. Luna and Edel are all asleep. In your room." "Really? You look curious. Let¡¯s talk tomorrow. I¡¯m too tired." "Okay." After parting with Karin, Jeong Yushin found a vacant room on the second floor, washed himself with a wet towel, changed his clothes, and collapsed onto the bed. "Hmm." He closed his eyes but couldn¡¯t fall asleep immediately. After fighting for his life, his heart was still pounding. ¡®Maybe I should have just slept with Karin?¡¯ Thinking about it, he picked up the red single-edged sword from the bedside. He drew it slowly. ¡®Why did water come out earlier?¡¯ The blade, bathed in moonlight, had faint moisture on it. "Hmm?" When he changed clothes earlier, he had definitely wiped his body with a dry towel gently. Jeong Yushin tilted his head and stuck out his tongue to lick the blade. Lick. Jeong Yushin frowned and stuck out his tongue again. "Ugh. It¡¯s salty." At that moment. The red single-edged blade began to tremble. Jeong Yushin¡¯s eyes widened. "Eh? What¡¯s this?" Chapter 139: Pre-preparation Crazy?! The single-edged sword shook on its own. Jung Yu-shin threw the single-edged sword away and jumped up from his seat. ¡°What, what is it? What the hell?!¡± My heart pounded. My heart pounded rapidly. I was so surprised that even the faint remaining fatigue disappeared. Was this what it felt like to witness a home appliance that had been working well until now muttering on its own in the middle of the night? What is this? It¡¯s normal for a single-edged sword to shake on its own. I observed the red single-edged sword in silence for a while. ¡°...¡± No way. Goosebumps rose up as one thought crossed my mind. ¡®Did it get possessed by a vengeful spirit because it killed too many people?¡¯ What if the salty liquid coming out of the blade was actually the tears of the deceased who had become a spirit under the sword? ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤ That makes sense.¡± It¡¯s a possible story. The number of people who were cut and stabbed with this single-edged sword was well over 60. They were all worth dying for. They were all scum who did all sorts of trash, so they had no regrets. But weren¡¯t they already dead? Even if they fought each other to the death in this world, there was no reason to be hostile in the afterlife. He hesitated and opened his mouth. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, you vengeful spirits who died unjustly. I had no personal feelings.¡± Then the single-edged sword trembled. As if telling him to grab the handle, only that part vibrated severely. ¡°Are you telling me to grab the sword?¡± A slap. ¡®It¡¯s strangely floating.¡¯ He carefully grabbed the handle. At that very moment. ¡®Hoo hoo. This body.¡¯ A low, husky woman¡¯s voice was heard in his head. ¡°Huh!!!¡± Jeong Yu-shin dropped the single-edged sword in shock. Crunch. ¡°Are you crazy? You should turn on your flashlight and come in!¡± Surprised aside, the magic power was sucked out of his body. He immediately changed his mind. It wasn¡¯t a recently possessed spirit. It was an unknown entity that had been around for a while. Jung Yu-shin gritted his teeth. ¡®Aldain, you crazy bastard.¡¯ What kind of resentment did he have to hand over a possessed magic sword to soak a person? The back of his head felt cold. He thought he should go and ask about it right away, even tomorrow morning. Jung Yu-shin took a deep breath for a while to calm his mind. ¡®Whew. No.¡¯ Aldain clearly said that. He himself doesn¡¯t know what function this single-edged sword has. And. If this guy is an evil spirit, there¡¯s no need to wait until morning. You have the Sacred Weapon. If it was a magic that was half physical and half divine, it would be possible to drive out evil spirits. Jung Yu-shin glared at the single-edged sword and chanted. [Sacred Weapon] He didn¡¯t imagine a separate weapon. He put his index and middle fingers together to make a sword and added magic to it. The burning golden flames gathered on his fingers and shook quietly. ¡°Whew.¡± He took a deep breath. He slowly swept the outer surface of the single-edged sword. ¡®Whew!¡¯ The drawing trembled and trembled. Jung Yu-shin¡¯s lips smiled. ¡®Good.¡¯ It was effective. ¡°You¡¯re a foolish evil spirit.¡± ¡®...¡¯ There was no answer. There was just a sticky liquid on the drawing. He slowly swept the drawing with his finger and then slightly closed it. Bang! When he hit it hard, the drawing began to whine. ¡®Sleep, wait a minute!¡¯ The woman¡¯s voice rang in his head again. The low, husky voice seemed to tickle his brain. Jung Yu-shin¡¯s face frowned. He had never killed a woman with this single-edged sword. ¡®I¡¯m sure. It¡¯s an old evil spirit.¡¯ ¡°Where did you come from? No. I don¡¯t want to hear it. There is no compromise with evil spirits.¡± According to the experience of the forest area, these guys¡¯ specialty is deception. It means they are bad spirits who try to deceive people and gain profit. ¡°Get out of this single-edged sword.¡± ¡®Listen to me!¡¯ A woman¡¯s urgent voice was heard. Jung Yu-shin ignored it all and snapped his fingers again. Thump! ¡®Hit!¡¯ ¡°Get out!¡± ¡®Go...go? Where do you want me to go? I...I!¡¯ ¡°Go!¡± Ting! As he hit the sword several times, the liquid seeping out of the drawing gradually increased. ¡®W... Wait?! There?¡¯ ¡°Is this the weak point?¡± The handle of the sword. He hit the part # N§àv§Ölight # corresponding to the rain guard based on the double-edged sword. He figured out the weak point. He gathered strength in his clenched fingers and hit the last time. ¡°Go!¡± Ground! ¡®G... Geuug?! Go... Go! Hoooooong!!!¡¯ The woman¡¯s single cry echoed in his head. The single-edged sword trembled for a moment and then became silent. ¡°Is it over?¡± ¡®?¡¯ He couldn¡¯t hear anything. Jeong Yu-shin looked down at the single-edged sword quietly. Even after about 30 minutes, there was no sign of anything coming from the single-edged sword. After returning the sword to its original position in the bookcase, he leaned it against the edge of the bed and lay down. The evil spirit sucked out all his magic power, so his energy was completely drained. He closed his eyes. ¡®Crazy labyrinth city. I can¡¯t let my guard down.¡¯ Darkness came. * * * After the quiet dawn, when the warm summer sunlight came in through the window, Jeong Yu-shin opened his eyes. Knock knock. Someone was knocking on the door. He got up from the bed, sat down, and washed his face. ¡®I¡¯m tired.¡¯ ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Ethel.¡± ¡°It¡¯s Luna.¡± Jeong Yu-shin smiled faintly. ¡°Come in.¡± Squeak. The door opened and Ethel and Luna came into the room. ¡°Scar Oppa!¡± Luna flapped her yellow tail and ran into Jung Yu-shin¡¯s arms, hugging her tightly. Luna smelled soft and pleasant. Jung Yu-shin raised his hand and stroked Luna¡¯s head. Thank goodness. ¡®You didn¡¯t lose your smile.¡¯ But isn¡¯t it a bit much to stick close to her and sniff her? Are the water people like that? ¡°Lu, Luna! What are you doing to your benefactor?!¡± Edel was embarrassed and stopped Luna. ¡°No. Just leave her alone.¡± Jung Yu-shin wrapped Luna in a blanket and hugged her, then sat on the edge of the bed. ¡°Later?¡± Luna stared blankly up at Jung Yu-shin¡¯s face with only her head sticking out like a caterpillar. Regardless, Jung Yu-shin looked up at Edel and opened his mouth. ¡°I took care of all the bad guys who were harassing the store last night. I don¡¯t think you need to worry about this anymore.¡± Edel bowed deeply to Jung Yu-shin. ¡°Thank you, Ska. I owe you another debt.¡± ¡°Debt? Don¡¯t say that.¡± Jung Yu-shin patted Luna¡¯s head and replied. ¡°I still want to repay you. Is there... is there anything you want?¡± Edel¡¯s face turned slightly red. Jung Yu-shin held Luna in his arms and thought for a moment. Repayment. ¡®That¡¯s not what I wanted.¡¯ She didn¡¯t do it because she wanted something in return. She just moved because she wanted to protect the smiles of the people around her. The scene where Luna was hit made her head heat up. Thinking back, she felt like she killed those bastards too easily. It was even more bitter to show off his methods and power to the people of the eastern district while killing those punks. Of course, he didn¡¯t mind at all if it was to save his acquaintances. However, he meant that he didn¡¯t mind showing off his abilities to those he was going to kill and potential enemies. ¡°Brother! Then what is it like to sleep in our mother¡¯s arms?¡± Sleeping in her arms? Jeong Yu-shin¡¯s mouth opened slightly. ¡°Lu, Luna!¡± ¡°Mom¡¯s breasts are soft and fluffy, so they feel good!¡± Luna said with her eyes sparkling brightly. ¡°...¡± No. That¡¯s a bit much. Edel¡¯s body, which had been suffering from a fatal illness, gradually recovered and regained its original appearance. A voluptuous body that didn¡¯t seem like a widow. Despite that, her slender waist and slender neck. On top of that, her incredibly large breasts were quiet and it was strangely sexy, intertwined with the elegant atmosphere of Ethel. ¡°...¡± Jung Yu-shin and Ethel glanced at each other and turned their gazes. ¡°Big! The conversation has gone a bit off topic, but I will not pay you back. I am satisfied with just buying a good potion.¡± Luna puffed out her cheeks as if she was upset. ¡°Ah. Oppa Scar will regret it!¡± Jung Yu-shin nodded inwardly. ¡®Yeah. I think so too.¡¯ At that moment. Knock knock. Someone knocked on the door. Jung Yu-shin turned his head and looked at the door. ¡®There are a lot of visitors today.¡¯ ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Deulchangko.¡± ¡°Come in.¡± A wild boar-like man came in. Deulchangko bowed his head when he saw Luna and Ethel in the room. ¡°Mister!¡± Luna wriggled out of Jung Yu-shin''s arms and ran to hug Dul-chan-ko. "Oh my!" A fatherly smile appeared on Dul-chan-ko''s lips. Seeing the warm, uncle-like smile, I couldn''t help but laugh. "Did Dul-chan-ko fight with Ska Oppa?" Luna asked, wagging her tail. "Of course. Ska-nim fought really well." "Wow! That''s what I want to hear!" "Of course. I''ll definitely tell you later." "Luna, let''s go out." "Yeah! I understand." Luna ran back and hugged Jung Yu-shin. "Thank you, Ska Oppa." Jung Yu-shin patted Luna''s head. Her small, cute fox ears perked up. "Don''t mention it." If I could just keep their smiles until they went home, that was enough. ¡°Edel, the pharmacy has been cleaned up. You can go back and rest comfortably.¡± Edel nodded at Deulchangko¡¯s words. ¡°Thank you. I don¡¯t know what to do for always helping me like this.¡± Deulchangko smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. It¡¯s something I like to do.¡± Edel and Luna bowed their heads and left the room. Creak. Thump. The door closed, leaving only Jung Yu-shin and Deulchangko behind. ¡°What¡¯s the reward?¡± ¡°Edel, you mean the pharmacy? I put a lot of money under the counter.¡± ¡°Okay. Good job.¡± Deulchangko held out a large pouch. ¡°Here¡¯s the price for selling the highest grade magic stone. Aldain took about 30% of it.¡± Jung Yu-shin accepted the pouch. ¡°It¡¯s heavy.¡± ¡°The sales price was around 100 gold coins.¡± Jung Yu-shin¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°10 times the price of a high-grade magic stone?¡± ¡°Yes. 30 out of 100 gold coins are taken as labor fees, making a total of 70 gold coins.¡± ¡°Is our Aldain CEO a little short on money?¡± Deulchangko scratched his head. ¡°That¡¯s the usual amount for consignment sales.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± Jung Yu-shin placed the bag of gold coins on the bed. ¡®You¡¯ve made it.¡¯ Now that he has this much money, he probably doesn¡¯t have to worry about money for the time being. ¡°Deulchangko, I have one favor to ask.¡± ¡°Yes. Go ahead.¡± ¡°Is there a place that sells high-quality weapons?¡± ¡°What kind exactly are you talking about?¡± Jung Yu-shin explained what happened in the forest area. ¡°There are weapons that won¡¯t break even if hit by a troll.¡± Deulchangko tilted his head and opened his mouth. ¡°It seems to be a problem with the materials. I think you can make weapons with pretty good ores. They¡¯re a bit expensive, though.¡± ¡°How much does it cost?¡± ¡°The average cost of equipment for a mid-level explorer is about 50 gold coins.¡± ¡°Crazy.¡± Jung Yu-shin¡¯s mouth dropped open. The equipment just sucks up money. ¡°Are you interested in buying it?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s talk about it later. I¡¯ll have to discuss it with Karin.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Jung Yu-shin grabbed Deulchangko who was about to leave. ¡°Wait.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Is there a secret hidden in this red single-edged sword?¡± ¡°Uh...yes?¡± Deulchangko¡¯s body froze. ¡°This guy spoke to me last night? It must be an evil spirit.¡± ¡°So...what did you do?¡± ¡°I exorcised him.¡± At Jung Yu-shin¡¯s words, Dulchangko¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Huh?! How?¡± ¡°I bounced the blueprint with the Sacred Weapon, but it went somewhere.¡± ¡°Uh¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± Dulchangko opened his mouth and nodded. ¡°I heard that Aldain¡¯s Tao has some strange functions. It may be surprising, but I¡¯m sure it won¡¯t harm the user. But I¡¯ll still report it to Aldain.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Jung Yu-shin tilted his head while stroking his chin. The woman who was laughing gloomily in a low, husky voice wasn¡¯t an evil spirit? ¡°Whatever it is, I think I did it, so tell them not to worry too much.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Yes. I¡¯ll tell you that too.¡± The dagger bowed and left the room. Jung Yu-shin sat on the bed, still looking at the red single-edged sword. It didn¡¯t tremble or spurt liquid like last night. If it weren¡¯t for its overwhelming cutting power and light weight, it would have been thrown away immediately. ¡°Yeah. If not me, who would use this weapon?¡± As he reached out and fiddled with the single-edged sword. Clang. The door opened and Karin came in. Wearing a white sleeveless shirt and slim-fit cotton pants. It was the outfit Karin often wore when she worked. ¡°Ska, eat.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Jung Yu-shin got up from his seat, put the single-edged sword on his waist, and looked up at Karin. ¡°Karin.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Karin¡¯s face turned slightly red. ¡°What? Why?¡± ¡°You guarded the inn when I was away. Stick your belly out. I¡¯ll kiss you.¡± ¡°Whew!¡± Karin exhaled roughly. ¡°Jang, don¡¯t play around!¡± Karin turned around urgently. Her tail was wagging quickly from side to side. ¡®Embarrassing.¡¯ I followed Karin down to the first floor and sat at the counter. Breakfast was black bread, baked potatoes, and hamburger steak with lots of cheese. Karin rested her chin on her hand and looked down at Jung Yu-shin eating. ¡°You took care of those drug dealers and made money. What are you going to do from now on?¡± ¡°What are you going to do?¡± Jung Yu-shin smiled and continued. ¡°We should go to the labyrinth.¡± ¡®I¡¯ll prepare thoroughly. I won¡¯t get caught this time.¡¯ Jung Yu-shin¡¯s eyes shone brightly. Chapter 140: The Test of Tepidity Karin closed her mouth and looked down at Jung Yu-shin. Judging by his sparkling eyes, he had already made up his mind. But. ¡°With that body?¡± Jung Yu-shin shook his head. ¡°The physical retrograde imprint must be removed.¡± Even though he had finished his training and taken an elixir to increase his magical power, it was difficult to stay in the labyrinth for a long time. Since he didn¡¯t know how many enemies he would face, he couldn¡¯t just use his magical power like he did in the city. The labyrinth was a place where anything could happen. Assuming the worst case scenario, he absolutely had to have a certain weight class and physical strength. He had to be able to march for days and nights in the dark labyrinth while carrying a heavy load, without any proper rest. Of course, he had to endure the pressure that was closing in from all sides. He had to brace his mentality that was collapsing due to the deaths of his comrades and various traps. Protecting your mentality is the essence of the labyrinth. And a healthy mentality comes from muscles trained to the limit. In such a situation, going into the labyrinth with such a childish body? Pleading to be killed. ¡®I should go back to my original body.¡¯ Jeong Yu-shin laughed heartily. ¡°What? Do you regret it?¡± Karin sighed deeply and thought to herself. ¡®Would Mion allow that?¡¯ Mion¡¯s desperate opposition to Scar¡¯s return to his original state was vivid in her mind. ¡°Do whatever you want. There¡¯s something I need to decide first.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°We need to decide which area to enter first.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t we go to the ¡®Forest¡¯ area?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear what was announced at the Wind Spirit Temple last time?¡± ¡°Huh? What did they say?¡± ¡°I overheard the guests talking about this and that. The forest area is currently overflowing with abyssal magic. They told me not to go in for the time being.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Jung Yu-shin stroked his chin. He must have buried the ¡®holy relic¡¯ to stabilize the abyssal magic. ¡®Was that not enough?¡¯ Or should we say that the experiment using the ¡®holy relic¡¯ failed? It could be that even if there were short-term results, it would be impossible to block the abyssal magic in the long term. ¡°Then let¡¯s exclude the ¡®forest¡¯ area. Which area do you think would be good, Karin?¡± Karin twitched her red tail as she pondered. ¡°The areas I usually go to are the ¡®corridor¡¯ and ¡®forest¡¯ areas. However, we should think carefully about our party composition, right? It¡¯s not like we¡¯re the only two going into the labyrinth.¡± Jung Yu-shin nodded. Karin was right. The Iron Mask Forest chose party members considering the characteristics of the area. ¡°There¡¯s a lot to prepare.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s also important to wear equipment appropriate for the area. There¡¯s no need to rush. It¡¯s not too late to prepare calmly and then enter the labyrinth.¡± ¡°Should I?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. If you¡¯re having trouble deciding which area to enter, asking Mion for advice might be a good idea. That damp priest will have more experience than me.¡± Karin bit her lips slightly as if she was uncomfortable after finishing her words. Jeong Yu-shin thought ¡ô N§àv§Öl?g?t ¡ô (Only on N§àv§Öl?g?t) about it carefully and opened her mouth. ¡°That¡¯s right. I made money by selling magic stones this time, but I want to get some good equipment. The problem is, I don¡¯t know which materials are good. Help me.¡± ¡°Materials? How much is your budget?¡± ¡°About 70 gold coins?¡± ¡°What?!¡± Karin¡¯s eyes widened. Jeong Yu-shin shrugged. ¡°This brother made some money.¡± ¡°...¡± Karin glared at him coldly. If another man had been spouting nonsense, I would have slapped him in the face, but Scar¡¯s words made him look alive. They say that if you¡¯re handsome, even if you commit a crime, you¡¯ll be popular. That¡¯s why I was a little upset. ¡°As long as the materials are as cheap and good as possible, right?¡± ¡°Yes. Tell me the details with your ears. Even if the equipment you have to wear is different for each labyrinth area, there must be some equipment that you use in common, right? Let¡¯s get the materials based on that first.¡± ¡°Really? Leave it to me.¡± Jung Yu-shin got up from his seat. ¡°I put the money in my closet. Take it out if you need it. I¡¯ll go to the Earth Mother Temple and come back.¡± ¡°Be careful.¡± Karin warned in a low voice. Jung Yu-shin tilted his head. ¡®Is there anything to watch out for?¡¯ ¡°Okay.¡± * * * ¡°No!¡± Mi-on crossed his arms to block. Jung Yu-shin blankly looked up at Mi-on. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°No!¡± ¡°Mr. Mi-on¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± Mi-on bit his lips tightly. Seeing Ska-nim, who had come to the morning class after a long time, made his heart sink for a moment, feeling happy. ¡®You¡¯ve completely changed.¡¯ If Ska-nim had looked like a cute little devil a month ago, he had now become a sharp pretty boy with a fatal charm. Mi-on unconsciously wrinkled his nose. Is this what a young beast smells like? The smell of an unripe male. Even the smell of sweat coming from the nape of his neck was sweet. Mi-on felt her face flushing hotly. During class, he barely suppressed the sly desire to cling to Ska-nim and rub his chest. When break time came, all the girls in the orphanage were clinging to Ska-nim and acting cute. ¡®Ska-nim. Do you want to go for a walk in the park with me?¡¯ ¡®Ska-nim. Should I show you my room?¡¯ ¡®Me, me first!¡¯ ¡®Ugh!¡¯ Mion also felt the urge to cling to him. However, he couldn¡¯t forget his duty as a teacher, so he had no choice but to grit his teeth and prepare for the next class. After many twists and turns, class ended and it was lunchtime, so they gathered in his room. Just the two of them. And then. His heart sank once again at the words Ska-nim spoke. ¡°W...you¡¯re going back to how you were?! No way!¡± Tears welled up in Mion¡¯s squinted eyes. ¡®We haven¡¯t even showered together yet. I couldn¡¯t even use my lap pillow. I couldn¡¯t sleep with him! I couldn¡¯t do anything! At least go on a date!¡¯ At least I wanted to capture the lovely and cute appearance of Ska-nim in my eyes, but suddenly... ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Mr. Mi-on.¡± Jung Yu-shin scratched his head. For some reason, he felt sorry when he saw Mr. Mi-on looking aggrieved. ¡®I¡¯ve been neglecting my writing class lately.¡¯ I¡¯ve been busy with this and that, so I¡¯ve had less time to read books. I could make excuses, but it was meaningless. It was my fault for spending time on this and that, intoxicated by my superior appearance. Of course, I didn¡¯t regret the time I spent training with Ashur or beating up drug dealers. It was something I absolutely had to do. ¡®Ah!¡¯ Jung Yu-shin¡¯s eyes lit up. He thought he knew why Mr. Mi-on was shedding tears. It was a pity that I was so ignorant that I couldn¡¯t even think of growing by taking advantage of this great opportunity. Jeong Yu-shin carefully opened his mouth. ¡°You look very depressed. Do you have any advice, Mion Shin-gwan?¡± ¡°Yes...yes!¡± Mion quickly continued. ¡°I guess your learning ability has improved with the physical retrograde imprint?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then how about using this opportunity to learn the letters a little more? Isn¡¯t this a good opportunity?¡± ¡°...¡± I knew that it was difficult to learn letters overnight. In fact, one of the things I had the hardest time with since coming to the Labyrinth City was learning to write. ¡°Then I will do that.¡± Since I had already learned something, it wouldn¡¯t hurt to refine my writing skills. Thinking about it, I thought that the physical retrograde imprint might be a blessing in terms of studying. Correcting the wrong path. Learning to write with a head that was spinning. Isn¡¯t this a chance to polish the knowledge part a little more based on the difficult experience? Maybe he¡¯s trying to push himself too hard. Karin¡¯s worried expression also crossed his mind. Mion wiped away the tears welling up in his eyes and raised her hand to pat Jung Yu-shin¡¯s head. ¡°Ska-nim, how are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll try to learn the letters earnestly for the time being.¡± ¡°Good. Really.¡± Jung Yu-shin couldn¡¯t see. The sight of Mion¡¯s red tongue licking her lips seductively. ¡°My lord, I still want to learn one thing.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I heard that the ¡®forest¡¯ area has now become a dangerous place.¡± Mion also nodded quickly. ¡°Ah! Yes. I heard that the abyss¡¯ magic is concentrated there.¡± ¡°Then, I have to choose between the ¡®Corridor¡¯ and ¡®Underpass¡¯ areas. Is there an area you recommend?¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Mion thought deeply and opened her mouth. ¡°I¡¯ll have to think about this a little more.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Mion gently stroked Jung Yu-shin¡¯s head. ¡®I think I¡¯m going to get addicted.¡¯ I like the original Ska-nim, but this cute Ska-nim was special. It was even more so because I wouldn¡¯t be able to see her for a long time. ¡®I¡¯ll enjoy it to the fullest.¡¯ Mion smiled like a saint, hiding her gloomy feelings. * * * A month had passed since then. Jung Yu-shin¡¯s life had become the same as before. At dawn, he learned dagger fighting from Karin, and from morning to afternoon, he learned writing from Mion. None of it was easy. In fact, it was more difficult. Karin''s dagger fighting was a series of difficult techniques, as it was the vision of the Red Wolf Clan. Mion''s teachings also became more advanced. It was not at the level of children''s storybooks of the past, but mainly novels with slightly more difficult words or books containing short knowledge. Even in the midst of all this, he did not forget to visit the swordsmanship guild from time to time and spar with the members. Several women who seemed to be explorers approached him and tried to become friends, but Jeong Yu-shin shook his head and declined. He had long since abandoned the plan to sleep soundly and slackly. Instead, he polished himself by following the teachings of many people. A month later, in the dawn of late summer. Under the dawn slowly climbing up the wall, Karin and Jung Yu-shin were holding daggers in the backyard of the inn. Both of them were drenched in sweat after several sparring matches. Karin rushed in and swung two daggers. From left to right. From below diagonally. Shrik!!! The daggers slashed sharply. Jung Yu-shin glared and clashed the daggers. Kang!!! Kagan!!! She blocked it and stabbed it right away. Karin turned sideways to avoid the daggers stabbing her stomach, and she snaked over Scar''s arm and aimed for his neck. Jung Yu-shin didn''t even blink even though the cool dagger touched her neck. ''If I just block the aorta here...?'' She gave her neck and stabbed her chest. ¡°Scar, stop.¡± Suddenly hearing Karin¡¯s voice, Jung Yu-shin came to his senses. Karin was looking down with a tired expression. ¡°Scar, come to your senses.¡± ¡°Whew. Sorry. But this dagger technique is really hard. My head is spinning.¡± Since the reach was shorter than that of a longsword, the results of the hand-to-hand fight were instantly apparent. Since he had to respond quickly, his head felt hot in an instant. Karin wiped away the sweat and smiled. ¡°Would it be our tribe¡¯s dagger technique for nothing? Even so, someone like you would learn it very quickly.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Yes. Oh! And I finished talking to Swings. All the materials we need will be ready. All we have to do is request equipment production.¡± ¡°Really? That¡¯s good.¡± Jung Yu-shin wiped the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve and looked up at the sky. Was it because of his mood that the sky looked clearer? If it were now. He was confident that he would overcome the madness even if he returned to his original body. At least he wouldn''t see things or take off his pants in broad daylight. Karin handed him a towel. "You said Mion had a test today, right?" "Yes." It was unusual for Mion to give a test. He had no complaints. It was a chance to test his studies. "What should I do so that you can go with me?" "I''ll finish quickly and come back." Jung Yu-shin ate breakfast and ran to the Earth Mother Temple. "Ska, brother!" As soon as he entered the classroom, the girls swarmed him. Jung Yu-shin snickered. It didn''t take long for the names to change from uncle to oppa, and from oppa to oppa. On the other hand, the eyes of the boys gradually became more hostile. "Even Lily...ugh! I liked you first!" ¡°The ice-cold class president can smile like that. It¡¯s shocking.¡± ¡°Black-haired punk! Don¡¯t go around smiling with that handsome face! Don¡¯t let the girls fool you!¡± ¡°Why did the world give birth to me and that guy? Ah!¡± Some boys even spoke like old men, which was unusual for their age, because they were so miserable. Jung Yu-shin brushed his hair back and made a cold expression. ¡°Don¡¯t fall for me.¡± ¡°Huh?!¡± The girls clenched their hands and looked at Jung Yu-shin. ¡°I¡¯m a dangerous man.¡± The girls¡¯ eyes rolled at Jung Yu-shin¡¯s words. ¡°What, you¡¯re cool!¡± ¡°Gyahhhh!!! Brother!¡± ¡°Dangerous boy!¡± Sweat dripped from Jung Yu-shin¡¯s forehead. ¡®This is really dangerous, you guys.¡¯ It seemed like they thought the virgin female corruption imprint was a joke. While the girls gathered around Jung Yu-shin and chattered loudly. Knock knock. The classroom door opened and Mion came in and stood at the table. ¡°Okay! Everyone, please take your seats.¡± ¡°¡°Yes!¡±¡± Jung Yu-shin finished the class while receiving the attention of both the girls and the boys. After barely finishing the morning class and having lunch, they gathered in Mion¡¯s room. ¡°Then, let¡¯s start the ¡®test¡¯.¡± Mion said solemnly. ¡°Yes.¡± Jung Yu-shin nodded with shining eyes. I¡¯ll show you. The knowledge that I honed with my head spinning! ¡°Huh? Oh, oh? There¡¯s no paper?¡± Mion muttered to herself while creaking. ¡°Oh, I can¡¯t help it.¡± ¡°...?¡± Mi-on took off her white priest¡¯s robe and revealed her black priest¡¯s robe. She held out her soft belly towards Jeong Yu-shin. ¡°I-I don¡¯t have anywhere to write, so I guess I can write here.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Jeong Yu-shin stared blankly at Mi-on¡¯s soft belly. A platinum-colored sacred pattern was shining on the lower abdomen of her black priest¡¯s robe that clung tightly to her. ¡°Mi, Mi-on Priest?¡± Mi-on¡¯s seductive tongue licked her lips. ¡°Test begins ?¡± Chapter 141: The End of Childhood ¡®Dude, I¡¯m embarrassed.¡¯ Mion¡¯s eyes, which had opened slightly, were spinning like a whirlpool. Her mouth was parched and her heart was pounding. To thrust her lower abdomen, where her panty line was clearly visible, in front of the man she liked. It was something only a vulgar pervert would do. ¡®Mhhhh.¡¯ At that moment. A sticky laugh was heard from inside Mion, who was lost in her anguish. ¡®Tsk!¡¯ Mion shivered slightly. ¡®Goddess!¡¯ ¡®Mion.¡¯ A soft and solemn voice. A throaty voice filled with brilliant divinity resonated inside Mion. ¡®Goddess, what...what should I do?¡¯ ¡®Mi-on.¡¯ ¡®Yes.¡¯ ¡®Put your stomach out a little more.¡¯ ¡®T-that?!¡¯ ¡®Mi-on!¡¯ ¡®Ugh!¡¯ ¡®You clearly said you were going to have fun, right? But what on earth have you been doing this past month? You¡¯re just sniffing around behind me! You¡¯re just sniffing around the chair that Skani was sitting on! Are you a pervert?!¡¯ ¡®Ah...no way!¡¯ Mi-on was taken aback by the goddess¡¯s sharp rebuke. In the end, she ended up shouting out loud. Jung Yu-shin looked up at Mi-on with wide eyes. ¡°Miss Mi-on?¡± ¡®Huh. Your nipples just stood out? Pervert.¡¯ The goddess muttered in a quiet voice. ¡®Ah...no!¡¯ The goddess¡¯s voice echoed inside her once again as she vehemently denied it. ¡®Mion, should I step forward again? Like I stole Scar¡¯s panties last time?¡¯ ¡®...¡¯ ¡®Why are you making such a bashful expression? I personally stepped forward and brought the panties of the man Mion likes?¡¯ ¡®Wow, the goddess is even more sleazy!¡¯ ¡®Huh? Mion enjoyed it too. Every night, she sniffed and sniffed at the panties. Didn¡¯t her waist wiggle?¡¯ ¡®T-That¡¯s not true!¡¯ ¡®Okay. Mion, get out of the way. It¡¯s my turn to step forward. Mion, stay back. Just watch from there gloomily.¡¯ ¡®Ah...no!¡¯ Mion shouted urgently, but she couldn¡¯t stop the power of the Earth Mother. Mion shuddered once and looked down at Jeong Yu-shin. ¡°Ska, I¡¯ll ask you now. If you know anything, please write it on my stomach.¡± ¡®Muhehe.¡¯ The Mother Earth smiled sinisterly. A chill ran down my spine at the fact that she could tease Ska, who knew nothing. Jeong Yu-shin blankly looked up at Mion. ¡®You¡¯re a goddess, right?¡¯ Last time, I was confused because of the similar wavelength of Mion¡¯s divine power. Now, I can see the subtle difference. The powerful flow of divine power was particularly prominent in Mion¡¯s body. Was it because she had experienced the power of a goddess once? Or was it because she had taken the elixir called the Magician¡¯s Tears? Or was it the result of her training that was close to becoming a monk? Whatever the reason, she could definitely sense the presence of the goddess now. ¡°Then, the first question.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°When was the founding year of the Lionel Kingdom and who was its first king?¡± ¡°1000 years ago, the Lion King, Gaiger Lionel.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Mi-on nodded and gently stroked Jung Yu-shin¡¯s hair. Mi-on, who had been laughing, suddenly hardened. ¡°Hot! You should write on your...belly! Minus points!¡± Jung Yu-shin stared blankly at Mi-on. ¡®This goddess is real.¡¯ Her head was spinning because of her full of silliness. Jung Yu-shin placed his fingers on Mi-on¡¯s belly and carefully wrote numbers and names. ¡°Whew...whoosh! All, next question!¡± ¡°...¡± Jung Yu-shin held back a sigh. The goddess¡¯s questions continued after that. They covered various topics. It didn¡¯t go into much detail, and it was just enough to cover the level of general knowledge appropriate for adolescence. In fact, that alone surpassed the level of education of an average child. Jung Yoo-shin wrote each one with care. He thought there must be a good reason why the goddess possessed Mi-on and showed her lower abdomen. It was a bit ridiculous, though. ¡°Okay...okay, what¡¯s the next question...?¡± Jung Yoo-shin cut off Mi-on. ¡°Goddess.¡± ¡°Huh...?¡± The goddess, whose identity was revealed, froze. No matter what, Jung Yoo-shin pressed Mi-on¡¯s soft lower abdomen. The goddess instinctively pushed her lower abdomen closer. The plump mound surrounded by panties radiated heat. On the other hand, his voice was filled with embarrassment. ¡°Uh...how?!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not much, I¡¯m done with all 20 questions.¡± ¡°Ah...ah!¡± The goddess slumped. Jung Yu-shin looked up at the goddess while kneeling. ¡°I think there is a reason why the goddess came down like this.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t there?¡± At this, the water goddess from some comic book came to mind. I lowered the level of the goddess a little in my mind. ¡°There is, there is!¡± ¡°Go ahead. I will listen.¡± Jung Yu-shin bowed his head politely and answered. Unlike the last time they met, he was being polite. ¡°Big! Today, inspect the streets with Mi-on. This is an order as a goddess, so you must follow it!¡± Jung Yu-shin tilted his head. Inspecting the streets all of a sudden? Was there a special reason? I don¡¯t know. Still, since she was a goddess, he had faith that she wouldn¡¯t do anything that would harm Mi-on. ¡°Okay. If you have Mion, could you please call her?¡± ¡°No problem.¡± Mion¡¯s body trembled slightly. ¡°Ska-nim.¡± Jung Yu-shin immediately noticed. It was the same voice as Mion, but unlike the goddess, it was a calm tone. ¡°Mion.¡± ¡°Did you...know?¡± ¡°Are you talking about Mother Earth? We met at the last festival, and I found out then. Mion didn¡¯t say anything, so I didn¡¯t really say it out loud.¡± ¡°Ah! I see.¡± Mion hesitated like a child who had broken a vase. Jung Yu-shin held out his hand. ¡°Mion, would you like to inspect the streets with me?¡± Mion¡¯s squinted eyes opened slightly and her golden eyes sparkled. She pursed her lips once and smiled brightly. ¡°Yes! Please wait outside for a moment. I¡¯ll change my clothes and come back!¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll be waiting at the temple reception desk.¡± Jung Yu-shin left Mi-on¡¯s room and sat on a chair near the reception desk to wait. Explorers and priests came and went, glancing at Jung Yu-shin¡¯s face every now and then. Regardless, Jung Yu-shin crossed his arms and thought deeply. ¡®It¡¯s like a date.¡¯ Life really was a series of unexpected events. The day would come when I would walk down the street with Mi-on. There was one worry that pounded my heart. If Mi-on¡¯s older brother in the central district found out, he¡¯d get his throat cut. But I still had an excuse. If I ever ran into Mi-on¡¯s older brother, I thought I could tell him that it was the goddess¡¯s order and that there was nothing I could do. After sitting still and waiting for about 30 minutes, Mi-on came running from afar. Jung Yu-shin opened his eyes wide when he saw Mi-on¡¯s outfit. A thin white cardigan for summer. A loose cotton top, a flared skirt that looked a little short, and black sneakers. It was clearly an ordinary outfit, but Mi-on looked dazzlingly beautiful in it. In particular, Mi-on¡¯s white, plump thighs stood out. Mi-on stood in front of Jung Yu-shin somewhat obediently. ¡°Oh, how is it?¡± A voice full of anticipation. Jung Yu-shin smiled. ¡°You¡¯re beautiful.¡± ¡°Hehehe.¡± It was a cute laugh that was unusual for Mi-on. Since she always exuded a calm and quiet atmosphere, this appearance of Mi-on felt new. ¡°Then shall we go?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The receptionist clenched her fists as if to tell Mi-on to fight. Mi-on smiled slightly and nodded. The two walked down the street south together. Under the late summer sun. I looked around the street vendors selling various foods and accessories. I also stopped by a bookstore. I laughed while watching the beaver Suin dozing off at the counter. The two of us laughed again while smelling the scent of old books. When I got tired after walking around for a while, I would sit in the shade of a large tree in the southern park with apple juice I bought from a street vendor and watch the fountain. A wandering band was playing various instruments around the fountain. The late summer wind, which had cooled down considerably, swept through their hair. The time I spent with Mi-on passed quickly. When I came to my senses, the sun above my head was gradually setting below the castle walls. Mi-on, sitting on the grass, blushed and opened her mouth. ¡°Ska-nim, ma...there¡¯s one last place I want to go.¡± ¡°Where?¡± ¡°Work, just follow me.¡± Jeong Yu-shin followed Mi-on¡¯s lead. They passed the familiar bakery street and arrived at a new place. ¡°Where is this?¡± There were various clothes hanging in each store. They stopped in front of a store while walking with Mi-on. A wooden building made of wood. It was a store that looked old, but still had a certain elegance to it. I looked up and read the name on the sign. Arachne Sewing Association Branch. Arachne. It was a half-human, half-spider monster that spewed out thread. I heard that they made clothes in the eastern district, and there was a branch. Ding. When Mi-on and I entered the store, the first thing that tickled my nose was the smell of rose perfume. But then a shocking sight came into view. Jeong Yu-shin took a step back in surprise. ¡°Huh?!¡± This is? It was an underwear store. And it was only for women. All kinds of strange underwear were spread out in the store. From underwear with cute, colorful teddy bears embroidered on them to underwear with no functionality at all and cracks in them. Why on earth? The flustered Jung Yu-shin hurriedly looked at Mi-on. Mi-on''s face was red as if it would burst at any moment. "S, Ska-nim?" "Mi, Mion Priestess." "My breasts have grown recently, so I don''t have any underwear that fits, so maybe Ska-nim." Mi-on closed her mouth for a moment, clenched her fists, and raised her voice. "Can you decide for me?!" ??? Jung Yu-shin stood there blankly, looking up at Mi-on. Mi-on flapped her hand fan diligently toward her face. ''Goddess, I...I''m so embarrassed I could die!'' ''No! Mi-on is doing well! If I push a little harder, even Ska will fall for Mi-on''s charm and be flirtatious.'' ''Ha, but it''s too gloomy! Goddess!¡¯ ¡®Not as much as Mion who spent a long time worrying about what underwear to wear before going on a date, right?¡¯ ¡®Ugh!¡¯ ¡®Now, let¡¯s wear the underwear that Scar gave us, have dinner together, and then mhhhh.¡¯ ¡®Oh, goddess!¡¯ I don¡¯t know what kind of storm was raging inside Mion¡¯s mind, but it kept turning red and white. Jung Yu-shin was also dizzy. ¡®Since the virtuous Mion wouldn¡¯t do this, is that foolish goddess teasing Mion?¡¯ And he could never reveal his taste to Mion. Black and yellow leopard-print underwear. When Jung Yu-shin and Mion were trembling at each other. Boom!!! The store door suddenly opened. It was the receptionist drenched in sweat. ¡°Mion!¡± ¡°Ah! Sui Shinkan!¡± The receptionist kept bowing his head. ¡°I... I¡¯m sorry. The priests who died at the entrance to the labyrinth are currently...¡± Mion¡¯s excited face suddenly sank. ¡°Ska-nim, I¡¯m sorry. I should go.¡± Jeong Yu-shin stepped forward. ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡± Mion hesitated for a moment and nodded. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤I understand.¡± Jeong Yu-shin and Mion walked down the street and arrived at the entrance to the labyrinth. When they arrived at the clinic, they saw explorers wrapped in bandages. Several of them got up from their beds and approached Mion, bowing their heads. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I tried to protect you as much as possible, but...¡± The explorer bowed his head and couldn¡¯t continue speaking. ¡°Yes.¡± The explorer held out a card made of iron. ¡°Serin.¡± Mion slowly opened her mouth and read the name engraved on the iron. A low-ranking priestess of the Earth Mother who came from a distant countryside. A woman who had just become an adult and was boasting about her colleagues with an excited face. It felt like someone was cutting her heart with a cold blade. Mion bit her lips. ¡°Priest.¡± At that moment, another explorer approached her and bowed his head while holding out a silver shield. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± She read the name written on the silver shield again. ¡°Tamia.¡± Mion¡¯s voice trembled. A female warrior-like priestess who always smiled brightly and led the young apprentice priests at the Earth Mother Temple. She left with a bright smile, saying that she would work hard to become a high-ranking priestess. She died, leaving behind only the silver shield. ¡®You both left.¡¯ Mion held the iron shield and silver shield tightly. Jeong Yu-shin quietly watched Mion. ¡°Thank you all for your hard work.¡± Mi-on¡¯s voice sank heavily. Leaving the explorers behind, they left the aid station and it was dark night. Jung Yu-shin and Mi-on walked silently and sat on a park bench. ¡°Hearing the death notice is the duty of a high-ranking priest. I¡¯m sorry, Ska-nim. I wanted to end the day happily...¡± Mi-on muttered softly while looking at the fountain. ¡°...¡± Jung Yu-shin reached out and held Mi-on¡¯s soft hand tightly. I knew without opening my mouth. How many deaths Mi-on had seen. And how saddened she was by those deaths. Mi-on smiled weakly and got up from her seat. ¡°Ska-nim, it¡¯s time for you to go back to how you were. I like the living Ska-nim better than the cute Ska-nim.¡± ¡°Priest Mi-on.¡± ¡°I will begin the imprinting. Stand in front of me.¡± ¡°Here?¡± ¡°I want to do whatever I want today. There¡¯s no one to see.¡± Jung Yu-shin also got up from his seat and stood in front of Mi-on. Mi-on raised her hand and placed it on Jung Yu-shin¡¯s head. ¡°Mother Earth, your faithful servant, Mi-on Randisha¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± Mi-on¡¯s hair began to shine as she began to chant. After five minutes, Mi-on¡¯s hand lightly stroked Jung Yu-shin¡¯s head. [Release Imprint] The young Jung Yu-shin¡¯s body began to shine brightly. Thud. His top was torn and the thigh area of ??his pants bulged out. His young appearance began to grow. At that very moment. The Mother Earth whispered to Jung Yu-shin¡¯s mind. ¡®Scar, this is my last gift.¡¯ Jung Yu-shin was half-asleep when a question arose in his mind. ¡®A gift?¡¯ What on earth? Jung Yu-shin''s eyes slowly closed. He was so tired. Was this how it was supposed to be when the imprint release ritual was over? His doubts didn''t continue, and Jung Yu-shin fell asleep right away. Mi-on caught Jung Yu-shin''s body, who was about to collapse, and laid him ? N§àv§Öl?g?§ä ? (Continue reading) on the bench, supporting his neck with a lap pillow. Mi-on raised her hand and gently stroked Jung Yu-shin''s hair. ''Goddess.'' Ska-nim''s face had changed significantly. He was so young that even the word ''young man'' was not enough. Thick eyebrows. Sharp nose. Pure white skin and even black dots under his eyes. He didn''t have much of an impression. He was a man I liked from the beginning. A quiet park. Karin approached from afar. "Mion." "Karin." Karin scratched her head and looked down at Mion. ¡°I wondered where you were, but you were here.¡± Karin reached out and held Mion¡¯s hand tightly. ¡°...?¡± ¡°You look so sad. Aren¡¯t you a colleague who likes the same guy?¡± ¡°Heh.¡± ¡°But Sky, this guy, is so handsome? What on earth happened?¡± Mion opened her mouth with a small smile. ¡°That¡¯s...¡± A late summer night with shining stars. Two women were chatting with faint laughter between them, a young man who was nearing the end of his childhood. Chapter 142: What is this? I had a dream. A dream of two women changing clothes. In my half-asleep state, it was difficult to tell who the two women were. However. For some reason, a familiar scent tickled my nose. One smelled like wild grass that had the wind of the field blowing. The other smelled like sweet milk that gave off a maternal feeling. Unfortunately. The two women were rubbing their huge breasts against their chests or sniffing their armpits. I don¡¯t know who these women are, but one thing is certain. ¡®Shameless sluts.¡¯ I raised my hand in disgust, grabbed their breasts, and pulled them. I didn¡¯t stop there, but I continued to play with my breasts that were stretching like rice cakes. ¡°Hee... Hee-ik!¡± As I was enjoying the voice filled with embarrassment and lewd passion, another voice came. ¡°Me...me too.¡± A faint voice. Swaying. And a large breast resting on my face. I couldn¡¯t come to my senses because of the fragrant smell of mom. I sucked the moist bottom of the breast. ¡°Whew!¡± Peace like a river came to my heart. Who I was. What I had come to do. I forgot everything and sucked with all my might. Slurp. ¡°Hit! Hoot!¡± The woman let out a complex moan of embarrassment and joy. But I couldn¡¯t let her go. Slurp. Jung Yu-shin fell back into sleep, feeling like a baby, stuck to her breast like an octopus¡¯s suction cup. * * * Sunlight tickled Jung Yu-shin¡¯s face through the window. ¡°Hmm.¡± He opened his eyes. I think I had a pleasant dream, but I couldn¡¯t remember it well. ¡°Scar.¡± A soft voice was heard. Karin? He turned his head to see Mion and Karin sitting on the chair. They both had red faces and were panting, as if they had fought a lot. A strand of hair stuck to their lips, making them look alluring. Mion was staring blankly at herself. Wasn¡¯t she? She was looking somewhere else, beyond herself. Jung Yu-shin just raised his head and looked around. ¡°Where is this place?¡± A wall built with grayish-white stones. It was a simple room with only a bed and a table. It was similar to the monastery room I had seen in a documentary long ago. Karin brushed her hair back. ¡°It¡¯s a guest room in the Great Earth Temple.¡± ¡°Was there something like that?¡± ¡°There are often priests who come from outside the labyrinth city. We use it for their stay.¡± Mion answered instead. She seemed to have come to her senses, but her face was still red. When Jung Yu-shin raised his upper body, the blanket slid down. His smooth upper body sparkled in the sunlight. His white jade-like skin and well-developed biceps. His six-pack abs were clearly visible underneath. ¡°T-this.¡± Jung Yu-shin was embarrassed and lifted the thin blanket. Gulp. Karin and Mion¡¯s throats moved greatly. The two women¡¯s eyes shone like hawks, as if they were not going to miss a single thing about Jung Yu-shin¡¯s entire body. Regardless, Jung Yu-shin couldn¡¯t help but focus on his lower body. It was strangely refreshing. Jung Yu-shin¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡®What is it?¡¯ Are you completely naked? He put his hand under the blanket to check and felt her lower body. Fortunately, she was wearing panties, but they were very disheveled. It seemed that the people at the shrine had changed her clothes because her body had suddenly grown, but maybe they didn¡¯t have time? The finishing touches were really sloppy. It was embarrassing to be wearing only panties in front of such beautiful women. Karin and Mion sat silently with their lips together. Karin winked at Mion. ¡®You don¡¯t think I noticed?¡¯ Mion immediately noticed and nodded slightly. ¡®Yes.¡¯ * * * A few hours ago. Late in the morning. Karin and Mion arrived at the guest room of the shrine with the sleeping Jung Yu-shin. Under the pretext of taking care of him, he sent the other priests away and secretly got some clothes to change into. Karin and Mion slowly took off Scar¡¯s clothes. When Scar¡¯s clothes were torn off and only one pair of panties remained. The two women met each other¡¯s eyes. Gulp. Without saying who would go first, they swallowed dryly. ¡°Ugh. I can¡¯t just leave an injured(?) student alone. There might be some negative effects from the imprint. The underwear part looks a bit, uh, stuffy.¡± ¡°T-That¡¯s right? Because we¡¯re colleagues. There¡¯s nothing I can do. You really, Scar! Are you going to leave me with such a bothersome task and fall asleep?¡± Karin and Mion grabbed Jung Yu-shin¡¯s panties. ¡°Ugh! Th-this won¡¯t come off easily?¡± ¡°Mion, take it easy. What are you going to do if you wake up?¡± Dawn. The two women were clinging to a man¡¯s lower body, struggling to take off his panties. The effort paid off, as the panties began to slide down little by little. Her pubic bone and hair were visible. ¡°Okay, okay!¡± The panties went down in one go with Mion¡¯s elasticity. At that moment. A huge club popped out and hit Mion and Karin¡¯s cheeks. Clap!!! Clap!!! Karin had known in advance, so she pulled her head away, but it was no use. It was so long. A red mark was left on Mion¡¯s white cheeks, as well as Karin¡¯s cheeks. Mion rubbed her cheeks and looked at what had hit her cheeks. ¡°Ah.¡± Mion¡¯s mouth opened, revealing her neat teeth. Under the moon and starlight streaming in through the window, a towering cock. No. The word cock is not enough. A weapon. She felt it instinctively. The abyss that destroys women¡¯s human rights and autonomy, and makes them grumble like a sow and claim the position of a lifelong slut. An anti-feminine symbol and a wide door to corruption. Mion and Karin were speechless and knelt down, looking at the towering idol. A part of Mion¡¯s lace panties became wet. ¡®Is this Ska-nim¡¯s...?¡¯ A line of blood flowed from Mion¡¯s nose. It was as thick as her forearm and was horribly bumpy. ¡®Penis.¡¯ Her heart sank when she saw the sharp glans. It wasn¡¯t just for the purpose of making babies, but a judgment that would put an end to her femininity. Mion¡¯s fear was fleeting, and her heart was filled with awe. She unconsciously reached out. Thump! Karin grabbed Mion¡¯s hand. ¡°Come to your senses.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry.¡± Mion flinched. She almost lost her senses and touched the most sacred part of Ska-nim. She had a status as a priestess. She couldn¡¯t sexually exploit someone who was asleep. The two women unfolded the clothes they had prepared. First, the panties. She put the panties on Jung Yu-shin¡¯s two legs and pulled them up to her thighs, but Jung Yu-shin¡¯s size was so big that they wouldn¡¯t fit properly. It was also because her nerves kept getting disturbed by the shaking vagina in front of her eyes. Mion twitched her nose. ¡®Smell, just the smell.¡¯ She felt like she would die without any regrets if she could smell Ska-nim¡¯s raw vagina just once. Without anyone saying anything, Mion and Karin slowly got closer to the vagina. Although they didn¡¯t realize it, the two women /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ were instinctively rubbing their large breasts against Jung Yu-shin¡¯s body with all their might. The very moment Karin and Mion were about to bring their noses close. Jung Yu-shin¡¯s hand was raised. Squelch. ¡°Hic!¡± Karin let out a sharp scream. Jung Yu-shin¡¯s hand grabbed Karin¡¯s breast. It wasn¡¯t the gentle touch of a lover. Kwaaaaah. The hand of the ¡®master¡¯ squeezing with strong force. Karin¡¯s bra fell apart and her pretty breasts turned into a shape that was tightly holding a water balloon in the middle. Jung Yu-shin¡¯s hand didn¡¯t stop there and pulled Karin¡¯s chest down. He completely squeezed her chest downward like a cow. ¡°Ugh!¡± Karin gritted her teeth. Drool flowed from her mouth. Mion was so surprised when she saw that that she opened her eyes wide and revealed her golden eyes. ¡°Ka, Karin? What is this?" "Ska-nim, are you awake...?" She hurriedly turned her head and looked down at Ska-nim''s face, but her eyes were closed and she was breathing shallowly. Karin creaked and barely managed to smile. Her cheeks trembled. "T-That''s right. Why are you like this? This...is weird? Heh!" Karin couldn''t move, and her body trembled, clutching her chest. Her pure white sleeveless top fell down, revealing her leopard-print bra. "T-This is the underwear Ska likes, so I''m wearing it! Don''t look at me like that!" "..." ''I see. Leopard-print.'' How did Karin-nim know that? Jealousy welled up in her. Mion also rested her chin on Jung Yu-shin''s face as if she couldn''t help it. Karin looked at Mion with surprised eyes. "G-Your chest is heavy? Don''t worry about me, uh, just change your clothes." "..." "You... hmph!" Karin glared at Mi-on with a cold expression, then squeezed her chest again and wiggled her butt. Mi-on made an anxious expression. Sigh. ''I''m here!'' Jjuaaaaaaap! Jung Yu-shin''s mouth sucked Mi-on''s lower chest. "Huh!" Feeling like falling into the abyss, Mi-on instinctively raised her head and stuck out her tongue. The flared skirt fluttered, revealing her lace panties little by little. The panties, which were damp in one spot, gave off a strange female smell. In this way, the two women forgot to change their clothes and indulged in the savage pleasure of having their chests teased. From dawn until morning. As dawn broke, she barely came to her senses and somehow put the panties on, but the rest of them could not be put on because Jung Yu-shin woke up. Jung Yu-shin, who had just woken up and didn¡¯t know anything, tilted her head. She hesitated and looked at the two women who were not saying anything for a moment. ¡°I... want to change my clothes.¡± ¡°Oh! Yes!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! I forgot! I¡¯ll be outside, so wear something comfortable!¡± Karin and Mion hurriedly got up from their seats and left the room. Thud! Jung Yu-shin looked at the closed door and the chair where Karin and Mion had sat. ¡®Did you nurse them all night? And on a summer night?¡¯ The wooden chair where Mion and Karin had sat was soaked wet and had butt marks. Jung Yu-shin got out of the blanket and stretched his body. Drumroll. His body, which had returned to its original state, greeted him with a cracking sound. He clenched and unclenched his hands. Kwaaaaak. Strong grip. His body overflowed with overwhelming strength that was incomparable to when he was younger. How should I express this feeling of fullness? ¡®After all, men need to have a lot of muscle.¡¯ Jung Yu-shin smiled and looked around. Clothes were spread out on the bedside table. A white linen shirt and brown cotton pants. The size was just right, probably because Karin had brought them. I put on a shirt and pants, and put on my walkers. Finally, I rolled up my shirt sleeves and went out of the room. Mi-on and Karin were waiting outside the room. Jung Yu-shin bowed his head. ¡°You¡¯ve been taking care of me since last night. Thank you both.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t anything special.¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Karin and Mi-on waved their hands, fluttering their hands. Jung Yu-shin smiled faintly. After all, it was better to look down than up. Karin and Mi-on looked blank for a moment. ¡®What¡¯s wrong?¡¯ Are you really tired? ¡°You seem tired from staying up all night. How about resting?¡± ¡°Ah...ah! Yes.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯m a little tired because I¡¯ve been sitting up since early morning yesterday.¡± ¡°Master Mi-on, I¡¯ll see you later.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I greeted Mi-on and walked down the guest room corridor with Karin. Jung Yu-shin slapped his palm! ¡°That¡¯s right. Did you pay for the imprint removal?¡± ¡°I forgot. Should I just give it to the receptionist?¡± Karin searched her pocket and handed her 10 coins. ¡°If it¡¯s the first, it¡¯s 10 coins.¡± ¡°You¡¯re well-prepared.¡± ¡°Stop laughing. It¡¯s dangerous.¡± Karin became serious. Jung Yu-shin smiled and brushed his hair back. ¡°You fell in love with me again?¡± ¡°...¡± Karin blushed and turned her head. ¡®I was joking.¡¯ Are you really tired? Jung Yu-shin approached the reception desk, tilting his head. A female priestess was sitting at the reception desk. A familiar face. Was it priest Sui? ¡°Sui-sama.¡± ¡°Yes... heh!¡± Sui Shrine lifted his head from the documents, looked at Jung Yu-shin, and froze. ¡°Who...who?¡± Jung Yu-shin¡¯s expression frowned for a moment. ¡®Why are you like this?¡¯ ¡°It¡¯s me, Ska. I erased the physical regression imprint this time, but I haven¡¯t paid the fee yet. That¡¯s why I came.¡± ¡°Ah...ah?¡± Sui Shrine just creaked like a broken machine with a blank expression. ¡°...¡± ¡°Sui Shrine?¡± Sui Shrine, who suddenly came to his senses at Jung Yu-shin¡¯s words, blushed and held out his hand. ¡°S-Ska, you¡¯re Ska. I forgot. Is this your first time? Here are 10 chapters of Donghwa.¡± Jung Yu-shin handed over the Donghwa and stepped away from the reception desk. ¡°Thank you for your hard work.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Sui Shinkan saw Jung Yushin¡¯s back moving away and made a fan with his hand, waving it towards his face. ¡®W...it¡¯s dangerous! Shinkan Mion, what kind of magic did you use?¡¯ * * * He left the temple with Karin and walked down the street. Strangely, countless eyes flew towards Jung Yushin from around him and fixed on him. ¡°What? What did those Barbaroi guys do again? They keep staring at me.¡± ¡°Scar, let¡¯s go to the inn first.¡± Instead of answering, Karin only urged him quickly. He followed Karin into the inn. ¡°I¡¯m home.¡± Tarman, who had been serving diligently, turned his head to look at Jung Yushin, then dropped the food with his mouth wide open. Clang!!! The food spilled on the floor. ¡°Hey! What if you drop my meal on the floor!¡± The cat Suin, who had been throwing tantrums, turned her head and looked at Jung Yushin, then froze. ¡°Meow meow?!¡± ¡°Tarman, are you tired?¡± ¡°Oh, no!¡± Tarman was so flustered. Anxiety was rising inside her. First, she bowed her head to the cat Suin and apologized. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll bring you more food.¡± ¡°Meow!!! Hey, I can wait as long as you want!¡± The cat Suin suddenly meowed. This. There¡¯s a problem. ¡°Karin, did something change in me?¡± Karin sighed and took Jung Yushin¡¯s hand as she went up to the second floor. She brought a hand mirror from her room and handed it to Jung Yushin. ¡°Look for yourself.¡± ¡°What? Is there a serious problem?¡± My heart pounded for no reason. I held up a hand mirror and looked at my face. Jung Yu-shin''s eyes widened. "What...what is this?!" 2nd floor of the inn. A voice full of bewilderment echoed. Chapter 143: Cocktail Jung Yu-shin opened his eyes wide and looked at himself in the mirror. His thick eyebrows remained, but his sharp eyes had become warm and gentle. His nose was high and prominent. His skin was plump, as if it had been coated with honey. His face, which had been gradually decaying as he rolled through the labyrinth, had become brighter overall. His face resembled his mother more than his father. No way. Was this the blessing that the Earth Mother had spoken of? That goddess. Wasn¡¯t his face secretly sincere? However, it was difficult to call this external change a blessing alone. Jung Yu-shin closed his eyes. A vast amount of magical power boiled up throughout his body. He forgot about it because of the magical power that was naturally flowing. ¡®You brought the increased magical power with you.¡¯ No matter how ridiculous it was, he was still a god? Karin snickered. ¡°I guess you can guess from your expression? That¡¯s right. It seems the goddess used her hand a little while removing the imprint. She said she was lacking strength, so she borrowed magic.¡± Magic? ¡®Are you talking about the magic in my body?¡¯ ¡°I see? But you know the details. Are you and Mi-on now reconciled?¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤We never fought in the first place?!¡± Karin replied, blushing. In fact, last night, she had a long conversation with Mi-on in the park, leaving Scar asleep. Mi-on erased the sensory sharing magic engraved on her chest. She apologized, saying that she had no choice but to cast the magic in a hurry. She shook off the remaining grudge. Still, her heart still ached a little. Because she had slept with Scar first. Karin rubbed her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m tired because I stayed up all night. I¡¯ll sleep a little.¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll take care of serving the store, so you can rest comfortably.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± He went down to the first floor, leaving Karin to go into her room. Tarman still looked dazed as if he had lost his soul. ¡°Oh, no. Lord Ska?¡± Tarman stammered. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Is it okay for your face to change so drastically? I¡¯m worried that you¡¯ll come back one day with a different appearance and I won¡¯t recognize you.¡± ¡°Tarman.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s stop talking nonsense and get to work. Do you think a person¡¯s appearance can change so easily?¡± Tarman had many objections in mind, but he held them back. ¡°Yes.¡± Jeong Yu-shin put on an apron and started serving. He also went to the kitchen to greet Anne. Anne, who was holding the frying pan, looked surprised. ¡°S, Lord Ska?¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°You¡¯re Ska, right? I was surprised. You¡¯ve changed so much.¡± ¡°I believe you meant well. Prepare potato salad and rye bread.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Jung Yu-shin diligently carried the food. The man dressed as a merchant opened his mouth wide when he saw Jung Yu-shin. ¡°Barbaroi? Are you the owner?¡± ¡°Similar.¡± ¡°Did you change the business here?¡± ¡°No. We¡¯re still operating as an inn.¡± ¡°And you also do night massages? Isn¡¯t that completely fishery management?¡± ¡°Not at all.¡± ¡°Hey! I¡¯ve been to many cities, but this is the first time I¡¯ve seen a handsome Barbaroi like you. You must be sleeping every night without a break.¡± The veins on Jung Yu-shin¡¯s forehead popped out. ¡®This little punk who¡¯s a piece of shit.¡¯ His speech was similar to that of a private who had been in a third-rate sect in the underworld for 10 years. ¡°Eat properly and go. When I say nice things to you.¡± ¡°Huh!!! I get it!¡± The merchant who received a scary look put his head on the table and started eating. Jeong Yu-shin was busy. There was no time to rest from morning to lunch. It would have been normal if the number of customers had decreased. But it was increasing. It was hard to come to his senses because of the endless stream of customers. ¡°Hey, black-haired guy! I¡¯ll have tomato soup and a ham sandwich!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have baked potatoes and steak.¡± ¡°Cream pasta.¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll go.¡± The three women dressed as rookie explorers who had finished ordering put their heads together and whispered. ¡°Is this the restaurant with the best price-to-quality ratio?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I heard it was dangerous because Barbaroi runs it, but I guess not.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that guy the owner of the famous Barbaroi? He¡¯s so handsome. I could eat just the bread.¡± As evening came, the number of Explorer customers visiting gradually decreased. Usually Explorers come in large numbers during dinner time, but it was so quiet that I was curious. ¡®Is there something?¡¯ I thought for a moment and shook my head. There are days like this. ¡®There can¡¯t be days when business is good every time.¡¯ As I sat down at the counter and rested, Karin yawned and came down from the second floor. ¡°Huh? What¡¯s wrong? There aren¡¯t many people today.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Karin tilted her head for a moment and clapped her hands. ¡°Oh! That¡¯s right. The Labyrinth Committee is changing this time, right? ¡°What does that have to do with not having customers?¡± ¡°Listen to the end. Do you know that regular explorers usually enter the labyrinth in the morning?¡± ¡°Yes. Isn¡¯t that obvious?¡± ¡°Explorers who have turned into monsters enter in the afternoon.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± I forgot. I always enter the labyrinth in the morning or early morning, so I forgot. ¡°So?¡± ¡°I heard that the labyrinth committee changed and the time zone changed.¡± Jeong Yu-shin understood right away. ¡°The monster explorers enter in the morning and the regular explorers enter in the afternoon?¡± ¡°Yes. I heard that since it¡¯s hot summer now, they gather in the evening and enter the labyrinth leisurely.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t Ingrid still guarding it?¡± ¡°There¡¯s not much time left. You have to adapt in advance. The Explorers¡¯ Guild also manages it that way. I don¡¯t know because I just heard about it.¡± Is that so? Jung Yu-shin stroked his chin. Should we go to the Explorers¡¯ Headquarters in the Central District to register for a party and look at the requests? I didn¡¯t want to waste time loafing around. ¡°Let¡¯s go register for a party and look at the requests.¡± ¡°Really? Got it.¡± Jung Yu-shin and Karin left the deserted inn and headed to the Central District. After a long walk, they arrived in front ? N§àv§ÖIight ? (Original source) of a huge building made of white marble. ¡°It¡¯s been a while.¡± Jung Yu-shin muttered as he looked up at the building. Explorer Guild Headquarters. A crowd that could not even be compared to the Explorer Guild in the southern area swarmed in front of the Explorer Guild Headquarters. As he entered, the interior, which was wide enough to make a regular sports field look like nothing, and stretched out to the fifth floor, came into view at a glance. ¡®Are these all intermediate to advanced explorers?¡¯ On one side of the first floor, dozens of reception desks were filled with explorers. On the other side, there were hundreds of tables where the explorers were gathered and chatting about various things. At that moment. Someone saw Jung Yu-shin and opened their eyes wide. ¡°Oh my!¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Barbaroi over there?!¡± ¡°Huh?! Really?¡± Several female explorers who had been looking up and down at Jung Yu-shin opened their mouths. ¡°What? He¡¯s so handsome?!¡± With those words, several explorers began to look at Jung Yu-shin. ¡°Wow!¡± ¡°Are you crazy?¡± ¡°Who is this? Is this your first time here?¡± While Karin perked up her ears and glared at the female explorer, Jung Yu-shin just blankly stared at the reception desk. ¡°Karin, let¡¯s get in line quickly. That side looks the shortest.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± After waiting for a while in the shortest line, it was Jung Yu-shin¡¯s turn. ¡°I¡¯m here to register for the party.¡± ¡°Yes...yes.¡± When Jung Yu-shin smiled and spoke, the female receptionist blushed and stuttered. ¡°Shin, let me check your ID.¡± ¡°Ah! Here.¡± The receptionist accepted the silver badge Jung Yu-shin held out and began to stare intently. ¡°Ska. You¡¯re Ska.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You¡¯re hosting a party?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Do you have a job you¡¯re looking for?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have a particular job preference. I think one person in the vanguard and one or two people in the backguard would be fine.¡± ¡°Understood. Please wait a moment at seat 127 and I¡¯ll take care of it.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Jung Yu-shin and Karin left the reception desk and went to the table where the explorers were sitting and took their seats. Behind the table was a huge bulletin board comparable to a soccer stadium scoreboard. There were thousands of requests stuck to the ground. ¡®The scale is no joke.¡¯ Jung Yu-shin rested his chin on his hand and read the requests one by one. When he had read about 60 requests. Someone approached Jung Yu-shin. A bald giant who looked to be in his 30s. ¡°Are you Scar?¡± Jung Yu-shin raised his head and looked at the bald man. ¡°Dick? Did you recognize him at first glance?¡± ¡°I felt something similar when I was young, so I poked him.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Dick. Dick was a member of the swordsmanship guild and a mid-level explorer. He was a man who had become familiar with his face while training in the forest last time. He was also the one who had suggested that he join the clan. Dick smiled broadly. ¡°Scar, do you want to join our clan?¡± ¡°Well. I don¡¯t know yet. This time, I want to form a party myself and enter the labyrinth.¡± ¡°Is that so? I understand. Think about it slowly. Skilled vanguards are always welcome.¡± Jeong Yu-shin tilted his head. ¡°Have you ever seen my skills? It must have been difficult to fully understand them through just sparring?¡± Dick scratched his head. ¡°Oh, really. Scar, rumors about you are spreading everywhere. Aren¡¯t you too ignorant of the world?¡± Rumors? What kind of rumors would spread about me? ¡°What rumors? I don¡¯t remember doing anything special.¡± ¡°Rumors spread about the forest troll subjugation.¡± Dick continued. ¡°Did you really set your own arm on fire and crush the troll¡¯s head with your fist?¡± ¡°Yes. It seems like a bit of an exaggeration.¡± Dick nodded. ¡°Those who are interested know. That guy called Iron Mask reported to the union and it spread.¡± The explorers who had been quietly listening around started to whisper. ¡°Whew. Are you crazy? That was real?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I told you. Temia, there¡¯s no one in their right mind among those half-and-half. How could you do something so crazy in the ¡®forest¡¯ area?¡± ¡°You¡¯re brave. You didn¡¯t go crazy. Did you use some good pain relief cream?¡± ¡°By the way, is the water woman next to you Karin?¡± ¡°Yes. She¡¯s Ingrid¡¯s daughter. By the way, she¡¯s really beautiful. I¡¯ve only seen her from afar, but now I get to see her as an explorer. It¡¯s an honor.¡± Jung Yu-shin looked around. The explorers¡¯ eyes were focused on him and Karin. Is this what it feels like to be a super rookie? He felt his shoulders rising and his nose rising. Jung Yu-shin opened his mouth with a smile. ¡°If the rumor spreads like this, it¡¯ll be easy to find party members.¡± Dick made a troubled expression. ¡°That¡¯s a bit...¡± Jung Yu-shin¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Why? Well, you don¡¯t spare yourself, right? Labyrinth explorers generally seek safety. Of course, it¡¯s different for clans that are tightly bound by friendship, but if you¡¯re trying to find temporary party members with strong personalities, it might be a bit difficult.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Was I being too bold? ¡°Besides, there¡¯s Karin¡¯s status.¡± Karin¡¯s eyes widened sharply at Dick¡¯s words. ¡°I¡¯m just a mid-level explorer.¡± ¡°Even if you say that, there were more than one or two explorers who saw Karin¡¯s behavior during the last labyrinth investigation team. We can¡¯t help but be wary. Explorers want companions, not someone¡¯s maid or servant.¡± ¡°...¡± Karin shut her mouth tightly. Jung Yu-shin touched his forehead. He felt it instinctively. This. ¡®It won¡¯t be as easy to find party members as I thought.¡¯ As he was stroking his forehead, the receptionist approached him. ¡°Ska-nim, there are currently no party applicants. Would you like to wait a little longer?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯ll come back later.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Jung Yu-shin got up from his seat with Karin. Dick smiled and patted Jung Yu-shin on the shoulder. ¡°Take your time and look slowly. You¡¯ll definitely be able to find a good party member.¡± Jung Yu-shin let out a deep sigh. ¡°Whew. Right? I want to believe that.¡± Just as he was about to give up and leave the union, Someone started coming down the stairs from the second floor. All the explorers in the group stopped talking and looked up at the girl coming down the stairs. Orange hair with twintails. A sharp horn protruding from the left forehead. A playful protrusion of a fang. ''Hmm?'' Jung Yu-shin''s eyes widened. Wasn''t that the girl we saw before Max was beaten in the Eastern District last time? Wasn''t that the girl? I''m not sure. It was hard to guess because of her aged eyes. What was her name? "Astaroth." Dick muttered with a hardened face. "Do you know that girl?" "You know?! That woman is a member of the Labyrinth Committee this time! She guards the entrance to the Labyrinth in place of the Demon Queen Lilith!" "¡¤¡¤¡¤Is that true?" That flat-chested girl was a member of the Labyrinth Committee? While Dick was chatting with Astaroth, he saw Jung Yu-shin. Astaroth snickered. He quickly approached me. He moved so quickly that I didn¡¯t even have time to run away. ¡°You¡¯ve grown so much, kid?¡± An unexpectedly friendly voice popped out. Karin¡¯s eyes furrowed. ¡°You must be Ingrid¡¯s daughter. You¡¯ve just been picked on.¡± ¡°...¡± Karin crossed her arms and remained silent. ¡°How did you recognize me?¡± Astaroth snickered at Jung Yu-shin¡¯s question. ¡°You look alike. When you were young. And those eyes.¡± ¡°My eyes?¡± ¡°As soon as I heard my identity, I thought your blazing eyes were similar. When I asked about Max¡¯s whereabouts, I was sure because they were similar.¡± ¡°...¡± He had no choice but to remain silent as Astaroth suddenly blurted out something out of the blue. ¡°By the way, you did as I said. You did well. It would be better to kill him moderately.¡± Astaroth said with a smile. ¡°...¡± Jung Yu-shin closed his mouth once again. Astaroth looked up at Jung Yu-shin with a sly smile. ¡°Looking at you like this, you have a ¡®likable¡¯ face.¡± Liking? It wasn¡¯t good news at all. He could tell just by looking at her. This woman. Isn¡¯t she a walking bomb? Astaroth lowered his head and looked at Jung Yu-shin¡¯s hand. ¡°That ring, it¡¯s shiny? Is there a problem?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Jung Yu-shin looked at the ring on his finger. It was a ring that sealed the virgin female corruption mark. The red magic stone fixed to the ring blinked. My spine went cold. ¡®Crazy.¡¯ There must still be some magic left? My mind went blank because of the sudden crisis. Damn. The seal of the virgin female corruption seal is released here? This is fucked up. ¡°Uh... It was nice meeting you. But I don¡¯t have time right now...¡± Jung Yu-shin decided to step aside for now. But Astaroth stopped him. ¡°Where are you going in such a hurry? How dare you say I¡¯m busy? You¡¯re so brave. Everyone looks timid in front of me, but you¡¯re different. You¡¯re a ¡®likable¡¯ brat.¡± Jung Yu-shin¡¯s eyes widened. Liking? The word again. Crazy. I don¡¯t know if the Astaroth in front of me is a virgin or not. I assumed the worst case scenario. What if Astaroth is a virgin? If I''m not careful, I''ll end up engraving the vagina on the agent of the Eastern District ruler. What should I do? My head didn''t work properly because of the shock that came all at once. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. In the meantime, Astaroth reached out and grabbed Jeong Yu-shin''s hand. "What''s wrong? Hehe. Are you nervous?" "Let go of this. There''s a negative imprint that''s hard for me to tell you about." Astaroth snickered. "Heh. What kind of imprint is it that you''re pulling back like this? But it won''t work. Because, I..." Unmoved. Astaroth seemed to have no intention of backing down. It was hard to move because of his iron grip. The light gradually disappeared from the red magic stone. If we continue like this, we''ll face catastrophe. And then. Dislike. How can I avoid being liked by women? How on earth? He turned his head like crazy, but there was no way he could think of. Tell me that I have a virgin female corruption imprint? In front of hundreds of explorers? Social suicide loomed before his eyes. Ah. Fuck. I don''t know. "Kaaaaaaaaaah!!!!!" Jung Yu-shin''s throat rang. Astaroth opened his eyes wide. "You little brat...?" "Tsk!!!" Thud!!! Phlegm flew out of Jung Yu-shin''s mouth and stuck to Astaroth''s face. "...?" Thick phlegm flowed down Astaroth''s forehead. "..." Astaroth looked up blankly with his mouth open. A sight that was simply incomprehensible. Hundreds of people, including explorers and union staff, all held their breaths. A heavy silence fell over the explorer headquarters. Chapter 144: Suddenly? "Explorer''s Guild Headquarters." "..." Hundreds of explorers couldn''t even make a sound, their eyes fixed on Jeong Yu-shin and Astaroth. It was hard to believe, even after seeing it. That barbarian, Barbaroi, had spat at one of the members of the Labyrinth City Council. It was beyond rude. That barbarian was truly insane. They had never seen such a madman before. ''He''s completely lost his mind.'' Countless explorers shared the same thought. Amid all this, Jeong Yu-shin¡¯s face remained stiff. ''This is bad.'' He realized the consequences of his actions. He should''ve just said something. His anxiety had made him act before thinking. The Labyrinth''s madness had flared up once more. But it was too late. He had to face the consequences of his actions. Now, in front of him, Astaroth¡¯s face was flushed bright red. Her body trembled as well. "...Sky, what is this?" "...I¡¯m sorry. I have madness." "Aha!" Astaroth let out a dry laugh. Then, She swung her fist. Bam!!! The punch landed, sending Jeong Yu-shin flying through the Guild''s walls and out. An unbelievable display of strength. The power that came from such a small frame was unimaginable. The explorers could only gape in shock. ''He¡¯s probably dead.'' He had been sent flying through a wall¡ªhow could he survive that? And considering the punch landed right on his stomach, his insides must''ve been torn apart. "Sky!!!" Karin rushed out. Astaroth was even faster, darting outside the Guild building. As Astaroth¡¯s shadow-like figure vanished, Karin gritted her teeth and drew a dagger. "Ugh!!!" Jeong Yu-shin had rolled out of the broken wall, struggling to get back on his feet. "Sky, you''re insane." Astaroth¡¯s furious gaze bore down on him. She was so angry that she couldn¡¯t even wipe the spit from her face. "..." Jeong Yu-shin lowered his head. Shit. There was nothing left to say. He had opened the coffin door and stepped inside¡ªno words could make up for it. Silently, he rose. Only the faint bluish glow of his aura flickered around him. "You have nothing to say?" "..." "Hard to spare you." Astaroth clenched her fist. She had purposely reduced the power of her punch, expecting an excuse, but received nothing in return. Jeong Yu-shin shut his eyes and reflected inwardly. What was done was done. There was no going back. He would have to fight, no matter what. The Sacred Weapon had two attribute enhancements left. The possible traits were: Wind Sword. Half-Ogre Gauntlets. He excluded the regular Sacred Weapon traits. Against such overwhelming strength, they would be useless. "You''re closing your eyes? Do you think I''m a joke?!!!" Astaroth¡¯s expression twisted with fury as she charged. Boom!!! The ground exploded beneath her feet, and in an instant, the new model of the weapon vanished. Jeong Yu-shin closed his eyes, feeling the flow of air. It was coming. One. Two. ''Now.'' He opened his eyes. [Sacred Weapon] Attribute enhancement. Half-Ogre Gauntlets. With a brilliant flash, he swung his fist. Jeong Yu-shin¡¯s fist collided with Astaroth¡¯s. Boom!!! The sound of the collision echoed through the air. Astaroth¡¯s eyes widened. With that much force, she was sure that the damn barbarian would have been left at death¡¯s door. ''How is he holding up?'' Astaroth revised her evaluation of Jeong Yu-shin in her mind. Still, the difference in skill and strength couldn¡¯t be ignored, as Jeong Yu-shin¡¯s punch was gradually pushed back. The distance between them shrank, almost as if they were lovers. Jeong Yu-shin suddenly spoke up, noticing the dimming ring flicker once again. His anxiety spiked. "...Don¡¯t fall for me." The sudden outburst of nonsense caught Astaroth off guard. "Huh?!" Astaroth looked up at Jeong Yu-shin, her eyes wide. The glowing blue eyes. Strangely enough, seeing them up close made them even more beautiful. Despite the pain coursing through her body, she didn¡¯t even flinch. Instead, a sense of admiration grew in her heart, more than thinking he was a scoundrel. Not the typical explorer, was he? Astaroth snapped back to reality and clenched her teeth. Her heart raced faster than ever. ¡®Could it be? No...¡¯ The truth was, she had a secret mark. The Succubus Female Corruption Mark. If a woman were treated like an inferior being and looked down upon, this curse would corrupt her. The only comfort was that it only activated when the person she felt attracted to showed interest. The intense reaction came from this mark. The conditions for the mark¡¯s activation were strict. First, she had to feel ''attraction'' to the other person. Second, the other person must see her as ''female.'' Third, the other person must look down on her and treat her like an inferior being. Until now, her small and delicate frame had never made her look like a woman. Some weirdly marked guys had tried to make advances, but they were all weaklings. Moreover, due to her status, everyone around her was terrified, so there was no reason to feel any attraction. Because of that, she had kept her virginity for so long. She might have been too comfortable with that. But looking into this man''s eyes, she realized. This man. He sees her as ¡®female.¡¯ Strangely enough, the spit he spat seemed to affirm her femininity. ¡®This is the first time I¡¯ve felt like this.¡¯ A faint, yet unmistakable attraction blossomed, as this man saw her as a female and treated her with disdain. Such a new sensation. ¡®Me?¡¯ The realization hit her, and a shiver ran down her spine, weakening her legs. ¡®No!¡¯ Astaroth shook her head violently, denying the pounding in her chest. The secret mark aside. She had already been humiliated in front of so many people. If she backed down now, it would affect both her face and her position in the Labyrinth Committee, not to mention Lilith''s prestige. At the very least, she had to cripple him. She made up her mind and raised another fist. "Astaroth!!!" A # N§àv§Ölight # Dark Elf rushed in, out of breath. Astaroth glanced at him. "What is it?! I''m busy!" "Ingrid has called for you. There¡¯s a crisis at the Labyrinth entrance!" "..." Astaroth gritted her teeth and glared at Jeong Yu-shin. She quickly cleared her mind and decided to delay her actions. She was not in the mood to feel that sense of humiliation again. "You''re lucky. Follow me. If you run, you die." "Yes." Astaroth turned her back and sprinted toward the Labyrinth entrance. In an instant, Astaroth vanished. Jeong Yu-shin immediately dropped to his knees, coughing up blood. "Ugh!!!" After vomiting a handful of blood, Karin rushed to his side. "Sky!!!" "...Let¡¯s go to the Labyrinth entrance." Jeong Yu-shin ignored his dizzy stomach and ran toward the western zone. After running until his feet were sore, They arrived at the Labyrinth entrance much quicker than expected. At the entrance, a large number of guards were gathered in a defensive formation. The guard captain glanced at Jeong Yu-shin and waved his hand. "Barbaroi and Karin, right? Pass through. Head toward the Labyrinth exit." Jeong Yu-shin walked past the guards and headed toward the Labyrinth exit behind the tall black tower. The magic circle at the exit of the Labyrinth was filled with writhing flesh. Upon closer inspection, it was as if intestines were wriggling, emitting a stench and the scent of blood. In front of the magic circle, Ingrid stood with her great sword embedded in the ground. Astaroth stood next to her, arms crossed, studying the magic circle intently. Ingrid turned her head and saw Jeong Yu-shin and Karin. Her gaze lingered on Jeong Yu-shin for a moment before quickly returning to calm. Ingrid spoke as Jeong Yu-shin and Karin approached. "...Sky, is that you? Karin too. Why are you two here?" Astaroth interrupted. "I called them." "Why?" "That bastard spat at my face." Ingrid frowned. Astaroth glared at Jeong Yu-shin with anger. "So, how should I deal with this black-haired barbarian?" Ingrid, who had been silent, looked down at Astaroth. "...Astaroth." "What? Do you have something to say? Don''t worry. I won¡¯t touch your daughter." Ingrid shook her head. "An explorer must bear the consequences of his actions alone. No exceptions, not even for my daughter. If he did something wrong, he must be punished." Jeong Yu-shin stepped forward. "Karin is innocent." Ingrid sighed deeply. "Ha. Spat at you? Sky, I know you didn¡¯t do it without reason. There must have been a valid cause." ¡®Though it was rather vile.¡¯ The last part she murmured only in her mind. It was not something to say in front of her daughter and Astaroth. "..." Jeong Yu-shin remained silent. "Astaroth, reconsider." Astaroth¡¯s expression stiffened at Ingrid''s words. "Me? Why?" "Sky once fought with Hans, who had turned into a monster at the Labyrinth exit, and risked his life to protect the Labyrinth. That¡¯s no small feat. And he didn¡¯t ask for any reward. If you, as a committee member of the Labyrinth City, understand the significance of this man¡¯s dedication, you should be aware of it." Astaroth looked at Jeong Yu-shin with wide eyes. "Did he really not ask for anything?" "..." Jeong Yu-shin scratched his head silently. Ingrid looked at him with a soft gaze. "Yes. You know how many explorers turn away from jobs that don¡¯t pay well? In that sense, Sky deserves some credit in the Labyrinth Committee." "...I heard. It was an urgent situation, but that sympathetic fool was this barbarian? But he spat at my face in front of countless explorers! I can¡¯t just let that slide, you know?" "If you want something, speak up." "Sigh. I can¡¯t think of anything right now. My head is spinning." "Think it through. Sky, Karin, come to my room." "Yes." As Sky and Karin followed Ingrid, Astaroth trailed behind. "Astaroth, you don¡¯t need to come." "It seems like it''s all over now, and we have to talk anyway, right?" Ingrid sighed deeply. "Ha. You¡¯re right. Follow me." Ingrid led the group into a quiet building behind the rescue center. They sat around a table inside, waiting as Ingrid¡¯s subordinates brought in tea. Ingrid gestured. "Sky, why are you sitting so far away? Come sit." "There¡¯s a difficult reason to explain." Ingrid tilted her head and spoke. "...Is that so? Let¡¯s talk business first." Astaroth looked curious, but kept quiet. Business always came first. No matter what, the protection of the Labyrinth City was the most important thing. In fact, Astaroth cared more about the Labyrinth City than the other Labyrinth committee members. Most people marked by monsters were ostracized by those from the outside world. With no place to stay, the Labyrinth City had become Astaroth''s home. Ingrid took a sip of her tea. "One of the mid-level explorers in the Labyrinth received the monster mark. He was eaten by the demonic forces, so I had to dispose of him." Astaroth crossed her arms. "That¡¯s a common occurrence, right? Why the fuss?" "Before that explorer was eaten by the demon, he said that the Eldritch Wave had spread through the forest area¡¯s level. This is not a normal phenomenon. Something is rising from the Abyss." Astaroth¡¯s face stiffened. "Really?" Sky¡¯s earlier rude behavior vanished from her mind in an instant. "In that case, Sky." Ingrid¡¯s serious gaze made Jeong Yu-shin straighten up. "Yes. Speak." "Be careful." "...Yes?" "The Eldritch Wave has already flooded the forest area. The deed has been done, so there¡¯s no need to run to the danger. But the other areas are unknown. Pay special attention. And report any suspicious findings." Jeong Yu-shin nodded. "Understood. Should I report directly to Ingrid?" Ingrid shook her head. "By the time you exit the Labyrinth, Astaroth will be guarding the entrance. Report to her." "Yes." Ingrid looked around. "The conversation is over. Everyone go. Sky, stay behind." Astaroth frowned. "Why does only this guy need to stay?" "It¡¯s personal. Mind your own business." "Tch!" Astaroth glared at Jeong Yu-shin before sighing deeply. Her frustration had reached its peak, yet strangely, he didn¡¯t seem entirely hateful. Even though he had spat at her face. "Ha. Sky, I¡¯ll spare your life because you fought for the Labyrinth City without regard for your own. But don¡¯t think I¡¯ll let this slide." "..." "Later, we¡¯ll have a meeting. You¡¯ll explain why you spat at me. Tsk! I¡¯ve become so nice. In the old days, I would¡¯ve¡ª" Astaroth raised a small fist and then dropped it. Jeong Yu-shin bowed his head. "Yes. Thank you." Is she giving me a reprieve? I thought she might have a surprisingly gentle side. Her chest might be small, but she had the heart of a broad-minded woman. I corrected my thoughts. I shouldn¡¯t discriminate based on someone''s chest. ¡®No. This is not the time.¡¯ I needed to rush to the magic tool shop right away to replace the magic stones. "Karin, you go too." Karin frowned. "Mom." "It¡¯s personal. You can¡¯t be involved." "Yes." Karin stood up. "I¡¯ll wait at the inn. Hurry up." "Okay." Astaroth and Karin left the room, leaving only Jeong Yu-shin and Ingrid behind. Ingrid tapped her teacup with her finger. "Sky." "Yes." "I''m leaving now." "I see." "Take good care of my daughter." "Karin is strong. You needn¡¯t worry." "..." Silence passed between them. Jeong Yu-shin watched Ingrid closely. Ingrid¡¯s eyes had become moist. She gazed at him as if desperately wishing for something. Her body trembled slightly. "Is there something you wish to say?" "Well... I have a request." "What is it?" Ingrid''s face turned slightly red. After a brief hesitation, she finally spoke. "...Could you give me the same massage you gave Lin?" Jeong Yu-shin¡¯s eyes widened. "Excuse me?!" Suddenly? Chapter 145: Mom is the end Jung Yu-shin was flustered. Ingrid¡¯s request was so sudden. They had clearly been talking seriously {N?o?v?e?l?i?g?h?t} just a moment ago. Massage? The topic changed so quickly that it was hard to follow. Ingrid blushed. ¡°I heard Lin liked it. My body has been sore lately because of the frequent night shifts. I thought it wouldn¡¯t be bad to try it once.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Is that so?¡± Jung Yu-shin barely managed to answer. I¡¯ll give it a hundred concessions, but that massage was something only given to ¡®animals.¡¯ No matter how much Lin liked it, that was only from the animal¡¯s perspective. It was different from a person. ¡®Wait.¡¯ But it was hard to just say that I couldn¡¯t understand it. He stroked his chin and thought deeply. ¡®Are you tired?¡¯ Of course, it wouldn¡¯t be easy to guard the labyrinth without being able to rest properly. It was always a matter of waiting anxiously, not knowing what would pop out. The pressure would be considerable. The stress would be enormous. Ingrid looked up at Jung Yu-shin with moist eyes. Ingrid¡¯s always cold expression was a little different. Should I say she was cute? Jung Yu-shin immediately shook his head. ¡®You crazy bastard. Are you looking at the Labyrinth City Committee with that kind of gaze? Come to your senses, Yu-shin.¡¯ When I was young, I learned massage from a strange old man who looked like a black-haired herbalist. He was even more memorable because he had a weird cone-shaped hat and a white-haired old man. The problem was. Should I say the massage was a little too explicit? It was qualitatively different from the fake massage he had developed for Rin. He tried to refuse, but Ingrid¡¯s earnest gaze pricked his heart. He had been guarding the city without resting properly for months, and now he couldn¡¯t even do this. There was a price to pay for devotion. He didn¡¯t know if this massage would be a reward for Ingrid. ¡®Should I give you a massage?¡¯ ¡°Ingrid, can I think about it for a moment?¡± Ingrid swallowed dryly and nodded at Jeong Yu-shin¡¯s answer. ¡°Yeah...okay. Take it easy.¡± Ingrid felt her heart pounding. It felt like she was being compensated for the hardships she had endured in front of the labyrinth for months. ¡®This is strange.¡¯ Originally, she had never expected any reward. She had only considered guarding the labyrinth a natural mission based on the ¡®oath.¡¯ She didn¡¯t say anything regrettable or seek personal gain. It was natural, since she hadn¡¯t done it in hopes of a reward. But. It''s different now. I''m greedy. I needed a man''s touch, not gold and silver treasures. Have I ever wanted something this desperately? No. Up until now, all I''ve wanted was the well-being of the Suin Alliance and the safety of the Labyrinth City. I was also very curious. ''What would it be like?'' I could feel Rin''s senses directly, which I''d always felt indirectly through sharing magic. In fact, it was still vivid in my mind. That night when I met Scar, who had become younger. When I used the sensory memory sharing magic with Rin, I ended up seeing it. That man''s huge penis. A vicious weapon that shouldn''t be attached to a pretty boy. When I first saw it, I thought he had been imprinted with a horse''s saddle. Scar, who was naked in the bathtub, teased Rin with a wicked smile. He rubbed her body here and there, and when Lin flinched, he was even happier and moved his hands diligently. It was truly a bad taste. It was a barbaric behavior that focused only on a woman''s physiological reactions, excluding the mind. The memory was superimposed on Ingrid through shared magic. There was nothing Ingrid, who was like a virgin, could do in the face of violent pleasure. All she could do was twist her body, stick out her tongue, and gasp. Ingrid, who was unable to move on the bed and whose memory was shared, ended up squirting the marking liquid out in a mess. Fortunately, she was wearing underwear, so her private parts got wet and that was the end of it. No. In fact, it wasn''t the end. The problem started after she was massaged by the boy Scar. Whenever he thought of Scar, the precious part that once held Karin would stickily loosen and convulse on its own. He instinctively realized that his body was screaming out loud. To fall. To seek the pleasure of the female. And then, he finally came to this point. On the edge of a precarious cliff. He put his woman on the test bench. Ingrid quietly looked up at Jeong Yu-shin''s face. Even if he didn''t feel pleasure from this massage and it ended half-heartedly, that was fine. Because he would be able to move forward. It would be a chance to focus on the Suin Alliance while protecting the safety of the Labyrinth City like before. Scar, who had been standing there for a while, nodded. "If you want, I''ll do it." It doesn''t cost money. It''s helping someone he knows, so he couldn''t be stingy. And besides, isn''t she Karin''s mother? I couldn''t thank Karin enough for all the help she had received. Ingrid got up from her chair. "Okay. Then turn around... turn around." "Yes?" Why? Turn around? I was curious, but I turned around as Ingrid told me to. Swish. Knock. Jung Yu-shin''s body froze. Isn''t this definitely the sound of clothes falling? Is it really necessary to take off your clothes when getting a massage? Is this a different world massage? I was confused. Knock. Even in the midst of her confusion, the sound of clothes falling continued to be heard. "Jun, I''m ready." Jung Yu-shin slowly turned around. Ingrid was wearing underwear. A gray sports bra and panties. Her body was so toned that she couldn''t possibly be called the mother of a grown daughter. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me so clearly.¡± Ingrid blushed and covered her breasts and slit. Her large breasts were stuck tightly in her sports bra and were about to burst. Jung Yu-shin was shocked and stared at Ingrid for a while. ¡°Gah, is there a reason why you¡¯re taking off your clothes so suddenly?¡± ¡°Ma, isn¡¯t this how massages are usually done?¡± Is that so? He admired Ingrid¡¯s underwear once again. Her pure white skin. Her body was tight where it came out and tight where it went in. Her plump thighs, slim waist, and firm stomach made her heart pound. Are you crazy? How dare you see the underwear of a Labyrinth Committee executive and make your heart race? If Ingrid reached out and grabbed her neck and twisted it, she would struggle to death without being able to do anything. Jung Yu-shin quickly shook her head. ¡®Come to your senses!¡¯ Ingrid went to the bed and sat down. She was definitely wearing a sports bra, but her large breasts were jiggling. ¡°S...Ska, why are you looking somewhere else?¡± Ingrid asked cautiously, her eyes widening. ¡°That¡¯s...¡± Jung Yu-shin blushed. Ingrid blushed at the sight. ¡®This man. He was admiring my body.¡¯ ¡°I¡¯m embarrassed because my body is so unkempt.¡± ¡°Oh, no. I think my body is pretty.¡± A smile appeared on Ingrid¡¯s cold expression. ¡°Flattery is too much. Stop teasing me and get started.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Jung Yu-shin straightened her posture. Since she had already started, she was going to do her best to show off what she had learned. ¡°Then lie down.¡± ¡°Like this?¡± Ingrid lay down on the bed. Her actions were awkward, like a virgin on her first night. Jung Yu-shin took a deep breath and opened her eyes halfway. He took the towel hanging on the bed, folded it neatly, and placed it over Ingrid¡¯s eyes. ¡°Hmm? Why are you covering your eyes?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just doing what I was taught. I don¡¯t really know why.¡± ¡°I-Is that so? Hit!¡± Ingrid¡¯s body froze as the warm man¡¯s hand touched her arm. For a moment, a strange expression appeared on Ingrid¡¯s face. It wasn¡¯t as dramatic as I thought. The fact that she didn¡¯t feel uncomfortable even when the man¡¯s hand touched her for the first time in a long time. Was this all the better? Scar¡¯s hand stroked her shoulder and pressed it. ¡®Good.¡¯ Rather than feeling excited, she felt more comfortable. Strange. He must have been someone she was wary of. He had such gentle hands. It was similar to the hands that stroked Rin. Scar¡¯s hand went up her arm and massaged her shoulder. The muscles that had been tense from working for a long time were relieved and felt refreshed. She felt as if all the years she had spent tensely flew away in an instant. His hand went up and pressed Ingrid¡¯s head. Ingrid was momentarily taken aback, but she trembled at the pleasure that came over her. As her crown was pressed, her headache and worries disappeared, a strange pleasure. It was as if there was such a massage in the world. A tingling sensation gradually rose up her spine. The hand that finished massaging her head came down to her chest. Ingrid''s body froze. "Calm down. Take it easy." "That... that''s right." Since she couldn''t see, she could only feel the voice and the hand vividly. Her heart that had been calmly calming down began to pound. ''Is he finally reaching out?'' She felt a hand pressing hard on the upper part of her chest and collarbone. Even her husband couldn''t touch her carelessly, but this man was wiping her without any hesitation. The hand left her chest and went to her abdomen. And. Her uterus was lightly pressed. Ingrid''s body convulsed slightly. "Whoa?!" The baby room that was suddenly pressed trembled. ''What is this?!'' Ingrid''s eyes, which had been quietly resting under the towel, opened wide. It was similar to what Lin had experienced. No. It was even worse. Her body automatically became hot. Scar¡¯s hands pressed hard on her uterus as if urging ovulation. Ingrid raised her arms urgently. ¡°Wait, wait!¡± ¡°Stay still.¡± At the solemn tone, Ingrid naturally lowered her arms and straightened her body. She was a noble person who had never heard an order before. She could certainly rebel if she wanted to, but Scar¡¯s strict tone made her body shrink involuntarily. Ingrid¡¯s drool flowed from her clenched lips. Scar¡¯s hands precisely located the spot right under her firm stomach, where her ovaries were, and pressed and swept them with a firm hand. The nursery that had existed alone and lonely for a long time trembled with joy. Heat rose up from Ingrid¡¯s body. The massage didn¡¯t end there. Unfortunately, Scar¡¯s hands moved to her thighs. Strong hands kneaded Ingrid¡¯s soft thighs. When the firm fingers squeezed her thighs tightly, Ingrid¡¯s body trembled like an aspen tree. ¡°Spread your legs a little more.¡± ¡°Oh, I got it.¡± ¡°A little more.¡± ¡°More here?!¡± Ingrid¡¯s voice trembled. Her private parts wrapped in panties would be in this man¡¯s sight. Ingrid¡¯s worries were useless. Scar¡¯s hands immediately grabbed her thighs and forcibly spread them apart. ¡°Hit?!!!¡± Ingrid ended up lying down like a frog with her stomach sticking out. And that was forced. A very humiliating position. A vulgar position that even a cheap prostitute wouldn¡¯t do. Ingrid clenched her teeth. Extreme regret surged up. ¡®I shouldn¡¯t have worn gray panties.¡¯ If she got even a little excited, it would leave an irreversible mark on the secret part of her gray panties. Ingrid prayed earnestly in her heart. Don¡¯t look. Don¡¯t notice. She couldn¡¯t even imagine what she would hear if her sticky liquid was exposed on her panties. Despite Ingrid¡¯s wish, Scar¡¯s hand gently swept over the inside of her thigh. He persistently rubbed only the area just an inch away from her pubic bone. And he did it with his thumb, one by one, carefully. Get wet. A gesture that forced her to get excited. ¡®Oh, you¡¯ve decided.¡¯ It seemed like he was determined to dye her entire body with his hands. Scar¡¯s hand once again swept over her thigh right next to her panties and pressed it. ¡°Hmph!¡± Ingrid fidgeted and tried to close her thigh, but a firm hand stopped her. ¡®You can see it clearly.¡¯ Ingrid¡¯s body, which had been well-relaxed by the sincere massage, was gushing with heat. The female pheromones that had been released for a long time filled the room as they met the summer heat. Did her mind relax as her body relaxed? A question naturally came out of her mouth. ¡°T-this is how you seduced my daughter?¡± Ingrid¡¯s words suddenly came out. ¡°...¡± Jeong Yu-shin smiled bitterly. ¡®You had guessed?¡¯ It was something that would come out someday. He had no intention of lying, but he just didn¡¯t answer because he wasn¡¯t asked. Now that Ingrid''s body and mind were relaxed, this might be the chance. Jung Yu-shin raised his hand and placed it on Ingrid''s stomach, gently rubbing it. The last part of the massage. He hoped that his sincerity would reach her. Ingrid''s baby room was gently pressed. Kuuuuk? "Ugh!" Ingrid''s body trembled. Something she had held back until now was about to explode inside her. Her spine trembled and stars flashed in her head. She knew instinctively. She was facing something irreversible. "Karin." "¡¤¡¤¡¤Karin?" "She had a relationship with me." Miserable. How could this be? You''re saying that now? While gently brushing her own hair, she pressed down on her precious baby room with her other hand. You''re saying that you stole your daughter''s virginity?! I regretted having a crush on this man for a moment. You rascal. Your daughter has already been eaten by me, so this is a sincere declaration of war on you. ¡°Ugh!!! This... this way!!!¡± Ingrid twisted her body and tried to raise her buttocks. But she couldn¡¯t move because a strong hand was firmly pressing down on Ingrid¡¯s soft lower abdomen. A spot in Ingrid¡¯s gray panties began to get wet. Ping. Oddly, Ingrid¡¯s clitoris, which hadn¡¯t even been peeled off, stood out prominently above her gray sports panties. ¡°No... no!!! No!!! Hoooooooong?¡± Ingrid stuck out her tongue and let out an animalistic moan. As if a dam had burst, the pleasure of her vagina surged from deep within her. Ingrid. A woman who was the representative of the Suin Union, the leader of the Red Wolf Clan, and a proud member of the Labyrinth Committee. She had a miserable uterine climax after hearing that her daughter''s virginity had been stolen. Ingrid realized during her intense climax. She had fallen into the abyss because of her immature desire for compensation, curiosity, and competitive spirit. ''I''m finished.'' As Karin''s mother, she had crossed a river of no return. Now she could only exist as a female in front of Scar. "Huh?!" Jeong Yu-shin looked down at Ingrid with a bewildered expression. She must have massaged her properly. ''Where did it hurt?'' She thought it went well until the middle. When she mentioned her first night with Karin, she suddenly threw her head back, stuck out her tongue, and let out a vulgar moan. ¡®Why is this happening?¡¯ Is something wrong? The corner of the window behind Jung Yu-shin, who couldn¡¯t do anything. Astaroth and Karin were staring with their mouths wide open. ¡°Mom?¡± ¡°Ingrid?¡± The two women were standing outside the window, their mouths open in shock. Chapter 146: Give me food Karin looked through the window with trembling eyes. Thanks to Astaroth¡¯s invisibility magic, she was able to watch without being noticed, but that was all. Somehow, there was no sound coming from outside, as if some soundproofing magic was at work. But Karin didn¡¯t care about that at all. Her mother had a melted expression on her face. It was a sight she had never seen before, and the shock was overwhelming. ¡®Mom.¡¯ Even if there were no men who caught her eye, how could she make advances on her daughter''s lover? Anger surged up. "We... we should go in." Karin stammered. If she witnessed her boyfriend (?) mating with her mother, it would be a moment that would ruin her entire understanding of relationships. "Why should we go in?" Astaroth asked. "Why? Because... mom..." "Karin, you''re an explorer. You''re not the daughter of the beastmen''s representative. Do you think you can just meet anyone because you want to?" Karin fell silent, unable to refute Astaroth¡¯s logical reasoning. Astaroth dispelled the magic and stepped back. Karin quickly dropped from the window. Ingrid, who was in the room, swiftly turned her head to look outside the window. "Tch!" Ingrid gritted her teeth. She could faintly feel Astaroth''s lingering presence. That sly one had been spying, hadn''t she? An uneasy feeling slowly crept up within her. Once Ingrid regained her composure, she looked up at Jeong Yu-shin. "Sky, thank you. You''ve been a great help." "Is that so? I thought something went wrong when you suddenly screamed." Ingrid blushed and smiled. "Not at all. It felt good. The massage was unforgettable. I hope we can meet again sometime." "Yes. Understood. I¡¯ll see you later." Jeong Yu-shin nodded, acknowledging Ingrid¡¯s soft invitation, and then left the room. He stood for a moment in the yard, looking up at the sky. The stars sparkled in the night sky. Was another bond leaving Labyrinth City? ¡®If I survive, I¡¯ll meet them again.¡¯ He shook his head and moved on. The next morning. Jeong Yu-shin and Karin sat across from each other in a quiet inn. "Karin, you look exhausted." Karin sat at the counter with half-lidded eyes, resting her chin on her hand. "Well... something happened." Jeong Yu-shin nodded inwardly. After all, it must have been lonely for her mother to leave Labyrinth City. He understood that. Jeong Yu-shin stood up. "If you''re tired, take a break. I¡¯m going to check on the explorer¡¯s guild." "To see if there are any party applicants?" "Yes. Also, I¡¯ll stop by the blacksmith¡¯s." "Okay? Got it. Let¡¯s meet at the blacksmith¡¯s around lunch. Where is it?" Jeong Yu-shin explained where Boron¡¯s blacksmith was to Karin, then left the inn. He walked slowly through the streets. Last night, he had stopped by a magic tool shop to replace the magic stone for the ring that would seal the Succubus Female Corruption Mark. Waking the sleeping dwarf shopkeeper had cost him a bit extra, but it was a painful expenditure. But, ¡®Still, I couldn¡¯t carve the forbidden mark into a pure maiden¡¯s body.¡¯ Having sealed the corruption mark, he no longer had to worry about recruiting a party. With that problem out of the way, his heart beat faster in anticipation of a new meeting. ¡®What kind of person will I meet next?¡¯ Will they be a good person? A bad person? Or maybe someone strange? Finding a new party was always difficult. People¡¯s hearts were like labyrinths; they only showed their true selves in times of crisis. Perhaps that was why the bond with those who shared such trials felt stronger. Now, he understood why clans were formed. Even though labyrinth parties were often fragile and broke apart, they stuck together through clans. Even in the flood of countless marks, explorers instinctively knew what truly mattered. It wasn¡¯t the marks, but the person¡¯s character. That¡¯s why Karin was more precious. Having gone through trials together, he had faith that even if more challenges arose, they would overcome them. Her mere presence was a comfort. Jeong Yu-shin smiled faintly. Shall I go? To find new companions? "Uh... I¡¯m sorry about that." The heavily armored human warrior gave a troubled look at Jeong Yu-shin¡¯s offer to join his party. "Why?" "Sigh. Sky, you caused some trouble." "What trouble? I¡¯m just a fresh, eager mid-tier explorer." The human warrior stared blankly at Jeong Yu-shin¡¯s face. He was handsome and skilled. But there was one major problem. ¡®I don¡¯t think he¡¯s sane.¡¯ The fact that he survived after spitting on Astaroth¡¯s face was shocking enough. But that was it. He didn¡¯t want any further involvement. ¡®A deadbeat party, at best.¡¯ It was safe to say Jeong Yu-shin was a half-mad explorer driven by his insanity. A drug-addicted explorer might be an okay recruit since they''d function well once the drugs kicked in. "Sky, I really hate to say this, but I have to." The man paused for a moment to organize his thoughts, then continued. "The rumor that you spat in Astaroth¡¯s face has spread like wildfire. No ¡®normal¡¯ explorer would want to join you. Anyone willing to join your party is probably flawed in some way." "..." It wasn¡¯t unexpected, but wasn¡¯t that rather bleak news? ¡®Yu-shin, that¡¯s your reputation. Deal with it.¡¯ ¡®Idiot, you could just corrupt a female and be done with it, but here you are acting like a moralist?¡¯ More darkness from the labyrinth. Smack!!! Jeong Yu-shin slapped his cheek to shake off the thoughts. It seemed inevitable that some explorers with negative marks would try to join his party. The man continued. "The downside of temporary parties is exactly this, the impact of reputation. It might be better to form a fixed party. If you gradually expand your network through a fixed party, you could lay the groundwork for a clan. Think about it slowly, even now." "Thank you. But, really, are you sure you don¡¯t want to join my party?" "Leaving aside everything else, if I travel with you, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll last long. That¡¯s the gut feeling of an explorer." The man offered some advice along with his curses, stood up, and left. Jeong Yu-shin sat at the table and stared at the job bulletin board. Thousands of requests were tacked up. With so many fish, it was frustrating that no one was catching them. "Today¡¯s a bust. Oh, my life." Grumbling to himself, Jeong Yu-shin stood up and headed for the blacksmith¡¯s. Sitting around doing nothing was pointless; it was better to be doing something. If he was feeling down, a little ?N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t? shopping might help. Jeong Yu-shin arrived at Boron¡¯s blacksmith in the western district. "What¡¯s this?" "Ugh! Sky, you¡¯re here?" Karin, with a flushed face, staggered toward him and clung to him. A strong smell of alcohol wafted up. Behind Karin, Boron stuck his head out and stared at Jeong Yu-shin. "Mm? Who is it? I¡¯m sure Karin said..." "Why do you look so surprised? I¡¯m Sky." "Really?!" Boron¡¯s eyes grew wide, and he scrutinized Jeong Yu-shin¡¯s face. "Crazy! What on earth have you been eating to change this much?" "I¡¯ve eaten various things. But why has Karin turned out like this?" Jeong Yu-shin had come for equipment, but Karin was clearly drunk and causing a scene. Boron scratched his head. "Well, Karin saw me drinking and suddenly asked for some too, so I ended up giving her a few drinks." "Even so, how could you let her drink this much?" "I treated her with good wine since she¡¯s a special guest. Don¡¯t complain." He was about to say more, but Karin shook her head at him from his arms. "Ugh! Don¡¯t be mad." "I¡¯m not mad." Jeong Yu-shin patted Karin¡¯s head and sat her down in a corner. "Where¡¯s Ainhofer?" Boron pointed to a door on the side, a room where the equipment blueprints were stored. "He¡¯s studying in there." "Suddenly?" "Yeah, now that he¡¯s making custom equipment requests instead of using pre-made ones. He¡¯s learning everything from measuring sizes to gathering materials." "I see." "That guy is a real hard worker. I¡¯ve never seen a dwarf work this hard in my life." "Has he removed his negative mark?" Boron shook his head. "No, he says he doesn¡¯t plan to remove it yet. What did he say? Every time he feels the limits, the desire to push forward grows stronger. That¡¯s what he said." Jeong Yu-shin smiled. That was Ainhofer for sure. Even with a physical decline mark and tremor mark, he had grown this much. He was beyond impressive. "That¡¯s good." With Karin still seated, Jeong Yu-shin got up and walked into the blueprint room. The smell of old paper filled the air. In the middle of a mountain of blueprints, Ainhofer, wearing glasses, was scribbling something. He was so focused that he didn¡¯t even notice Jeong Yu-shin¡¯s entrance. Was he drawing up blueprints? Jeong Yu-shin crossed his arms and watched Ainhofer. This wasn¡¯t the Ainhofer he had seen before. The brave dwarf who had fought by his side in the deadbeat party. His comrade who had been forced to change paths because of the negative marks. The blacksmith who had hammered steel with tears in his eyes was no longer here. What stood before him now was a professional. Jeong Yu-shin couldn¡¯t help but smile. Ainhofer, who had been studying the blueprints, snapped back to reality and looked up. "Sky." He recognized him immediately. They had struggled together in the labyrinth. They had comforted each other in the blacksmith¡¯s forge when they both thought they might break. It was strange that he hadn¡¯t recognized him. A bond that had supported his spirit. "Good to see you." "You¡¯ve changed a lot, huh? We should¡¯ve met at the festival. Sorry about that." "It¡¯s fine that we¡¯re meeting now." "What brings you here?" "I came to get some equipment." "I see. What parts do you need?" Boron opened the door and interrupted. "Let¡¯s talk outside. It¡¯s too hot and dusty in here." "Alright." Jeong Yu-shin, Karin, Boron, and Ainhofer gathered at the blacksmith¡¯s counter. Boron spoke up. "We currently have Rykis leather, half a mithril steel ingot, and six Morias mountain steel ingots." "Did Karin tell you?" "Yeah. Karin¡¯s equipment request is already finished. Now it¡¯s just you." Jeong Yu-shin patted Karin¡¯s head as he thought. He still hadn¡¯t decided which area to enter. But he couldn¡¯t just sit idly by. As Karin had said, it was better to focus on getting the necessary gear first. Indeed, It would be better to focus on mobility, right? A light armor with a leather base and plate over vital areas seemed like the best fit. The chainmail he had tried last time wasn¡¯t bad either. Jeong Yu-shin explained his thoughts. Boron stroked his chin. "Are you planning to focus on mobility? Have you abandoned the idea of using plate armor?" "After taking a hit from a forest troll, my gear broke apart." Boron gave him a bewildered look. "People die if they get hit by a forest troll. Is the gear the problem?" "I survived, didn¡¯t I?" Boron scratched his head. "That¡¯s weird. You should¡¯ve died. How did you survive?" Jeong Yu-shin frowned. "Why are you so curious about these strange things? Are you trying to offer me a sacrificial ceremony? Let¡¯s drop it. The service here isn¡¯t great." "Heh, calm down. I won¡¯t say anything more." "Clearly, with the materials we¡¯ve gathered, you¡¯re not in a position to make full plate armor, right?" "True. But the materials Karin picked are known for their cost-effectiveness among mid-tier explorers. They''re relatively cheap but still produce decent quality gear. From the way they¡¯ve been selected, it seems she did her research." "I see." Ainhofer nodded in agreement. "Rykis leather is famous for its toughness. It¡¯s great for a leather armor base. The plates made from Morias mountain steel are also highly durable. If used, they¡¯ll block most fatal blows." "Then, let¡¯s go with light armor for the protection." "What about the other equipment?" "I¡¯ll think more about it later and make a request then. We can use the remaining materials for that." "Got it. We''ll store the extra materials once we finish making your gear." "How much will it cost to make Karin¡¯s and my gear?" Boron¡¯s eyes lit up. "I¡¯ll do it for 10 gold. How¡¯s that?" Jeong Yu-shin sighed in disbelief. "Ugh. Boron, we brought all the materials ourselves, and you¡¯re charging 10 gold for labor? Do you have no conscience?" "Heh! With such expensive materials, would you expect someone like us professionals to take care of it? Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll deliver it on time, no mistakes. What kind of shop does this? Just relax, and we¡¯ll take care of everything." "Still..." "Still what?! Do you want to see your apprentice starve to death?!" Boron yelled. Ainhofer shook his head. "Sky, if you need, I¡¯ll cut the price." Boron¡¯s eyes grew wide. "You crazy apprentice! How can you act like this when your master is working so hard? Ah! My neck!" Jeong Yu-shin nodded. "Fine. Let¡¯s settle at 10 gold." "Why didn¡¯t you say so earlier? Sky, are you going to keep messing with people¡¯s emotions? Just pay and be done with it." Squeak!!! Suddenly, Boron¡¯s face snapped around. Jeong Yu-shin and Ainhofer stared blankly at Karin. Karin was fiddling with her hands. "Is this dwarf constantly talking nonsense to our Sky? What¡¯s that about? You little bitch?! Want to die?!" Boron touched his cheek in a daze. "Uh..." "Sky, carry me." "Okay. Then, Boron, here¡¯s the gold." Boron touched his reddened cheek and took the money from Jeong Yu-shin. "It''ll take about a week. I''ll contact you when it''s done." "Understood. Thank you." Jeong Yu-shin left the blacksmith with Karin in his arms, leaving a dazed Boron behind. They chatted a bit on the way back, and by the time they realized it, it was evening. Karin, heavily drunk, couldn¡¯t keep her head straight. When they arrived at the inn and were about to enter, someone was lying at the entrance. A blonde woman in plate armor. Her face couldn¡¯t be seen because she was lying face down. Her armor was covered in dust, and her hair was greasy. ¡®What¡¯s this?¡¯ Jeong Yu-shin decided to lay Karin on the bed and think it over, walking past the woman. Halfway there. Thud!!! The woman raised her arm and grabbed Jeong Yu-shin¡¯s ankle. His body stiffened. The woman looked up and spoke. "Food... food, please." "...Money?" "..." The woman fell silent. Jeong Yu-shin looked down at the shabby woman. "Guest, you need to pay for your meal. Please let go of my leg." "I... I¡¯ll join a party. Food, please." A party? Jeong Yu-shin¡¯s eyes widened. ¡®What¡¯s this...?¡¯ Chapter 147: New friends. But a little strange. A quiet evening at the inn. Jeong Yusin sat with his arms crossed, observing the woman as she ate. Though she appeared to be in her early twenties, the way she ate made her look like a beggar who hadn¡¯t eaten for a month. Several loaves of bread were spread out on the table around the woman. There was rye bread that was dark from mixed grains, all the way to white bread with a lot of wheat in it. It was enough to open a bakery. But for the woman, it seemed like an amount that didn¡¯t even come close to being enough. At first, she cut the bread carefully with a bread knife, watching her surroundings, but now she was tearing the bread with her hands and swallowing it greedily. She used the bread as a spoon to scoop up the chili con carne, made from tomatoes, chili, beans, various vegetables, and beef, scraping up the leftover sauce on the plate. But that wasn¡¯t the end. She didn¡¯t even bother to chew the long sausages, swallowing them whole, and then grabbed a tomahawk steak, holding it by the bone and tearing off the meat. It was as though food was her mortal enemy, making sure to savor each bite in a calculated manner. ¡®Is she filming some kind of eating show?¡¯ The sheer volume of food the woman was consuming made Jeong Yusin¡¯s head start to hurt. He had only intended to serve her a simple meal, but now it seemed like she was planning to bankrupt the place by sitting there. Even the other customers had stopped eating and were watching the armored woman inhale the food. Tarman was busy running back and forth to the kitchen, sweating profusely, putting food on the table. By the time Jeong Yusin snapped out of his daze, there were already empty bowls piling up around the woman. ¡®Ah.¡¯ This was a loss. ¡°Hey, can you eat in moderation?¡± ¡°Mumumum!!!¡± The woman puffed out her cheeks like a hamster and tried to say something. Seeing her eyes sparkle, Jeong Yusin guessed it was a positive response, but he wasn¡¯t entirely pleased. The unmistakable smell of eating without paying lingered in the air. Jeong Yusin gave a sign to Tarman. ¡®Block the entrance.¡¯ ¡®Yes, sir.¡¯ Tarman immediately understood and stood by the inn''s entrance. The blonde woman, however, continued to empty every plate in front of her. ¡®Does she have some kind of food fighter engraving?¡¯ The fact that so much food could fit in her stomach was surprising. Surely, she¡¯d be making quite a mess afterward. When the woman finished the last bowl, she leaned back in her chair, wearing a satisfied smile, so it seemed like she had filled her stomach well. She patted her stomach and opened her mouth. ¡°Do you have any dessert around here?¡± No, she didn¡¯t. ¡°Excuse me. Can you show some decency?¡± At Jeong Yusin¡¯s words, the woman gave a sheepish smile. ¡°Mi... sorry.¡± Naturally. She should be sorry. She ate like a pig and still had the nerve to ask for dessert. ¡®Do labyrinth explorers these days all have no conscience engravings or something?¡¯ Looking at the woman¡¯s eyes, she didn¡¯t seem like she was planning to run away. Was that a bit of a relief? Even if she did run, Jeong Yusin would follow her to the ends of hell to get his money. Jeong Yusin sighed deeply. ¡°Phew. Tarman, bring some alcohol. ? N§àv§Öl¦Éght ? (Read the full story) Two glasses.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Tarman quickly ran behind the counter, grabbed a bottle of dwarf liquor, and brought two glasses. Jeong Yusin looked at Tarman and made a gesture. ¡®Why did you bring such expensive alcohol?¡¯ ¡®Thank you, sir.¡¯ Tarman winked. Was he actually understanding Jeong Yusin¡¯s feelings? What an oblivious subordinate. Was it a mistake to think they had a mutual understanding? Jeong Yusin poured the dwarf liquor into his glass first. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± The blonde woman hesitated for a moment before opening her mouth. ¡°Delia. I don¡¯t have a surname.¡± ¡°You had one, but you don¡¯t now?¡± ¡°I used to have the surname Everguard, but I threw it away.¡± ¡°Were you a noble?¡± At Jeong Yusin¡¯s question, Delia nodded. ¡°I once had ties with the Kingdom of Lionel. It¡¯s already fallen. I can¡¯t say much more.¡± ¡°Is that so? I see.¡± A fallen noble, huh? What¡¯s it to me? As long as she can fight well, that¡¯s enough. ¡°You said you were joining my party?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Why do you want to join?¡± I was curious about why she would want to join the party of a barbarian, someone despised and called a scum in the labyrinth city. Not to mention, she¡¯s someone who spat on the labyrinth council¡¯s face, a walking bomb. A normal explorer would avoid it at all costs. ¡®She has good self-awareness.¡¯ ¡®Is she starting to come to her senses?¡¯ These guys. The angel and devil inside Jeong Yusin¡¯s mind were both pulling at his ego. ¡°...Well, the thing is.¡± Delia scratched her head, looking a bit embarrassed, before speaking again. ¡°I got the glutton engraving from the labyrinth a while ago. It gives me strength according to how much I eat, but the downside is that it drains a lot of my stamina.¡± ¡°So?¡± ¡°Unfortunately, I got the negative engraving in the last labyrinth exploration. I¡¯ve been saving money to remove it, but I couldn¡¯t stand the hunger. Since I¡¯m not part of a clan of explorers, I can¡¯t get any support, and I didn¡¯t have any contacts to borrow money from. That¡¯s when I heard about you.¡± Is that so? What a brave one. Is she fearless? ¡°Is that so? Why not sell your equipment?¡± ¡°Never.¡± Delia¡¯s face stiffened. ¡°The gear I¡¯m wearing now is a family heirloom. They¡¯ve been with me for years. I can¡¯t just dispose of them.¡± She may have discarded her family name, but she couldn¡¯t let go of the memories attached to it? ¡°Let¡¯s get back to the story. I heard that your party is looking for a vanguard. Most explorers are hesitant to support, so I thought you¡¯d accept if I offer to help.¡± She¡¯s straightforward, isn¡¯t she? I liked it. There was one thing that bothered me, though. ¡°What¡¯s this negative engraving?¡± ¡°Well... it¡¯s a bit embarrassing to talk about. But I can assure you, it¡¯s not a bad engraving for labyrinth exploration.¡± Jeong Yusin suddenly thought of Solline. He was a holy knight serving the spirit of light. That guy also had a negative engraving. He left without ever talking about it. ¡®I wonder how he¡¯s doing.¡¯ Jeong Yusin closed his mouth and recalled the memory for a moment. Delia, interpreting his silence, suddenly became serious. ¡°I swear on my family¡¯s name.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say your family¡¯s fallen? What meaning does swearing on your family¡¯s name hold?¡± Delia¡¯s expression darkened, and she closed her mouth. ¡°...¡± Ah. He had hit a sensitive spot. Tch. The darkness of the labyrinth, once again. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Have a drink.¡± Jeong Yusin grabbed the glass that Tarman had brought and poured it in front of Delia. Slosh. ¡°Thanks.¡± Delia quickly brightened up, drinking the liquor down in one gulp. ¡°Mmm. That¡¯s good.¡± What a tough woman. Jeong Yusin nodded to himself. ¡°Delia, tell me about your main weapon and your rank in the levels.¡± ¡°I mostly use a shield and a mace. A one-handed sword is my secondary weapon. I take the front line and usually take the hits. I¡¯ve made it to the eighth floor of the corridor zone.¡± The corridor zone, huh. That¡¯s good. If Delia takes the front line, I¡¯ll have more flexibility in choosing my gear. With a solid tank in the front, Karin and I can take the damage dealers¡¯ roles, which would make things easier. Or I could place Karin as a ranged dealer, and Delia and I could both take the front line. Jeong Yusin refilled Delia¡¯s glass. ¡°Are there any conditions? Besides the loot-sharing ratio?¡± ¡°There is.¡± As expected. There¡¯s no such thing as a free lunch. ¡°What¡¯s the condition?¡± ¡°Provide meals. At least until we enter the labyrinth.¡± Jeong Yusin¡¯s hand, holding the liquor bottle, trembled slightly. ¡°...¡± Is this a joke? If she keeps eating like this, nothing will be left. I¡¯ve just started making some profit lately, and I sent a small amount to Darmong along with a letter. But sending more money anytime soon seems difficult. Swallowing the rising sigh, Jeong Yusin nodded. ¡°Fine.¡± He wasn¡¯t in a position to be picky. ¡°And... also an advance, please.¡± Jeong Yusin¡¯s eyes widened. Another condition? ¡°Uh...?¡± They haven¡¯t even acquired any loot yet, and now she¡¯s asking for an advance. ¡°Oh! Also, sorry, but do you have a vacant room?¡± Jeong Yusin stared blankly at Delia¡¯s face. ¡°...¡± Jeong Yusin grabbed his forehead. ¡®If I hadn¡¯t done that crazy thing back then...¡¯ ¡°Take everything.¡± ¡°Thanks. Just as the rumors said. Ska, you¡¯re a good barbarian who doesn¡¯t rape.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t believe rumors too much.¡± Jeong Yusin growled, wearing a fierce expression. Just as Delia¡¯s guilty expression was about to turn completely pale... Clank!!! The inn door opened. Clink. Clink. A huge figure clad in plate armor walked into the inn. Since they were wearing a helmet, it was impossible to tell their gender or age. The figure stood still for a moment, surveying the surroundings, and then slowly walked toward Jeong Yusin. ¡°...¡± The giant in plate armor stared down at him without saying a word. There should¡¯ve been eyes visible through the helmet holes, but nothing was revealed. There wasn¡¯t even a sound of breathing. ¡®What is this?¡¯ A sense of suspicion slowly rose within him. The giant in plate armor pulled out a piece of paper and a pen from the armor and began scribbling. Jeong Yusin stared blankly at the giant. ¡®Is it mute?¡¯ The giant showed the paper to Jeong Yusin. Are you Ska? Jeong Yusin nodded. ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± The giant scribbled on the paper again. I heard you¡¯re recruiting for your party. Jeong Yusin stared up at the giant for a moment and then shook his head. ¡°We¡¯ve already got a vanguard.¡± I¡¯m not a vanguard. What? How can someone in full plate armor say they aren¡¯t a vanguard? It was something that made no sense logically. ¡°So, what are you then?¡± A priest. ¡°Are you serious?¡± The giant in plate armor sat down at the table, seemingly preparing to introduce himself properly. I am Barion, a mid-level priest of the Earth God¡¯s Church. The Earth God? ¡°Do you know Mion?¡± Barion nodded. I¡¯ve met him a few times. He¡¯s a kind person. ¡°I see? But isn¡¯t that plate armor heavy? Priests usually wear cloth robes.¡± ¡°...¡± Barion sat quietly for a moment before opening the helmet. And what he revealed was an unreal sight. Jeong Yusin¡¯s eyes widened to the size of lanterns. ¡®The helmet... is empty?¡¯ There should¡¯ve been a face inside the helmet, but there was nothing. How can this even be possible? It¡¯s an engraving called Spirit of Steel. My body left the soul and resides in steel. ¡°W-wait!¡± Jeong Yusin raised his hand. He couldn¡¯t follow the explanation. Though he had only spent a short time in the labyrinth, he prided himself on having seen many strange things. But this was beyond anything he could comprehend. It was beyond imagination. Jeong Yusin stared at the empty helmet. ¡°So... where is your real body?¡± It¡¯s gone. ¡°Can it come back?¡± I believe it will, if I erase the engraving. ¡°This is insane.¡± Jeong Yusin leaned back in his chair and rubbed his forehead. ¡®It¡¯s dizzying.¡¯ What is this world even? Every time Jeong Yusin thought he had adjusted to it, some strange engraving would pop up in front of him. ¡°By the way...¡± Ask freely. Barion closed the helmet and looked down at Jeong Yusin. ¡°Do you have a brother? Blonde, missing an arm, a bit short? Uses some kind of peculiar magic?¡± You seem to be mistaken for someone else, I¡¯m an only child. I don¡¯t have a brother. ¡°Ah... I see.¡± Jeong Yusin let out a deep sigh. ¡®That was a close one.¡¯ ¡°Is there a reason you¡¯re applying to my party?¡± Priest Mion spoke highly of you. He said you¡¯re a barbarian who doesn¡¯t judge others by appearances. I thought I¡¯d try joining your party this time. So Mion praised him that much? Jeong Yusin¡¯s shoulders slightly lifted in pride. Not to mention, as a priest, Barion would be able to use various holy magic. He would be a much-needed addition to the party, considering their lack of healing methods. Even Delia, the fallen noble, seemed pleased with his arrival. ¡°Alright. Do you have any other negative engravings?¡± No. ¡°What¡¯s your rank in the levels?¡± The ninth floor of the corridor zone. There are many corridor zones. Jeong Yusin extended his hand. ¡°Accepted. Please take good care of us.¡± Barion grabbed Jeong Yusin¡¯s hand. Likewise. A giant in empty plate armor and a fallen noble gluttoness. Life is full of surprises. Jeong Yusin stopped short of pouring more alcohol for Barion. ¡°Don¡¯t you drink?¡± That¡¯s right. I don¡¯t need food or drink. ¡°I¡¯ll drink enough for both of us, Barion the priest!¡± Delia¡¯s eyes sparkled as she stepped forward. Jeong Yusin, flustered, poured her another glass. ¡°G-Go ahead.¡± Is she the kind of warrior who doesn¡¯t know how to refuse? Seeing her happy face didn¡¯t feel too bad. Jeong Yusin set the bottle down and spoke up. ¡°So, shall we start by setting a goal for which zone to target?¡± ¡°Sounds good.¡± I agree. Late summer, a quiet evening at the inn. The empty plate armor priest, Barion. The fallen noble gluttonous young lady, Delia. The black-haired barbarian, Jeong Yusin. They gathered together and started discussing their plans, heads bent close to each other. Through the long conversation, a small smile appeared on Jeong Yusin¡¯s face. Chapter 148: Corridor Area The next morning. Karin came down to the first floor of the inn, clutching her pounding head. She had a serious hangover from drinking at Boron¡¯s forge yesterday. She remembered being carried into the room on Ska¡¯s broad back, but everything after that was vague. On the first floor of the inn, a blonde woman was sitting at a table eating food. It was too much to eat for breakfast. But the woman slurped down the food on the table without batting an eye. Ska was sitting next to her with his arms crossed. Did he know that woman? Karin approached the table. ¡°Ska...?¡± ¡°Are you awake?¡± Ska greeted her with a gentle smile. Karin pointed at the blonde woman with her finger. ¡°Who is she?¡± ¡°Delia, she¡¯s the vanguard who applied for our party.¡± ¡°Uh, when?¡± ¡°Yesterday evening.¡± Delia raised her head, swallowed her food, and held out her hand. ¡°Are you Karin? Please take care of me. It¡¯s Delia.¡± ¡°It¡¯s Karin. I¡¯m the party guide.¡± Karin grabbed Delia¡¯s hand. She must be someone trustworthy since Scar saved her. But there was one thing she was curious about. ¡°Delia, are you a virgin?!¡± ¡°Phew!!!¡± After shaking hands, Delia, who was inhaling her food again, exhaled. The food she had been chewing flew out of Delia¡¯s mouth and stuck to Karin¡¯s face. Delia blushed. ¡°Cough!!! Go, you¡¯re suddenly a virgin? What kind of outrageous statement is that?!¡± Jung Yoo-shin crossed his arms and looked at Karin. ¡°Karin, what kind of awkward question is that?¡± ¡°Sorry.¡± Karin took out a handkerchief and wiped her face. That expression and behavior. She¡¯s a virgin. ¡®No way, another competitor.¡¯ I was already upset because of my mother, and now here comes another blonde virgin. And her face is pretty. Shouldn¡¯t I admit it now? The virgin female corruption imprint is just a meddling. Scar¡¯s tall appearance was shaking the hearts of many women. Karin mentally mourned in advance for poor Delia, who would become Scar¡¯s sacrificial offering. When Karin sat down at the table, Jung Yu-shin filled a wooden cup with water and handed it to her. ¡°Karin, the Earth Mother priest Barion has also come in. He¡¯s a bit of a strange person.¡± ¡°Strange?¡± In response to Karin¡¯s question, Jung Yu-shin briefly explained the party members. How they met, what they talked about, and the meeting they had last night came out naturally. Karin drank the water and wiped her mouth. ¡°So you¡¯ve roughly decided where to go?¡± ¡°Right.¡± Jung Yu-shin continued with shining eyes. ¡°We¡¯re going to the Corridor Area.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Karin answered coolly. As an intermediate explorer, I¡¯ve explored the Forest Area and Corridor Area before, so it wasn¡¯t like I was going somewhere I didn¡¯t know. ¡°I¡¯m going to finish ordering equipment and get a few requests.¡± ¡°Scar, leave the requests to me. I know a lucrative one.¡± Delia pounded her chest. She was wearing plate armor, so all she could hear was the sound of iron. ¡°Really? Then I¡¯ll leave the requests to you.¡± Karin crossed her arms and looked at Jung Yu-shin. ¡°I¡¯ll go to the blacksmith shop and finish ordering equipment. While I¡¯m at it, I¡¯ll stop by the Guide¡¯s Guild to get some information.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± As soon as the conversation ended, Karin and Delia stood up. Is he really an intermediate explorer? He seemed to be trying to quickly handle the work he was good at. Should I say that his movements were so efficient that I couldn¡¯t even imagine it when I was a beginner explorer? Jung Yu-shin also got up from his seat. ¡°I¡¯ll go to the monster dismantling center.¡± ¡°Okay. See you later.¡± They got up from their seats and parted ways. Jung Yu-shin headed to the monster dismantling center with his red blade. After greeting the dismantling center staff for the first time in a while, he went into the office and saw Aldain sitting there. ¡°It¡¯s been a while. Scar, your appearance has changed again.¡± ¡°You recognize me well, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°You look exactly like you did when you were young? It¡¯s strange not to recognize me. By the way. Are you planning on entering the labyrinth soon?¡± Aldain glanced at the red blade. ¡°Yes. I brought it because they told me to return it before entering the labyrinth.¡± ¡°Give it to me.¡± At Aldain¡¯s request, he untied the red single-edged sword from his waist and handed it over. ¡°Aldain, I don¡¯t know if you heard from Dulchangko, but the single-edged sword has been possessed by an evil spirit. It didn¡¯t seem to be any abnormal since I exorcised it, but I think it would be best to be careful.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Really?¡± Aldain frowned slightly as he stroked the single-edged sword. ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤I see. Thank you for your hard work. If you survive the labyrinth, come back again. I have something to tell you.¡± ¡°Yes. I understand.¡± ¡°By the way, which area are we going into?¡± ¡°The corridor area.¡± ¡°Really? Cheer up. Don¡¯t die, and let¡¯s see how you survive.¡± Aldain leaned the red single-edged sword against the table and waved his hand. * * * A week had passed. He was so busy preparing for this and that that he didn¡¯t even realize how time had passed. I went to Edel''s pharmacy to buy potions and went to the general store to prepare various exploration supplies. I focused on supplementing my nutrition by gradually increasing my food intake. I thought that I would be able to last a little longer in case I stayed in the labyrinth for a long time and ran out of food. I also went through the process of slowly running around the yard with my backpack on to get used to the weight. I didn''t stop there, but I intentionally changed the day and night to get my body used to it. This was because the time I entered the labyrinth was evening. These trainings came from the desire to make up for the parts I was lacking and regretful while going through the labyrinth. Karin stuck out her tongue at this appearance of Jeong Yu-shin. It was almost an obsession, a self-management that I couldn''t even imagine imitating. A week later in the evening. The party gathered together. They usually leave early in the morning, but the time zone changed with the monster explorers due to a change in the labyrinth committee. The regular explorers leave in the afternoon or evening. The monster explorers leave in the morning. It was the minimum rule that the Explorers'' Guild had set to prevent a chaotic situation. Everyone was armed and quietly sat at the table. Jeong Yu-shin was wearing light armor with plates added on top of leather armor. He wore iron greaves and leather gloves. His main weapon was a long sword with a blue tint. A famous sword that Einhofer and Boron had painstakingly created. It was nicknamed Dog-necking in the forest area. His secondary weapons were a dagger and a single-edged sword with ''Gale''. He returned the red single-edged sword and excluded the shield. Delia would take the vanguard instead. Delia, the fallen princess, was wearing plate armor with a one-handed mace, a kite shield, and an arming sword. Karin wore light leather armor with two daggers, a crossbow, and a bolt pouch on her waist. Baryon was holding a huge two-handed warhammer. ¡°Is it okay for a priest to use a weapon like this?¡± - Is there a problem? Baryon shrugged and scribbled on a piece of paper. ¡°Not at all. Rather, it¡¯s good.¡± It¡¯s good to have a strong rearguard. It¡¯s free from surprise attacks from the rear. Delia took out two pieces of paper from her bosom. The requests selected after a week of party meetings. In other words, the final requests that remained. Collecting monster bone fragments. Collecting antiques. Both requests ¡ã? N o v e l i g h t ?¡ã were from the Magic Tower. ¡°The Magic Tower tends to be a little more generous in paying out rewards.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Jeong Yu-shin looked around. He had been moving nonstop for a week, preparing for the labyrinth exploration. The preparations were perfect. ¡°Shall we go?¡± The party members stood up from their seats. * * * The sun that had been brightening the sky disappeared beneath the castle walls, scattering the sunset light. Jung Yu-shin walked slowly down the street toward the western district. Pushing through the crowd of people, he arrived at the entrance to the labyrinth. Following the guards¡¯ guidance, he stood in front of the magic circle. He took out a torch and fiddled with the flint he had in his pocket. ¡°Hoo.¡± He took a deep breath and steeled himself. Flash!!! His vision darkened with the familiar feeling of floating. Thump! Jung Yu-shin exited the portal and naturally stepped on the floor. The damp air. The cool temperature. The surface of the labyrinth. He quickly took out the flint and lit the torch. Hururuk. The torch flared up, illuminating the dark vision. The party members held their weapons and stood back to back. ¡°Is there a problem?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°...¡± Karin looked around. ¡°It fell close to the transfer stone. You¡¯re lucky.¡± Was it really Karin? She seemed to know where it fell just by looking at it. ¡°Let¡¯s go. Delia will lead, and Karin will follow.¡± The party formed a formation and advanced through the dark cave. They passed by explorers who seemed to be beginners and encountered intermediate parties. They received envious looks and wary looks, but they did not stand and greet each other. It wasn¡¯t that they had no time, but rather that they had no reason to. The party continued forward. They encountered a group of hobgoblins, but it wasn''t a problem at all. Before Jung Yu-shin could even draw his weapon, Delia stepped forward and swung her mace. When the hobgoblin heads that had been hit by the mace exploded like firecrackers, the hobgoblins fled without looking back. One day. Two days. Three days. Four days. The party continued forward without hesitation and arrived at the 5th floor, Engrav. The Engrav area was already cleaned up, as if a higher-level party had already swept through once. The torn and smashed corpses of higher-level hobgoblins were rolling around on the street. "Huh?" Jung Yu-shin stopped walking. A group wearing black robes was walking across the street. Usually, a party would have four or five people at most, but there were at least twenty of them. The party members also stopped in their tracks. ¡°Those guys...¡± Delia¡¯s trembling voice flowed out. ¡°Why? Do you know them?¡± Karin stepped forward in response to Jung Yushin¡¯s question. ¡°A clan that stays in the eastern region. Was it the ¡®Night of Death¡¯?¡± - That¡¯s right. Barion confirmed Karin¡¯s answer with a gesture. ¡°Is this a clan we should be wary of?¡± Delia shook her head. ¡°They look a little gloomy, but not to the extent that we should be wary of them. They just mutter crazy things about overcoming death. I heard they¡¯ve never hurt anyone.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Was it an illusion that somehow felt like they were going in a similar direction? ¡®My nose is three inches long. Let¡¯s not pay attention to strange things.¡¯ She shook her head to erase her thoughts. The party left the group of black robes behind and walked along the streets of Engrav until they reached the central area. Karin stopped. ¡°We should take a rest here and then move on to the corridor area.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s do that.¡± Following Karin¡¯s lead, they entered an alleyway to find a shelter. A dusty house. They cleaned up, found a brazier, lit a fire, and sat down together. Delia took off her helmet and patted her stomach. ¡°I¡¯m hungry.¡± She must have had quite an appetite since she said she was hungry as soon as she sat down. Delia immediately searched her backpack and took out some food. It was a black energy bar, and Delia grinned and munched on it. A special energy bar made by Anne and Tarman for Delia. It was a clever idea since it was difficult to meet Delia¡¯s calorie consumption with things like jerky or dry bread. Thanks to this, I was able to drastically reduce the weight of my backpack. It was quite expensive, but I decided to think of it as an investment. Starting with Delia, the party members each took out food from their backpacks and started eating. There was no separate conversation. It wasn¡¯t an awkward atmosphere. They just had nothing to say. Baryon was on night watch. Since I got the Spirit of Steel imprint, the need for food and sleep disappeared. Thanks to Baryon, I was able to pass through the labyrinth relatively comfortably without night watch for the past few days. Jung Yu-shin leaned against the wall and closed his eyes. He fell into the familiar darkness. * * * Someone grabbed his shoulder and shook him. ¡°Scar, wake up.¡± Jung Yu-shin¡¯s eyes shot open. It was Delia. ¡°How long did you sleep?¡± ¡°About 6 hours. You slept really well?¡± Jung Yu-shin nodded inwardly. He kept the minimum amount of sleep. In other words. It''s a story of getting used to the labyrinth to some extent. The party members finished eating and packed their bags. They left the shelter and walked straight. When they arrived at the central area, they saw another castle. A castle inside a castle. The inner castle. There were antique sculptures carved into the castle walls. I don''t know what kind of city it was, but it seemed like high-ranking people once lived there. They passed through the castle gate and reached the garden. In fact, it was hard to tell at first glance that it was a garden. It was a dead land with no grass, just dust. The only things that told us that this was once a garden were the dried-up lake and the decayed pavilion. After passing the garden, a corridor appeared. An old, musty path. There was nothing there, as if the explorers had already taken all the valuable decorations. They passed through the straight corridor and entered the common area. The ceiling was surrounded by a round dome, and underneath it was a stone chair. It looked like a place where kings of the Middle Ages would stay. There was a transfer stone in front of the chair. Jung Yoo-shin slowly approached and placed his hand on the transfer stone. Whoaang. Blue portals and red portals appeared. ¡®If you pass through this portal, you will reach the corridor area.¡¯ My heart pounded. Jung Yoo-shin turned his head and looked at the party members. ¡°Are you ready?¡± The party members nodded their heads to Jung Yoo-shin¡¯s question. Delia opened her mouth with a smile. ¡°Scar, don¡¯t be so nervous. It¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡°...¡± My breath caught in my throat. You¡¯re suddenly planting a flag here? Jung Yoo-shin glared at Delia. ¡°Delia, don¡¯t say that.¡± ¡°Ah, I see.¡± I took a deep breath and stepped into the portal. I felt a sense of floating as I passed through the red light. Darkness obscured my vision. Chapter 149: Shitty Labyrinth Tak. He passed through the red portal and landed on the ground. He quickly scanned the area with his torch. ¡®Here.¡¯ How should I put it? It was like an old castle corridor. Here and there, torn curtains hung like rags on both sides of the walls. The carpets on the floor were so worn that it was difficult to tell the color or shape, looking like rags. The stone walls, which should have been gray originally, were a dull black. Was it because of the passage of time? Or was it because of the influence of the labyrinth? It was hard to tell for sure, but one thing was clear. ¡®We¡¯ve come to the right place.¡¯ The Corridor District. Just like the 5th-floor city, Ingrave, the origin of the Corridor District was unknown. Even the elven scholars who lived long lives shook their heads and raised both hands, so even he, who lived a life close to mortality, did not bother to dig. That¡¯s all for my impressions. The law of the corridor area is ¡®fear¡¯. If the explorer feels fear, madness will rise. If the explorer party does not have a priest, they take a psychotropic drug that makes them forget their fear. However, if the party has a priest, it is a different story. Jung Yu-shin stopped thinking. Party members appeared one by one from the red portal. Delia, the fallen princess and glutton. Karin, the guide. Barion, the empty armor priest. The party members who exited the portal immediately grabbed their weapons and looked around cautiously. Karin took out a map from her backpack and paused. ¡°Enemy. 11 monsters ahead.¡± ¡°Prepare for battle.¡± As soon as Jung Yu-shin opened his mouth, Delia stepped forward. Clang. Delia took up her shield, placed her mace on her shoulder, and took a stance. Ki-gi-gi-gik. Karin took out her crossbow and sang a demonstration. Baryon started to chant. ¡°...¡± No sound was heard. All that could be felt was Baryon¡¯s magic slowly flowing out. Clink. Clink. Humanoid monsters that were nothing but bones walked from the other side of the dark hallway. Some had a little flesh left on them, and some were just skeletons. Skeleton Soldiers. The ones who made the corridor area infamous. Undead. Those who can¡¯t die even after death. The aura of death emanating from the undead made the living feel ¡®fear.¡¯ No matter how strong-minded a person was, there was something about the aura of death that made the living feel afraid. Some scholars called this phenomenon ¡®mental contamination.¡¯ ¡®I heard it all.¡¯ I was grateful for Teacher Mi-on¡¯s thorough education. Dalgrak. Dalgrak. The skeleton soldier was getting closer and closer. Jung Yu-shin was able to see the undead monster¡¯s appearance in detail. Green light shone from the skeleton¡¯s empty eyeballs. The skeleton that appeared in the darkness was holding various weapons. From wooden clubs to daggers, axes, maces, and crossbows. The quality was even worse because they were rusted. If you cut yourself wrong, assuming there is no proper treatment, you will develop tetanus and even go straight to the underworld with complications such as sepsis. The skeletons must have spotted Jung Yu-shin¡¯s group because their eyes glowed and they ran straight toward him. Dalgrak! Dalgrak! Can¡¯t they just leave the living alone? There was no scream, but you could sense blind rage from their actions. Jung Yu-shin slung his longsword over his shoulder and took a stance. Just before the skeleton soldiers rushed in. Baryon casted a spell. [Mind Protection] There was no sound. You could tell by the effect. A sacred spell that prevented mental contamination from the undead. That was why Jung Yu-shin chose the corridor area. The sacred light scattered like fragments from the heads of the party members. The skeleton soldiers who saw this stopped running. ¡°Haaaaap!!!¡± Delia shouted and thrust her shield with her weight. She firmly took a stance and pushed with a shield bash. Kwaaaaang!!! The kite shield destroyed the four skeletons that rushed in at once. Overwhelming power. Is this really the Glutton Seal? Ppagjak!!! The bones of the skeleton soldier hit by the shield flew into the air like bowling pins. Jeong Yu-shin also stood next to Delia and took a stance. He held the sword on his shoulder with both hands and lifted it slightly. Diagonal slash. Ssaeeeeeeek!!! The slash, honed through thousands of swings, shattered the skull of the skeleton soldier holding the mace. Kwajik!!! The light disappeared from the eyes of the skeleton whose head was cut in two. He quickly snatched the mace that the skeleton had dropped and swung it at another guy with a dagger who was running towards him. Hooooooowung!!! Crack!!! The heavy mace cut through the wind and shattered the skeleton soldier''s chest bone. The staggering skeleton soldier. Without stopping, he struck his head with his mace. Bam!!! Bam!!! His head cracked in one blow and crumbled in the second. He kicked the skeleton soldier who was slowly falling. The skeleton soldier flew backwards and crashed into the others. Clang!!! Without stopping, he placed his sword in the middle and tried to charge forward. Bam! He heard the sound of the string snapping. And the sound of the wind cutting through. Swish!!! He aimed for his own head. He raised his sword reflexively. Taaang!!! The bolt shot by the skeleton soldier hit the sword surface and bounced off. Jeong Yu-shin''s eyes glowed coldly above the raised sword. I found a skeleton soldier with a crossbow, but he was falling backwards with a bolt stuck in his head. I don''t know when Karin shot the bolt, but it hit him right in the head. As expected, he has good eyes. He was also good at handling not only daggers but also shooting weapons. Baryon rushed in and swung his warhammer. Hoooooooong!!! Kwaaaaang!!! The three skeleton soldiers who were blocked by Delia and couldn''t move forward were smashed to pieces and scattered on the ground. The last one left rushed at Jeong Yu-shin. He looked like he was wearing everything from a helmet to armor. That was it. He swung his sword horizontally. Ssueeeeeeeeek!!! Sseukkeu. Jeong Yu-shin''s sword cut the cervical vertebra between the skeleton''s armor and helmet. The skeleton''s head flew into the sky. The poorly worn helmet had long since fallen off. Thud. The headless body knelt before Jeong Yu-shin. He roughly kicked it away with his foot and walked towards the skeleton head. The head that had fallen to the floor continued to rattle. He lifted his foot. The skeleton head opened its mouth. Thud!!! Crunch!!! The iron plate attached to the sole shattered the head. The broken bone fragments scattered across the old hallway floor. Subjugation complete. It was so easy that he couldn''t even yawn. This is the second level of the labyrinth? "It''s too easy?" Karin''s face hardened. "Scar, don''t let your guard down." It was hard to understand even after seeing Karin''s stern warning face. Not very strong defense. The strength was also weaker than that of the forest mushroom man. He didn¡¯t even think about using the Sacred Weapon. Delia opened the helmet cover. ¡°Scar, Karin is right. Don¡¯t take it lightly. We haven¡¯t even started yet. And this is not the time to just stand around and talk about this. We need to make money.¡± ¡°Collecting monster bone fragments?¡± Delia nodded at Jung Yu-shin¡¯s question. ¡°That¡¯s right. Undead bone fragments.¡± The party members each took out a thick leather pouch from their backpacks. Jung Yu-shin bent down and picked up a bone fragment. ¡°This is for money?¡± Delia shrugged. ¡°It seems to be used as a catalyst in magic research. I don¡¯t know the details.¡± The party members crouched down and picked up the bones one by one. Jung Yu-shin couldn''t just watch, so he crouched down on one side and opened his leather pouch. A familiar scene. Only the people had changed, but the work was the same. ''This is completely...¡¯ It was similar to the request to cut off a hobgoblin¡¯s ear and deliver it. The only difference was that. The former was the minimum welfare policy that the guild created for beginner explorers. The latter was literally a request for materials that had demand and utility. Jung Yu-shin searched the place thoroughly and picked up the bone fragments. ¡°Wow!¡± Delia screamed in joy. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a magic stone! It was embedded in the skull of a skeleton soldier!¡± Delia lifted the magic stone. The red stone was as small as a finger. ¡°It¡¯s a bit disappointing. It¡¯s so small that it¡¯ll be hard to get a high price for it.¡± Karin said as she looked at the magic stone. Jung Yu-shin crouched down on the floor and opened his mouth. ¡°We¡¯re going to deliver it to the Explorers¡¯ Guild anyway, so what¡¯s the use of its size?¡± ¡°But wouldn¡¯t it feel good to get something big?¡± ¡®Is that so?¡¯ Jung Yu-shin listened to Delia¡¯s words and rummaged through the bone fragments. Delia put the magic stone in her pocket. Seeing her cherishing gold and jade made me feel sad. ¡°How many slime breads would this one be? Hehehe.¡± Delia swallowed her saliva and Karin snickered as she picked up the bone fragments. Barion silently swept up the bones. Jung Yu-shin shook his head and picked up the rest of the bone fragments as he looked at Delia with a dumbfounded look. The party members worked hard to collect the bone fragments as if they were digging for clams in the tidal flats. ¡°If we just fight a few more times, we¡¯ll be able to fill the request quota.¡± Karin wiped her forehead as she put the leather pouch containing the bone fragments into her backpack. Jung Yushin also got up from her seat and rubbed her thighs. ¡°Whew. This is work.¡± As I always felt, moving and fighting weren¡¯t the only things that were difficult. Every action, from putting on and taking off the backpack, to crouching down to collect herbs and materials, was close to labor. I pretended not to, but my nerves were on edge, so I was even more tired. ¡°Should I take a break? There¡¯s a shelter just a little further from here.¡± Karin said without even looking at the map. ¡°Okay.¡± The party members gathered their luggage, got up from their seats, and walked. The hallway was dark, so they needed torches. Guide Karin took the lead, followed by Delia, then Jung Yushin, and finally Barion. The party members slowly walked through the hallway. They had walked for about 3 hours? On the right side of the hallway, a wooden door was visible. Karin raised one hand. Everyone stopped walking at the stop sign. Karin handed the torch to Delia and carefully approached the doorknob. An unknown pattern was engraved on the old, worn surface of the door. Karin, who was examining the doorknob, sent a sign. ¡®No trap.¡¯ Karin put her ear to the doorknob and remained still, then sent a sign again to the party members. ¡®No one in the room.¡¯ Karin grabbed the doorknob and sent a signal. ¡®Delia is in the lead. Next is Scar.¡¯ At Karin¡¯s gesture, Jung Yu-shin and Delia took their places by the door. Karin opened the door. Squeak. Delia pushed her shield in and entered first. Jung Yu-shin immediately followed behind Delia. ¡°Nothing unusual...?¡± Delia, who entered the room, mumbled her words. Jeong Yu-shin realized why Delia was mumbling. A gloomy room. Something strangely shaped was sitting in the center of the room. How should I explain it? There was a large orb-like sphere that fortune tellers often carry around. A wriggling mass of flesh rose up like a tree branch and supported the red orb. This was the first time I saw such a bizarre sight. The party members also stared blankly, not even making a sound, as if they had never seen such a orb before. While admiring the orb, a rustling sound came from one side of their head. An image of a tentacle crawling out of the darkness and wrapping itself around the brain unfolded. Should I say it was a sensation as if my brain cells were bursting? As I was enjoying the refreshing feeling, the red orb looked even more beautiful. For some reason. If I touched that bead, I felt like I would go back to my beloved hometown. ¡°What...what is it?¡± Contrary to Jung Yu-shin, Delia let out a rare trembling voice. ¡°Everyone, back off!!!¡± Karin quickly shouted and grabbed Jung Yu-shin and Delia¡¯s shoulders. Jung Yu-shin and Delia were led out of the room by Karin¡¯s hand. Jung Yu-shin lifted the helmet cover. Irritation surged. ¡°Karin, what¡¯s the problem?¡± Karin looked at Jung Yu-shin and took out a handkerchief from her bosom. ¡°Scar, your eyes are bleeding.¡± Jung Yu-shin made a blank expression. Then he ?N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t? realized that his eyes were wet. He took off his gloves and wiped his eyes with his bare hands. Black blood was stained. And small larvae-like things wriggling in the blood came into view. My heart sank for a moment. Jung Yu-shin¡¯s expression distorted fiercely. ¡°What the fuck. This fucking labyrinth.¡± Chapter 150: Not here! "Calm down." Swallowing the curses that were about to spill from his mouth, he tried to calm his wildly racing thoughts. Losing his composure here wouldn¡¯t help. It would only make things worse. Taking a deep breath, Jeong Yusin removed his helmet. Thanks to his experience in and out of the labyrinth, he was able to act with a level head. When he touched around his eyes, he felt an itch. ¡°Here, the water pouch.¡± He accepted the water bag from Karin, opened the cap, and sprinkled a little of it onto his eyes. Something that looked like a worm washed off in the water and fell to the ground. He blinked. No problem. He lowered his head. In the puddle on the floor, small larvae were wriggling around. "Ugh, damn it." Even so, this wasn¡¯t right, was it? He didn¡¯t know what that red orb was, but just looking at it made his eyes feel like they were infested with bugs. It was definitely something unusual. Barion stepped forward, raised his hand, and shook it in front of Jeong Yusin¡¯s face. "Is there a problem?" Jeong Yusin asked, and Barion responded with sign language. ¡®The mind protection is broken.¡¯ ¡°Is this common? What the hell is going on?¡± Jeong Yusin asked, but Barion shrugged. That meant he didn¡¯t know either. Judging from the voice of Delia he had just heard, it seemed like the appearance of the red orb had never happened before. This was clearly the first time it had appeared. Or perhaps it was something that had happened recently and was still unknown. ¡®I¡¯ll put the mind protection back up.¡¯ As Barion¡¯s hand flashed with light, Jeong Yusin¡¯s eyes burned. It felt like the veil over his eyes was being peeled off. His vision became clearer. He blinked again and then shook his head. ¡°Delia, are you feeling fine?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Barion approached and looked into Delia¡¯s eyes, then shook his head. ¡®No abnormalities.¡¯ Jeong Yusin furrowed his brow. ¡®Why only me?¡¯ The moment he saw that red orb, he felt something similar to when the mystic Ahiman had cast the alarm magic to prevent an ambush. Could it be that transcendental gaze he felt from far away? To be exact, When he was with Ahiman, he had felt a detached emotion mixed with a hint of interest. This time was different. Very different. He felt a strange malice and temptation. Karin rested her chin on her hand and thought for a moment. ¡°...I overheard something from the seniors when we passed by the guide guild.¡± ¡°...¡± The party members kept quiet, listening carefully to Karin¡¯s words. Karin spoke again. ¡°One senior said, that red orb, it¡¯s something new. There¡¯s nothing known about it. They just said be careful and don¡¯t go near it.¡± So that¡¯s it. ¡°Hah.¡± Jeong Yusin let out a deep sigh. He didn¡¯t know what the labyrinth was. Every time he thought he had adapted, some new shit came up. ¡°So all we need to do is avoid getting close to that red orb?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. The other explorers will probably experience it firsthand and find out more.¡± ¡°Is there no other shelter?¡± Karin pulled out a map from her backpack and examined it. ¡°If we walk a few more hours, there¡¯s one.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go. We need to rest there.¡± The other party members nodded in agreement. The group left the shelter and walked down the dark, gloomy corridor again. How long had they been walking? Karin stopped once more. ¡°Ten monsters up ahead.¡± ¡°Prepare for battle.¡± Would it be another easy fight? Jeong Yusin shook his head and cleared his mind of any complacency. Clink. From the far end of the dark corridor, Skeleton Soldiers approached with red eyes glowing. Delia grabbed her shield and stood at the front. Karin, loading her crossbow, narrowed her eyes. ¡°Skeleton Mage!¡± ¡°This won¡¯t be easy.¡± Delia muttered with a sigh. [Sacred Barrier] Barion quickly cast a spell. A skeleton in tattered robes raised a staff high. Bang! Karin aimed her crossbow and immediately fired a bolt. Thwack! The bolt flew swiftly, targeting the Skeleton Mage¡¯s head. Thud! But the shield-wielding Skeleton Soldier threw itself in front, blocking the bolt. The Skeleton Mage twisted its head and rattled, almost like it was laughing. Did it have any intelligence? The Skeleton Soldiers rushed forward, their armor heavier and more fortified than the ones they had fought before. The Skeleton Mage slammed its staff on the ground. Boom! A dark energy spread down the corridor and enveloped the Skeleton Soldiers. The white bones turned black. The Skeleton Soldiers¡¯ movements became faster. It seemed as though vitality flowed through their joints. ¡°Haaah!¡± Delia shouted as she pushed back the incoming monsters with a shield bash. The Skeleton Soldiers staggered but didn¡¯t fly backward as they had before. Jeong Yusin stood beside Delia ? N§àv§Öl?g?§ä ? (Continue reading) and swung his sword vertically. He struck down like he was splitting wood. Clang! The longsword bounced off the Skeleton Soldier¡¯s chest bone without making a mark. His hand jerked. ¡®Damn it.¡¯ He understood now. That black magic. ¡®It¡¯s a buff that increases the Skeleton Soldiers'' strength and defense.¡¯ The Skeleton Soldier¡¯s wide eye sockets narrowed. ¡®These bastards.¡¯ They were smiling. He had thought they lacked emotions. So what? It was still dark magic. He could use a counter skill. [Sacred Weapon] He created a dagger of light with one hand and pierced the Skeleton Soldier¡¯s temple. Crunch. The Skeleton Soldier¡¯s wide eyes widened for a moment before fading away. Wham! He kicked the collapsing skeleton aside and swung his sword wildly. As the leader regained their senses, the party began to steady themselves and fight back. Boom! Barion took Karin¡¯s place and swung his warhammer. Jeong Yusin gritted his teeth and berated himself. ¡®Useless fool.¡¯ Really, what a useless fool. What was he trying to achieve by conserving magic? How long would he survive by saving his stamina? He wanted to kill the pathetic version of himself who had been wasting time in the labyrinth city. He sharpened his dull heart once again. Thwack! The sound of wind cutting through the air started to emanate from the blue longsword. The blade, sharpened by his self-reproach, sliced through the Skeleton Soldiers one by one. ¡°Skah...?¡± Delia glanced at Jeong Yusin with wide eyes. His movements were noticeably different. Was he truly a barbarian? By the time Karin had decapitated the Skeleton Mage, its buffing magic faded. The bones, once blackened, returned to their original color, making the battle much easier. As he swung his sword wildly, the end of the fight was near. Boom! The last one was crushed by Barion¡¯s warhammer. Broken bones scattered across the floor. The hunt was complete. ¡°Hah.¡± Jeong Yusin sank down into a sitting position. ¡°Skah!!! Are you alright?!¡± Karin, Delia, and Barion rushed to him. Jeong Yusin took off his helmet and spoke. ¡°Worrying too much. I¡¯m fine.¡± Thanks to the recovery effect of the Revenger¡¯s seal, the wound on his head had already healed. ¡°That skeleton mage really cast some vicious magic.¡± Delia approached. ¡°I told you not to let your guard down, didn¡¯t I? By the way, you fought really well. Have you been learning swordsmanship for long?¡± ¡®Less than half a year.¡¯ ¡°I learned a little from the swordsmanship guild.¡± ¡°Is that so? It doesn¡¯t seem like a little.¡± Delia responded while pulling out a pouch from her backpack. Barion patted Jeong Yusin on the shoulder. ¡°Why?¡± He pulled out a pen and paper, scribbled something, and handed it to Jeong Yusin. ¡®The red orb you were hit by is a mental corruption magic. My holy magic blocks most of it, but like most corruption magic, it accumulates in both the mind and body. Unless you want to rest for a long time, it¡¯s better to avoid it whenever possible.¡¯ ¡°Oh.¡± He remembered studying this with the Mion priest. Seeing it for real was different. ¡°I understand.¡± Jeong Yusin nodded and replied. The party members sat down, taking out leather pouches to gather the bones from the skeleton pile. Delia gleamed as she split a skeleton¡¯s skull open. ¡°Lots of magic stones!¡± ¡°True. With this much, we can probably fulfill the magic stone request.¡± Karin and Delia chatted while rummaging through the skeleton pile. It was much easier since the party members had experience with the corridor zone. There was no need to issue orders. Everyone knew exactly what they needed to do. ¡®Lucky.¡¯ Rubbing his sore head, Jeong Yusin picked up a skeleton soldier¡¯s bone and put it in his backpack. The party gathered all the bones and got up. Under Karin¡¯s lead, they continued down the corridor. After walking for about four more hours, they finally reached the shelter. The shelter was the same as before. A room with a wooden door. No one was there. They settled down and took out camping firewood from their backpacks, lighting a small fire in the middle of the room. The corridor zone had a low overall temperature, so they had been told to always make a fire when sleeping. Crackle. Crackle. The party gathered around the fire, warming up while taking food out of their backpacks. Jeong Yusin chewed on the jerky, which had become tiresome to eat. There were bear-shaped biscuits, but he didn¡¯t feel like eating them right now, so he didn¡¯t take them out. After swallowing the jerky, he put dried apple slices in his mouth and rolled them around. Delia was munching on a special energy bar. She didn¡¯t seem like someone who had just fought for their life a few hours ago. Was her nerve this tough? Barion sat quietly, staring into the fire. What could he say? He felt reassured. Thinking again, he realized he had chosen good party members. Since the labyrinth¡¯s rule was ¡®fear,¡¯ it made sense that the party members were all strong-willed and mentally tough. ¡°Skah, could you turn around?¡± After finishing their meals, Karin spoke quietly. ¡°Sure.¡± Jeong Yusin turned around. Since their labyrinth exploration was nearing a week, hygiene was becoming a concern. Although it was just wiping themselves down with a damp towel. With two women, there was no other choice. Clink. Clink. Delia¡¯s armor came off with a sound. ¡°Hah. It¡¯s hot.¡± ¡°Karin, I¡¯ll wipe your back.¡± ¡°Karin, take yours off too.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± They whispered softly, but it was loud enough to hear. ¡°Hm? Karin, you¡¯ve got a pretty big chest?¡± ¡°Ah! Delia, stop it!¡± ¡°It¡¯s soft and squishy, like chewy slime bread. Heh heh.¡± ¡°Del, Delia!¡± ¡°But isn¡¯t your bra a bit too naughty? Leopard print? Hmm...¡± ¡°Delia!¡± ¡°Ah, alright. Don¡¯t get mad.¡± Jeong Yusin and Barion turned their backs and stared at the wall. ¡®Karin.¡¯ Leopard print, huh? Is it really normal to wear such indecent underwear in the labyrinth? ¡®There¡¯s even a naked dwarf, though.¡¯ ¡®Yeah, some idiot is attaching inappropriate terms everywhere. Do you want to see the sweat of a naked dwarf priest¡¯s armpits again?¡¯ Jeong Yusin shook his head. It seemed like the long battles had accumulated mental corruption. Barion silently stared at the wall. ¡®By the way, where the hell are Barion¡¯s eyes?¡¯ He didn¡¯t feel like the helmet was giving him vision. Could it be that he was peeping right now? As Jeong Yusin¡¯s suspicion deepened, suddenly¡ª Bang! Bang! The wooden door of the shelter shook. ¡°...¡± The party members all held their breath. ¡°...Please wait.¡± Karin stammered. The sound of armor clinking and clothes rubbing against each other was heard. Bang! Bang! ¡°Is anyone here?¡± A man¡¯s voice came from outside the door. ¡°Enough. You can turn around now.¡± Jeong Yusin turned his head and gave Karin a glance. Despite the lack of time, she quickly put on her clothes again. ¡®As expected, Karin.¡¯ But Delia, with a flushed face, was hurriedly shoving something into her backpack. ¡®Ugh.¡¯ The large gray bra, which was damp and exuding heat from the nipple area, was getting crammed into her backpack, turned inside out. Karin shot Jeong Yusin a piercing glare. ¡°Ugh!¡± Jeong Yusin cleared his throat and quickly turned his head. ¡°Is anyone here?¡± The voice came again. It felt like they were asking again on purpose, and Jeong Yusin¡¯s annoyance spiked. ¡°Not here!¡± ¡°...¡± The man¡¯s voice outside stopped abruptly. The shelter fell silent. The party members glared at Jeong Yusin. Chapter 151: Not an easy task The shelter suddenly fell into silence. ¡°Scar...?¡± Karin¡¯s bewildered voice was heard. I ignored him and pulled out my longsword. Ssireung. A cool blade emerged from the scabbard engraved with a blue wolf symbol. I slung my sword over my shoulder and stood at the side of the shelter entrance. Seonjabulae naejabulseon. A good man doesn¡¯t come to me. It was a proverb that was also used in this world. ¡°Why are you so absent-minded? Get in your place.¡± Jeong Yu-shin said to the party members. The party members who had blank expressions each took out their weapons and formed a formation. Kkigigigi. The wooden door slowly opened and an uninvited guest appeared. A human man with a bushy beard. Judging by his disheveled appearance and messy hair, he was an explorer who had been wandering the labyrinth for a long time. The weapon was a longsword hanging from his waist. A turtle shell-like pot hung on the man¡¯s back. It looked like something you would use in a Chinese restaurant. The man entered the shelter and looked around at Jeong Yu-shin¡¯s party. ¡°You¡¯re here?¡± The man¡¯s casual speech made me lose my mind for a moment. You punk. You don¡¯t seem to be in my right mind? Usually, if a party stayed in the shelter, the next party would leave. If things were difficult, they would ask for permission and stay together separately. Watching the man act neither here nor there, I couldn¡¯t help but be wary. Jeong Yu-shin moved and stood in front of the party members. ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°Me?¡± The man pointed to himself and asked, then searched through his arms. ¡°Ah. Wait a minute. I left it here. I found it.¡± After a long time, the man who had been searching for something took out a gold badge from his pocket and threw it at Jeong Yu-shin. Jeong Yu-shin swatted away the flying gold badge. Bang! The man made a bewildered expression as the gold badge fell to the ground. ¡°No, if I swatted that away...¡± Jeong Yu-shin slowly approached and looked down at the gold badge. Gold badge. High-ranking explorer. Name. Pin. No last name. Jeong Yu-shin kicked the gold badge with his foot and pushed it towards the man. ¡°What¡¯s a high-ranking explorer doing?¡± The man named Pin smiled and shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I have some magic stones, and if you have something to eat, we can trade them. If you don¡¯t have anything to eat, something useful will do.¡± Contrary to his shabby appearance, he seemed relaxed. I could feel it from his words and actions. A lone explorer who wanders the labyrinth without a party member. He looks suspicious no matter where you look. When he opened his mouth to refuse. Karin stepped forward. ¡°Are you perhaps the labyrinth wanderer, Finn?¡± Finn scratched his head. ¡°That¡¯s right. Is this the Guide Association? You¡¯re quick-witted.¡± A word he had never heard before popped out. Jung Yu-shin tilted his head. Labyrinth wanderer. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Finn approached Jung Yu-shin¡¯s question. Completely defenseless. The longsword was still asleep in its scabbard. ¡°People who wander the labyrinth.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t we all like that?¡± Jung Yu-shin asked back. Finn looked at Jung Yu-shin. His eyes seemed to be observing something. ¡°People who stay in the labyrinth for a long time without going out. You could say they wander the labyrinth.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Finn scratched his greasy head. ¡°Well... it¡¯s annoying. It¡¯s harder than you think to go into the labyrinth, prepare, and then go back in.¡± ¡®This brat.¡¯ Isn¡¯t that really normal? Finn unsheathed his sword and threw it on the floor. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. If you need to, you can point the sword at my neck. I just want to exchange some items.¡± Finn unsheathed his sword and raised his hand high. Jung Yu-shin glanced at the party members. The party members noticed Jung Yu-shin¡¯s gaze and nodded slightly. Barion also gave an okay sign. Karin stepped forward. ¡°I heard from the Guide Guild. You¡¯re a ¡®harmless¡¯ labyrinth wanderer. Your impression is exactly as it seems.¡± Finn smiled broadly. ¡°I¡¯m kind of famous.¡± Jung Yu-shin nodded and stepped back. ¡°Of course.¡± Since the party members who were more experienced than him agreed, he had nothing else to say. Plus, there was Karin¡¯s confirmation. He let his guard down a little. Finn approached the campfire and sat down with a thud. ¡°Let¡¯s get back to what we were talking about. Where people live is all the same. Once you get attached, there¡¯s no place better to live than the labyrinth. This is another reason why I stay in the labyrinth.¡± ¡°...¡± Jung Yu-shin was speechless. Was he overflowing with leisure because he was a top explorer? Or was he completely crazy? It was even more absurd because it didn¡¯t seem like a lie. Finn took out a pouch from his backpack and opened it. The pouch was filled with large and small magic stones. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we exchange them for magic stones instead?¡± The party members looked into their pockets as if they were possessed. Seeing them smoothly squeezing in, it was enough to make the door-to-door salesman go away. Since they had a lot of money, they had prepared plenty of supplies. However, they had no intention of selling off essential items like potions, bandages, and medicine. They were directly related to their lives. Fortunately, Finn didn¡¯t seem interested in such items. ¡°Do you have any dried meat left? I want to exchange it for magic stones.¡± ¡°Here it is.¡± He took the dried meat out of his backpack and handed it to Finn. Finn accepted the dried meat and smiled brightly. Before he knew it, the party members gathered around Finn and began chatting about various things. ¡°Fin, how is the corridor area these days? Anything we need to be careful of?¡± Delia took a quick peek at Finn. Finn stretched out his legs leisurely and scratched his chin. ¡°Um... What should I be careful of in this corridor area...? Probably including the recent events?¡± ¡°Right.¡± ¡°Of the newly added traps, the most lethal one is the transfer trap. If you fall into a place where monsters are swarming, it¡¯s hard to come back alive. Oh! And there¡¯s something else. There¡¯s a strange phenomenon where the floor is filled with magic power, and monsters I¡¯ve never seen before suddenly pop out. I almost died.¡± Finn wiped his forehead and snickered. Eldritch Wave, I guess. ¡°If we go back to the recent events, it¡¯s the red bead. It¡¯s something unusual. I don¡¯t know if I should call it a ¡®thing¡¯.¡± Jeong Yu-shin¡¯s eyebrows twitched. ¡°Tell me more.¡± Finn grinned. ¡°Barbaroi, are you finally interested? Did you open your heart after having such a sullen expression?¡± ¡°Stop talking nonsense.¡± ¡°Do you have a tsundere imprint?¡± ¡°There was such a stamp? I didn¡¯t know.¡± ¡°There was such a stamp. No. There was.¡± Finn looked up at the ceiling with a hazy look in his eyes. ¡°How far did we go? Oh! It was a red bead.¡± Finn stroked his chin and opened his mouth again. ¡°I guess. Filter it. The red bead is a passage to another world.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°I¡¯ve seen it from afar a few times. It was a flash of red light and the space was consumed all at once. I¡¯ve never seen an explorer who survived. It¡¯s like a trap that activates when you bring a torch close to it. Sometimes, mystics or people under the influence of a similar person would be possessed.¡± Cold sweat ran down his back. If he had gone near that red bead with a torch, he would have been completely finished. ¡°Tell me more. What does that kind of influence mean?¡± ¡°They must be those who have been ¡®watched¡¯ by the gods outside the world. I don¡¯t know the details either. The mystics are so secretive that it¡¯s hard to ask them about them.¡± ¡°...¡± Finn looked around at the silent party members and smiled faintly. ¡°Stop talking about such dull things and eat something. It feels good to have something to eat after a long time, so let me show you how to cook.¡± Finn took out the pot on his back. He also took out a few branches and placed them around the campfire, and picked up a few bricks to make a makeshift brazier and placed the pot on it. The party members watched blankly. Then he took out another pouch from his backpack and opened it. Jeong Yu-shin was shocked when he saw the contents of the pouch. ¡®A fish head?¡¯ Why on earth is a fish head sticking out of the pouch? And a pungent smell pierced my nose. It seemed like it was about to spoil. Pour water into the pot. He put in fish heads and jerky, then added herbs he had never heard of and boiled them thoroughly. A fishy smell filled the shelter. Jung Yu-shin looked down at the fish heads bubbling in the pot, his soul gone. ¡®Fuck.¡¯ He was a natural person from another world. Finn smiled broadly and took out a bowl from his backpack and handed it to Karin and Delia. He paused for a moment after looking at Barion and then sneaked a wooden bowl. ¡°Can the priest eat that?¡± Barion shook his head. ¡°Really? You must have had a hard time.¡± Finn handed the wooden bowl to Jung Yu-shin. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m full.¡± ¡°Scar, are you in your right mind to refuse such a delicious-looking soup?¡± Delia said to Jung Yu-shin. ¡®Crazy.¡¯ Why are the people of the Labyrinth City so obsessed with fish? Fish sandwiches, fish jelly, and now fish head soup popped out. ¡°Scar, eating warm food in the Labyrinth is a luxury. Take it as a nutritional supplement.¡± Karin swallowed hard and advised. ¡®Karin, you too.¡¯ Is this how Caesar felt after being stabbed by Brutus¡¯ dagger? My heart ached. With trembling hands, I took the wooden bowl. Thud! Fish head and sticky soup dripped from the ladle and poured into the bowl. A coppery smell rose to my nose. Jung Yu-shin glared at the fish head. When he turned his head, Finn was eating it well, making a slurp. Jung Yu-shin glared at Finn like that. ¡°...¡± What sin did I commit to fall into another world, roll into the labyrinth, and eat fish head soup? ¡®Should I quit being an explorer?¡¯ As the thick sage time blew in, all the strength left my body. My party members were eating deliciously. ¡°Scar, this fish soup is really delicious! Eat it quickly.¡± Delia urged with shining eyes. Jung Yu-shin had no choice but to scoop up some soup with a spoon and swallow it. Slurp. The salty and bloody soup went down my esophagus. ¡°Fuck.¡± The coppery bloody smell lingered in my mouth and wouldn¡¯t go away. A taste that made me want to curse. A murderous feeling welled up in me. Finn, who was eating, looked at Jung Yu-shin with surprised eyes. ¡°Barbaroi...?¡± ¡°Whew. It¡¯s a mysterious taste. Two people will eat it and three people will die.¡± ¡°You know a thing or two about taste. Eat more.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to die. I¡¯m done.¡± Jung Yu-shin shook his head and put down his bowl. ¡°Really? Then I¡¯ll eat your share too.¡± Delia smiled and took Jung Yu-shin¡¯s bowl. After the difficult meal, they exchanged some items for magic stones. They were able to obtain quite a lot of magic stones. Karin shook her pocket full of magic stones. ¡°With this amount, we can complete the request and still have some left over?¡± Delia nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s use the small magic stones for the request and sell the larger ones separately. Even if we submit the large magic stones, the amount we receive is the same.¡± Jung Yu-shin scratched his head. ¡°Where do we sell the magic stones separately? Doesn¡¯t the Explorer¡¯s Guild buy them?¡± ¡°The problem is that you don¡¯t give me the right price. If I just do a little legwork, I can make more profit. For example, if I sell it to a magic tool shop, they¡¯ll give me a higher price.¡± Is that so? When I went to the magic tool shop before, the owner said he would buy magic stones. Delia was a glutton, but she was a frugal colleague. Finn cleaned up and put the pot on his back. ¡°I got a few things I needed. I disposed of the magic stones, so I¡¯m done with my business. I¡¯ll see you later.¡± ¡°Wait a minute.¡± Jeong Yu-shin stopped Finn. Because Ingrid¡¯s request flashed through his mind. There was no harm in asking the Labyrinth¡¯s natural person. ¡°Is something unusual happening in the Labyrinth? Even a small incident is fine.¡± Finn crossed his arms and thought deeply. ¡°No. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything special? Ah! There seemed to be some gloomy guys walking around. They were wearing black robes, and there were two priests. One of them was a short blonde woman, I think her name was Mari? I don¡¯t know the other one.¡± My heart sank. Mari. The name of a party member I met when I was a beginner. She must have been horribly hurt by hobgoblins and was mentally damaged. All I heard was that she was gradually getting better. ¡°Uh... Where is she?¡± ¡°She¡¯s somewhere on the sixth floor? Probably. That¡¯s all. I¡¯ll see you often. Barbaroi.¡± Finn shrugged and answered as he left the shelter. The shelter fell silent. * * * A dark corridor. Finn smiled and walked slowly. Following the madness and the afterglow of the other world, there was Barbaroi. It was surprising how he suppressed his madness by a few coincidences. In addition, he even gave off a faint scent of the other world. Just by looking at him, you could tell what kind of path he had walked. It must have been a precarious path where one wrong move would send him straight into the abyss. Should I say that he was a flame that burned brighter than anyone else while living a mortal life? It was only natural that beings who lived forever were fascinated by him. It must have been difficult to take their eyes off him even for a moment because he looked so dangerous. ¡®You¡¯re an interesting friend.¡¯ Pin smiled while fiddling with the jerky in his pocket. He was relieved that he would be able to avoid the tedious cannibalism for the time being. He was starting to get tired of wandering around the lower levels of the labyrinth like a kind person while keeping an eye on the guide group. ¡®Should we go a little lower?¡¯ The wanderer gradually sank into the darkness of the hallway. * * * The party sat quietly. Jung Yu-shin looked at the burning bonfire with a heavy heart. Mari. What on earth could the Night of the ? N§àv§Ölight ? (Exclusive on N§àv§Ölight) Dead clan have to do with it? No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn''t come up with an answer. One thing for sure. If you get involved in the labyrinth, it won''t go well. Anne and Tarman flashed through his mind. ''Shouldn''t we let her go now?'' As he thought to himself, Barion gestured. ''Scar, I shouldn''t say this, but I want to find Marie.'' Barion. Is there some kind of connection with Marie? Is it because she''s a priest of the same sect that he wants to save her? Jung Yu-shin raised his head and looked at Barion. "That''s difficult. I can''t let the party get caught up in danger." ''...'' "Let''s hunt the monsters, get the loot, and return. It''s a request from the leader." Jeong Yu-shin finished speaking and leaned against the wall. He couldn''t sleep at all, but he closed his eyes. As with everything related to people in the world, it was not easy. After tossing and turning several times, darkness finally came. A shelter in the corridor area. Only a campfire was burning quietly. Chapter 152: Drew Jeong Yusin opened his eyes. Sleeping while leaning against the wall in full armor was always a struggle, no matter how many times he did it. It was probably worse today due to all the thoughts weighing on his mind, keeping him awake. He rubbed his eyes and stood up. The party members were sitting around the now-dying campfire. "..." No one spoke. Yesterday, there had been a small argument about whether or not they should save Mari. Since then, no one had said a word. Were they respecting the leader¡¯s opinion? Or was there dissatisfaction? He couldn¡¯t tell. He sat down in front of the campfire, pulled out some jerky and biscuits from his bag, shoved them into his mouth, and drank some water. ¡°Karin, how much of the request has been completed?¡± ¡°...The bone collection is almost done, but the magic stone request is finished. We traded some food yesterday and got a decent amount of good magic stones.¡± I see. Not bad. ¡°How far is the Jeon Iseok?¡± ¡°It¡¯s about a five-hour walk.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± The party finished their meal, packed their bags, and headed down the corridor. There was no conversation. Only awkward silence. Karin seemed to know who Mari was, probably from hearing about her from Ann and Tarman. But she didn¡¯t say anything else. Delia seemed clueless, but quickly fell silent, sensing the tension. Barion, as usual, said nothing. The party moved forward. After about two hours of walking down the corridor, Jeong Yusin sensed something was off. The strong smell of blood filtered through his helmet. As they walked a little further, the floor of the corridor was covered in bloodstains. There were torn robes and scattered bodies. Skeleton bones were also scattered around, suggesting there had been a battle. "..." Seeing the black robes, Jeong Yusin felt an eerie sense of fate. He had hoped to never encounter this, yet here it was, right in front of him. He walked down the corridor as if entranced. What might be ahead? It was a cruel thought, but he would feel more at ease if he could just see Mari''s corpse. As he moved forward, more bodies appeared. Humans, beastmen, dwarves, elves¡ªvarious races littered the floor. They were all wearing black robes. ¡°Delia.¡± ¡°Hmm...?¡± Delia flinched. ¡°What was that Death Night clan again? What do they do?¡± ¡°They¡¯re a group that desires immortality. From what I heard, they gathered to resurrect lions and overcome death.¡± That was more detailed than what he had heard at first. ¡°...But I heard they¡¯ve never done anything harmful. They¡¯ve been known to be a quiet group, just conducting research. That¡¯s what the rumors say.¡± Jeong Yusin opened his mouth, then closed it again. One thought crossed his mind. Mari. Could it be? Did she want to resurrect Kaal? He had snapped back to reality and heard that his lover had died. How devastated must she have been, to come all the way here without saying a word? He understood, but it was still a reckless act. ¡°Barion, do you know why Mari came all the way here?¡± Barion took out a pen and paper and wrote something down. ¡®She was grieving over the death of her lover, Kaal. But I didn¡¯t know it had gotten this bad.¡¯ Jeong Yusin touched the hilt of his longsword. ¡®As expected.¡¯ His suspicions were correct. The smell of blood grew stronger. What could it be? They walked a bit more and reached a wooden door. ¡°Skah.¡± Karin looked at Jeong Yusin. He felt a strange sense of unease. The world is entangled with cause and effect. Since we can¡¯t understand all the connections, we call it coincidence. But the labyrinth is different. It¡¯s chaotic. Something new constantly emerges. It¡¯s malicious and experimental. This couldn¡¯t happen without someone¡¯s interference. It felt like the labyrinth wanted something from him. Jeong Yusin nodded. If left alone, Barion would probably go by himself. It seemed he was finding it hard to resist moving. ¡°Let¡¯s go. We¡¯ll rescue Mari and get out of here quickly.¡± The party members¡¯ faces brightened in an instant. Delia took the lead with determination, and Jeong Yusin followed behind. Bang!!! They kicked down the wooden door and entered the room. Inside, there were about five people wearing robes. Had his ominous suspicions been right? Mari and another person were there. And a red orb sat in the center of the room. The worst-case scenario. ¡°Mari!!!¡± Jeong Yusin shouted. Mari flinched, turned around, and looked at Jeong Yusin. ¡°Skah...?¡± Mari¡¯s face was pale, and dark circles were etched beneath her eyes. ¡°Oh no.¡± The person standing next to Mari removed their hood and revealed their face. Jeong Yusin¡¯s eyes widened. A man wearing glasses. Diego Perez. Wasn¡¯t he the mid-level priest who had been teaching at the orphanage in the temple when Mion was away? He had always been thorough with his lessons, so Jeong Yusin thought he was a good person. Now, the back of his head tingled. What the hell was this guy doing here? Diego twisted his head to the side. ¡°Could it be Skah?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Judging by your reaction, I think I¡¯m right. If it weren¡¯t for the helmet, I almost wouldn¡¯t have recognized your voice.¡± ¡°What the hell are you doing here?¡± Diego adjusted his glasses. ¡°You saw /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ us with the Death Night clan. Do you really not know?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°And Barion is here as well. Nice to see you.¡± Diego smiled, waved his hand, and then pointed at the red orb. ¡°Look at this red orb. Isn¡¯t it beautiful?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Inside it lies the one who resurrects the dead and grants immortality.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a trap. It¡¯s a passage to another world.¡± Diego gave a rotten smile. ¡°Is that so? Well, it doesn¡¯t matter. It¡¯s better than those useless elemental gods, right? They¡¯re so pathetic, pretending to be gods while they can¡¯t even bring a single person back to life.¡± Diego spat as he continued. ¡°Ah, I¡¯ve really devoted so much time. For our god, for our living hope, for the Earth Mother. But isn¡¯t it funny? I¡¯ve believed with all my heart, and yet my younger sibling was killed by a damn mercenary group. While they were coming to see me from the countryside, all the way to the labyrinth city. And do you know what¡¯s even more amusing?¡± ¡°...¡± Jeong Yusin stayed silent. Diego wore a look on his face that he couldn¡¯t hold back any longer. ¡°When I heard that news, it was early morning, and I was meditating, reading scriptures.¡± ¡°Hey...¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it hilarious? This is how my devotion is repaid? By desecrating the very divine that I worshipped?!¡± Diego ground his teeth, his eyes red, but then fell silent. ¡°Phew. It¡¯s not really relevant anymore. From the moment an explorer brought the red shard, he promised me immortality and resurrection. I don¡¯t need those pathetic elemental gods anymore.¡± Diego placed his hand on Mari¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Mari agreed. Now, step aside, Barbarian. Don¡¯t interfere.¡± ¡°Diego, I¡¯m not a theology major, so I don¡¯t fully understand, but it¡¯s clear you¡¯re mentally unwell. There¡¯s no way such sweet offers exist in the labyrinth, right? Mari, come here. Ann and Tarman are waiting.¡± Mari¡¯s eyes momentarily wavered. ¡°No. Mari stays with me. Barbarian, go your own way.¡± ¡°You¡¯re impossible to talk to.¡± Jeong Yusin grabbed the handle of his one-edged axe from behind. Diego¡¯s eyes were wild with madness. He had crossed a point of no return. There was no persuading him. Using the Gale Blade, he quickly closed the distance and aimed for Diego¡¯s neck. A man nearby holding a torch brought it close to the red orb. ¡°Damn!¡± Jeong Yusin drew his axe and lunged. Clang!!!! ¡°What...?¡± The Gale Blade bounced off just in front of Diego. Surrounded by a transparent barrier, Diego fiddled with a necklace and smiled. ¡°A priest constantly going in and out of the labyrinth always carries a lifeline. Besides, your rumors have spread throughout the labyrinth city. Do you really think so little of me?¡± At that moment. Flash!!! The red orb reacted with the torch and emitted an immense light. ¡°Skah!!!¡± The party members rushed in from behind. The room was filled with blinding light. Instinctively, Jeong Yusin closed his eyes. When he opened them, he felt a strange floating sensation. The ground was still beneath him. ¡°What is this...?¡± His mouth dropped open at the strange sight that greeted him. Faintly burning stars and the vast universe stretched out above him. Looking around, the party members were standing there, just as dazed as he was. Had they all arrived? ¡°Hahaha!!! Oh, Chaos! I¡¯ve arrived!!! For my little sister... huh?¡± Diego, who had been shouting madly, stopped and stared blankly. Sticky flesh rose from the ground, surrounding them. It was as though they were trapped in a cage made of flesh in the middle of space. The bodies, covered in thick, viscous fluids, rose from the ground. Humans, elves, dwarves, beastmen, and strange creatures Jeong Yusin had never seen before. All were emaciated, naked, and chained together. Their faces were grotesquely twisted in pain as they struggled. ¡°Aaahhh.¡± ¡°Kill... kill me.¡± ¡°P... please, have mercy!!!¡± They all cried out in sorrow, their voices full of anguish. Diego murmured as he looked around. ¡°Chaos... What is this...?¡± Another massive egg rose from the ground. Should it be called an egg? It was better described as a lump of flesh, pulsating, surrounded by a shiny red membrane. ¡°What...?!¡± Diego stared at the egg in shock. The egg wriggled. Boom!!! Tentacles shot out from the red egg. Thooorrk!!! The egg tore open, and dozens of eyes appeared. The sight alone was a blasphemy against creation. An abomination that should never exist in human civilization had arrived here. ¡°Kikikikiki.¡± The egg made an eerie, unnatural laugh. Diego staggered backward. ¡°Ah...? What is this...?¡± No, this wasn¡¯t right. This wasn¡¯t the soft, calming voice that once soothed his sadness. One of the black-robed humans standing behind shouted loudly. ¡°We¡¯ve been deceived!!! It¡¯s not the same one!!! It¡¯s the Sweeper of the Abyss!!! We¡¯re all doomed...!¡± ¡°Kikikikiki!!! Foolish. Foolish humans.¡± The enormous egg creature, called the Sweeper, laughed, shaking its tentacles. Diego tried to turn and run, but the tentacles shot out swiftly and caught him. ¡°Let... go!!!¡± Diego struggled. The tentacles grabbed his arms and legs. As the pressure increased, Diego¡¯s screams grew louder. ¡°Ahhhhh!!!¡± Crack!!! Diego¡¯s body was torn in half, spilling blood and guts. Thud! Mari, who had been standing next to him, opened her eyes wide and watched Diego¡¯s death. Jeong Yusin ran forward, sword in hand. Whether it was the Sweeper of the Abyss or anything else, he didn¡¯t care. [MIND PROTECTION] [LIGHT] [SACRED BARRIER] Barion quickly cast his magic. He unleashed holy magic in rapid succession, sparing no magic. As a small light appeared in the dark space, the eyes of the egg-like creature narrowed. The tentacles focused on Mari, who was closest. Jeong Yusin jumped in, grabbed Mari, and rolled them both to the ground. Thwack!!! Thwack!!! Thwack!!! Tentacles barely missed them, embedding into the floor. ¡°Barion!!!¡± Jeong Yusin quickly turned around and ran toward the party. Dozens of tentacles followed, speeding toward his back. ¡°Skah!!! Be careful!¡± Delia raised her shield and took a stance. Boom!!! Boom!!! Boom!!! The tentacles slammed against Delia¡¯s shield, pushing her back. Jeong Yusin laid Mari down next to Barion. ¡°Sorry... I... really.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll talk later. Barion, I¡¯m counting on you.¡± Barion nodded. Jeong Yusin raised his sword, getting ready. He didn¡¯t know what kind of monster it was, but if they wanted to survive, they had to kill it. How to fight a monster like this? He racked his brain but couldn¡¯t come up with an answer. He raised his sword high above his head. ¡°Damn it, just kill it! Alright, let¡¯s do this! Come on, you tentacle bastard!!!¡± Chapter 153: What is your imprint? In the unknown void. Joo Hyuk¡¯s party faced off against the monster that looked like a pair of testicles. Was its name Sweeper? Doesn¡¯t matter. It was a monster that needed to be killed, anyway. There were still some members of the Death Night Clan left, but they were too terrified to focus. It was difficult to expect any help. Clang. Delia took the lead. Even in front of a monster they had never seen before, she showed no sign of fear. "Come!!" Delia¡¯s loud battle cry. The dozens of eyeballs on the testicle monster all narrowed at once. Several tentacles were swung around in agitation. Delia raised her shield. Bang!!! Bang!!! Bang!!! The shield bent and dented in several places. Yet, Delia stood firm, blocking all the tentacles. Karin didn¡¯t miss the opportunity and aimed the crossbow she had loaded. Thwang!!! The bolt, released from the string, flew toward Sweeper¡¯s eye. Thud!!! The bolt pierced one of Sweeper¡¯s eyes, causing the monster to screech. "Kiiiii!!!" Dozens of tentacles twitched and thrashed. An opportunity. Joo Hyuk rushed in and swung his sword. From above, down. Swick. His sharp blade easily sliced through one of the tentacles. Splurt!!! Black blood poured from the severed tentacle, splashing onto the floor. "Kiiii!!!" Joo Hyuk¡¯s party quickly coordinated, cutting away the tentacles and delivering their attacks. Delia blocked the monster''s strikes. Joo Hyuk and Karin struck from the sides. Barion supported the entire party with holy magic. A solid formation developed through several coordinated party actions. The testicle monster, unable to find an opening, simply thrashed around, screaming. A small smile appeared on Joo Hyuk¡¯s lips. ¡®At this rate...¡¯ It¡¯s possible. They could win. Survive and get the party out safely. Hope started to bloom in his heart. ¡°Hey!!! The weak point of that Sweeper is here!!!¡± One of the Death Night Clan members shouted. Did he also see hope? Joo Hyuk, who had been advancing with the wind at his back, froze for a moment. Wait. Something was off. ¡®Is it really going this easily?¡¯ He felt a strange sense of foreboding. Just as Delia lowered her shield to swing her mace. The testicle monster¡¯s eyes narrowed. As if it had been waiting for this moment. ¡®A trap.¡¯ Joo Hyuk immediately realized it. ¡°Delia!!! Be careful!!!¡± He shouted at Delia, who had dropped her shield. ¡°What...?¡± [Sankrium Shikrel.] Sweeper cast an unknown spell. The bodies of the party members immediately stiffened. Caught off guard by the unfamiliar binding magic, the party members froze in confusion, unsure of what to do. Joo Hyuk''s heart sank. ¡°Kiiiii!!!¡± Tentacles shot out like beams of light, striking Delia, who was desperately trying to move. Bang!!! ¡°Ugh!!!¡± Delia was thrown through the air. In a single strike, her plate armor crumpled. The overwhelming power was completely different from before. Crash!!! Delia, tossed through the air, rolled across the ground. Her helmet had been knocked off, and her blonde hair was stained with blood, spread across the floor. Delia stumbled as she tried to stand but coughed up blood and collapsed again. The unknown binding magic was finally lifted. Karin quickly aimed her crossbow and fired a bolt. Thwang!!! The testicle monster lazily swung a tentacle and knocked the bolt away. Karin grit her teeth and drew a dagger, charging forward. ¡°Ha!!!¡± The Red Wolf Tribe''s unique dagger skills shone brightly. Sweeek!!! A straight line was drawn in the air as several tentacles were sliced off. Sweeper immediately retaliated by using dozens of tentacles to strike at Karin. Bang!!! Bang!!! Bang!!! Karin moved nimbly, dodging all the thick tentacles. The ground, made of flesh and bone, exploded. Karin, moving quickly, slipped on Diego¡¯s entrails. ¡°Ah!!!¡± Karin staggered. It was a single moment of mistake, but the consequences were deadly. Sweeper didn¡¯t miss the opening and sent a sharp tentacle toward Karin. Sweeek!!! ¡°Karin!!!¡± There was no time to think. Joo Hyuk pulled out his longsword and swung it. Just before the sharp tentacle pierced Karin¡¯s forehead. Joo Hyuk stood in front of her. Crunch!!! The tentacle tore through Joo Hyuk¡¯s flesh and crushed his neck before embedding itself inside. [Revenge] The engraving activated. Blue flames ignited in his eyes. Joo Hyuk grabbed the tentacle embedded in his neck. Another tentacle swung toward Karin. Bang!!! ¡°Aagh!!!¡± Karin was thrown into the air and crashed into the ground. ¡°Grr... Karin!!!¡± He wanted to rush over and check on Karin. But he couldn¡¯t move. The tentacle piercing his neck was becoming increasingly harder to stop. Bang!!! Barion rushed in and swung his warhammer. The tentacle withdrew from Joo Hyuk¡¯s neck and immediately targeted Barion. Bang!!! Bang!!! Barion swung the warhammer with all his strength. But it was futile. He was struck by the fast-moving tentacles and thrown across the floor. The tentacle aimed for Mari. In that instant. Barion threw his body with all his might to block Mari¡¯s path. Bang!!! Barion¡¯s body shattered, scattering across the floor. Mari, kneeling, stared blankly at the devastation. ¡°My... my fault.¡± If only she hadn¡¯t been so greedy. If only she hadn¡¯t longed for Kaal so much. If only she hadn¡¯t fallen for the lies and done something so foolish. None of this would have happened. Extreme regret tore at her heart. ¡°Ah... ahhh.¡± In front of her, the black-haired man was desperately swinging his sword. Despite blood gushing from his neck, he stood firm, facing the monster alone. ¡°I... I¡¯m sorry.¡± Mari muttered, tears streaming down her face. Joo Hyuk, swinging his sword, didn¡¯t hear her words. Thwack!!! A tentacle struck his head, sending his helmet flying. For a moment, his vision went dark, and his sense of balance was thrown off. Joo Hyuk staggered backward. He barely regained his bearings and looked up. The monster¡¯s eyes had narrowed. ¡®Shit.¡¯ That bastard¡¯s smiling. A grin that looked impossible to bear, as if he was enjoying this. He didn¡¯t even glance at the fallen comrades. He was only focused on Joo Hyuk, teasing him like a child playing with a toy. Dozens of tentacles shot toward Joo Hyuk. There was no way to dodge them all. He had to give up something. Bang!!! The armor bent and caved in. Joo Hyuk gritted his teeth and held his ground. He unleashed every sword technique he had learned up to that point. He sliced through dozens of tentacles. But more tentacles grew from the monster¡¯s body. The fight seemed endless. Nevertheless, Joo Hyuk did not retreat, continuing to swing his sword. Bang!!! A tentacle struck his shoulder, sending his shoulder armor flying. Bang!!! His knee bone shattered. It didn¡¯t matter. He could still swing his sword. Crash!!! His left arm shattered. It didn¡¯t matter. He still had his right hand. Joo Hyuk swung his sword like a demon, fighting against the storm of tentacles. How much time had passed? Suddenly, Sweeper stopped attacking and laughed. The tentacles shook in rhythm with the laughter. ¡°Kikikik! Impressive. Human.¡± A tentacle pointed at Joo Hyuk. ¡°Courageous. I¡¯ll spare you. On one condition.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Kill all your party members. Bow down before me. Then I will let you go.¡± Joo Hyuk¡¯s face twisted in disgust. Sadistic humor. It was urging him to abandon his humanity while being in control. How far would these bastards go with their mockery? He spat blood, rising against it. ¡°Kaaa!!! Thwip!!!¡± Blood splattered on the floor. ¡°I refuse.¡± Joo Hyuk gathered his magic. His last gamble. [Sacred Weapon] Attribute bestowal. Wind Slash. Joo Hyuk¡¯s new form vanished in an instant. Swick. The golden longsword cleaved through Sweeper¡¯s body. ¡°Kiiiii!!!¡± Sweeper, panicked. It wasn¡¯t over yet. Once again, [Sacred Weapon] Half-Ogre Gauntlet. Boom!!! Sweeper¡¯s body wobbled and was pushed aside. Finally. [Sacred Weapon] Wind Slash. The target was the center of the head. The golden sword aimed to pierce Sweeper¡¯s forehead. Thwack!!! A tentacle grabbed Joo Hyuk¡¯s right wrist, preventing his arm from advancing as it trembled. ¡°How... How dare you!!! Disrespect my mercy?!¡± Several tentacles gathered to form a drill-like shape. ¡°You insignificant thing. Die!!!¡± Crack!!! The drill-shaped tentacle, mixed with mithril, pierced through the plate armor and tore through Joo Hyuk¡¯s heart. ¡°Ugh!!!¡± The strength drained from his body. The tentacle lifted Joo Hyuk¡¯s body, shook it several times in the air, then threw it to the ground. Crash!!! Joo Hyuk, with his heart pierced, rolled across the floor, coming to a stop in a corner. Everything in his vision seemed to flow sluggishly. ¡°Ah.¡± A lantern light flickered in his mind. This was it. It had been a fight he could never win from the start. Everything he had struggled to survive until now was for nothing. The stars of the universe gathered above his fading retina. Death. Would he die like this? Would he give up and surrender to the wall he could never overcome? A pawn on a chessboard, a slave to the dice, even death would be no surprise. Would he fall before the evil of the labyrinth? ¡°Shit.¡± Joo Hyuk, trembling, reached for his sword. Even if he was going to die, he would do it with the sword in hand. His last defiance. At that very moment, a small beam of light pierced through the vast universe and struck his heart precisely. Ping!!! An unknown alien power connected the [Revenge] and the [Death Delay] engravings. Ding. A bell rang in his head. Engraving link activation. [Death Delay] [Revenge] Joo Hyuk¡¯s fading eyes reignited. A power from outer space. Was this another alien force? Were they watching from up high, enjoying the spectacle? There¡¯s a limit to how much you can mock someone. These bastards had no line. It didn¡¯t matter. He would show them. The sword of a mortal. Joo Hyuk rose again, having been granted a reprieve from death, grabbing his sword once more. Tearing off his broken armor, he slowly walked forward. The monster¡¯s eyes widened in shock. It was so surprised that its tentacles were trembling. ¡°Kikikik!!! H-How?!¡± ¡°Cock! Thwip!!! To the ones up there, playing among the stars. Watch.¡± In the corner of another world, inside a cage made of flesh. The eyes of a man standing on the boundary between life and death burned brightly. ¡°There are stars that never fade, even on the earth!¡± The testicle monster screamed, swinging its tentacles. ¡°This... this is!!! Impossible!!!¡± Dozens of tentacles stormed toward Joo Hyuk. In one hand, he held the longsword, and in the other, the dagger of light. He stepped forward, moving like the wind. Bang!!! Bang!!! Bang!!! Bang!!! He dodged all the tentacles with divine speed, reaching Sweeper in front of him. He swung his sword, following the path of the stars his master had taught him. Blood erupted from the cut, and he danced around like he was in a waltz. ¡°Kiiiii!!! Stop! Stop!!!¡± Joo Hyuk, dancing with his sword to the monster¡¯s screams, suddenly snapped to attention. ¡®Enough.¡¯ He started to worry about the remaining party members. This would be the end. Bang!!! He leaped, kicking the ground. His sword shone for a moment. A swordsmanship that only someone whose mind had broken past its limits could show. It had no name. Swiiick!!! With a single swing, multiple lines of light appeared in the air. Dozens of tentacles were cleaved into pieces, falling to the floor. Sweeper¡¯s eyes widened. It desperately tried to create more tentacles, but it was already too late. Joo Hyuk¡¯s sword pierced Sweeper¡¯s forehead. Thud!!! With his full weight, Joo Hyuk drove the sword deeper. ¡°Kikikik!!! How... How dare you, a mortal!!!¡± Sweeper¡¯s voice was filled with disbelief. ¡°This is the end.¡± He drove the spear made of light into Sweeper¡¯s forehead, piercing his brain. ¡°Kikikik!!!¡± Sweeper, who had been thrashing, immediately fell silent. Quest completed. The long battle had finally come to an end. Crash!!! The universe-like background shattered like glass, and they were back in the original room in an instant. Joo Hyuk collapsed to the floor. ¡°Phew. Fucking hell.¡± He should have died originally, but with the Death Delay, he was kept alive, and with the healing effect from Revenge, he came back to life. He lifted his head and looked around. The party members were in sight. Mari was there, as well as the Death Night Clan members. They all seemed to have lost consciousness. He had to clean up the mess. Joo Hyuk slowly got up, moved his body, and gathered the party members in one corner of the room, feeding them potions. Barion, unsure of what to do, just gathered the pieces of his armor. Karin woke up first, then Barion followed. Mari ¡ô N§àv§Öl?g?t ¡ô (Only on N§àv§Öl?g?t) was unconscious, but her condition was fine. He took a moment to comfort Karin, who had been crying, telling her she was safe now. Finally, Delia remained. ¡°Sca.¡± Delia slowly opened her eyes and looked up at Joo Hyuk. ¡°C-Come closer.¡± As Joo Hyuk approached, Delia whispered softly. ¡°I... I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°It¡¯s over now. Rest easy.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not that.¡± Delia shook her head. ¡°My... my curse...¡± She whispered something, and Joo Hyuk¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°What...?!¡± ¡°I... I barely held on, but now I can¡¯t anymore. Please.¡± With those words, Delia closed her eyes. Thud!!! A loud sound echoed throughout the shelter, like something being smashed. The source was Delia¡¯s backside. Joo Hyuk, trembling, turned Delia over. The back of her pants bulged out. ¡°Uhh...¡± Karin and Barion, who had arrived, stared at the bulging pants. ¡°...¡± They all stood silently, unsure of what to say. And then. Something started wriggling inside Delia¡¯s bulging pants. What? A cold bead of sweat rolled down Joo Hyuk¡¯s forehead. ¡®W... What kind of curse is this?!¡¯ Chapter 154: Vacation A quiet room. The party members were gathered together, looking down at Delia¡¯s butt. I wondered if she had pooped. But the poop didn¡¯t move. She struggled as if something was about to come out of her swollen pants. ¡°What...what is it?¡± Jung Yu-shin stuttered. Delia whispered something, but I couldn¡¯t hear her properly. It was something about personality or something. Baryon took out charcoal from his backpack and wrote on the floor. ¡®Delia¡¯s negative imprint is probably.¡¯ ¡°Maybe?¡± ¡®It¡¯s like a personality excretion imprint.¡¯ ¡°...¡± Jung Yu-shin¡¯s legs gave out and he almost collapsed in his seat. Personality excretion. Does that make sense? No matter how many imprints exist in the world, how could such an absurd imprint pop out? He reflected on himself for daring to measure the darkness of the labyrinth. ¡°Uh, what should we do?¡± ¡®We should take her to the temple and treat her. Her body will be in a state of suspended animation. The personality that escaped will try to return to where it was when its body becomes healthy.¡¯ ¡°You know a lot.¡± ¡®I¡¯ve seen it a few times when I was an apprentice priest. It was one of the imprints that female explorers hate the most.¡¯ ¡°So who should take Delia¡¯s ¡®personality¡¯?¡± Karin and Barion stared at Jeong Yu-shin. ¡°...¡± An awkward silence lingered among the party members. ¡°I think the leader should do this.¡± ¡®Agree.¡¯ ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤I understand.¡± There was nothing else to say. As the leader, he was aware that he had put the party members in danger. The party members also seemed to want to save Mari. However, he didn¡¯t want to blame others for his mistakes. He approached Delia and lowered her pants a bit. Fortunately, the crotch and inner thigh area were made of leather pants, so they were easy to take off. He reached out and lowered Delia¡¯s pants a bit. Something bulged out above her sweat-soaked gray panties. Jung Yu-shin tried to cover his nose but stopped. There was no terrible smell. Instead, all he could smell was a faint lilac scent that wafted through Delia¡¯s thick sweat. When he grabbed Delia¡¯s panties. Delia¡¯s ¡®personality¡¯ underneath the panties flinched and twitched. ¡°Huh... Huh!!!¡± Jung Yu-shin stepped back in shock. ¡°...¡± He calmed his pounding heart and pulled down Delia¡¯s gray panties. And the sight that was revealed. Jung Yu-shin¡¯s mouth fell open. ¡°Wow... crazy.¡± What should I say? Between her plump buttocks, she could see golden slime. A snake? No. It was similar to golden earthworm slime. ¡°Bah, Baryon, what should we do now?¡± A trembling voice flowed out of Jung Yu-shin¡¯s mouth. ¡®After you finish extracting her personality, you can put it in your pocket. I¡¯ll let you carry Delia¡¯s body.¡¯ ¡°Do we really need to extract that?¡± ¡®It¡¯s proof that her body has suffered severe damage. There¡¯s a chance of recovery when they¡¯re separated, so it¡¯s right to separate them.¡¯ With trembling hands, he grabbed Delia¡¯s ¡®personality¡¯ and pulled it out little by little. ¡°It¡¯s...not working well?¡± ¡®Slowly. Gently.¡¯ Jung Yu-shin gently pulled Delia¡¯s ¡®personality¡¯ according to Baryon¡¯s instructions. Phong. The slime was pulled out with a cute sound from Delia¡¯s anus. ¡°Hot?!¡± Chiik!!! Delia''s body suddenly convulsed and spurted water. She spurted so hard that she thought something was wrong, but Barion didn''t move at all. She put the ''personality'' slime that was squirming and clinging to her into her leather pouch and sat down. There was a lot to do, but it was hard to come to her senses. I thought it was all over when I subdued the monster called Sweeper. ''No.'' She shook her head. Everyone was safe for now. A few members of the Death Night clan far away were finally coming to their senses and waking up one by one. She approached the Death Night clan members who were absentmindedly staring. There had been about five when I first saw them, but now there were only two. "Hey." "Yes...yes." One of the clan members barely came to his senses and looked up at Jeong Yu-shin. A middle-aged man with half his head bald. The human who shouted out the Sweeper''s weakness. "Do you know what you did?" "¡¤¡¤¡¤I know. It really was a trap, just like the priest with glasses said." "You''re talking like someone else?" "..." "Tell me why I should spare you." "..." The middle-aged man couldn''t say anything. "I know Marie, so I''ll talk to her separately, but not you. Think carefully before you open your mouth." "That...that." The man began to speak, stuttering. After about 10 minutes, the man finished speaking. "¡¤¡¤¡¤That''s why we came to investigate with the priest Diego." "Do you feel sorry that our party got involved?" "I''m sorry. But we were in a hurry too. We acted instinctively when you tried to stop us while we were out of our minds after several battles." ¡°You¡¯re a long-tongued brat.¡± Jung Yu-shin raised his hand. It seemed like he would feel better if he was slapped in the face. ¡°Hee... hee-ik!¡± As the man shrank his neck, a boy in a black robe blocked his way. ¡°What?¡± He didn¡¯t ¡ã? N o v e l i g h t ?¡ã decide that he was a brat. He realized that there were unimaginably many different imprints in this crazy labyrinth city. It meant that there was a possibility that there was an imprint that would turn him into a boy. ¡°The one who contacted us was the Diego priest!¡± ¡°...¡± The boy opened his eyes wide and looked at Jung Yu-shin, trembling. ¡°Have you ever lost someone precious to you? We just want to meet someone precious to us again!¡± A childish tone. A voice that couldn¡¯t control his emotions. It was a boy. Still, he thought he knew why the members of the Death Night Clan had gathered. ¡®Are they all like this?¡¯ The bald man nodded in agreement. Jung Yu-shin swallowed a sigh. He had exhausted his energy from the long battle and had seen the shocking imprint of his comrade. Still, he had to say something. ¡°Friend. I don¡¯t know much either because I haven¡¯t lived in the labyrinth city for long. But I can be sure of this. Do you really think something that miraculous would happen on the 6th floor of the labyrinth? I don¡¯t think so.¡± ¡°...¡± The boy fell silent. Jung Yu-shin felt the gaze and turned his head. ¡®Baryon.¡¯ Judging from the way he was observing him closely, he seemed worried. Friends who were clad in armor but had soft hearts. Delia and Baryon were the same. ¡®Still, is it a blessing to meet a good-natured explorer?¡¯ He thought that there seemed to be a lot of soft friends around him. Jung Yu-shin patted the boy on the shoulder. He thought he should say something for now. ¡°I don¡¯t know because I¡¯ve never lost anyone precious to me. Cheer up and live hard.¡± The boy stared blankly at Jung Yu-shin¡¯s face. He clearly knew what he was going to say, but he was so dispirited because it ended so blandly. Jung Yu-shin pushed the boy away and faced the bald man again. ¡°Your name?¡± ¡°My name is Bill. I don¡¯t have a last name.¡± ¡°Bill.¡± Jung Yu-shin took out a rope and continued. ¡°Let¡¯s go out of the labyrinth first and talk. If you do anything stupid, you¡¯ll die.¡± ¡°Yes...yes.¡± Jung Yu-shin tied up the Night of Death clan members with rope and cleaned up the area. He retrieved the necklace from Diego¡¯s body, which was split in two. It blocked the Sacred Weapon trait-enhanced Gale Sword, so I thought it wasn''t an ordinary artifact. There was no Sweeper''s body. There were no people suffering from being buried in flesh. After finishing cleaning up, I got up from my seat. Karin carried the unconscious Marie. Barion carried Delia''s body. Jeong Yu-shin looked around at the party members. "Let''s go." He led the people out of the room, walked down the hallway, and arrived in front of the transfer stone at the end of the 6th floor. When he looked back, he saw people exhausted. When he touched the transfer stone, two portals appeared. Red Portal The next level. The blue portal is the labyrinth city. ¡®Up to the 6th floor?¡¯ I thought I would go at least to the 8th or 9th floor. I felt frustrated because incidents kept occurring and the path forward was blocked. Jeong Yu-shin shook his head. ¡®I need to take my time.¡¯ There was no point in rushing. I had gained experience, so I didn¡¯t think it would be harmful, but I would rather benefit from it later. I sent the people away first and stepped into the portal last. I felt a sense of floating for a moment. Thump. I landed on the magic circle at the exit of the labyrinth. I felt a sense of liberation right away. I got the imprint. A priest and a guard came running from afar. But they looked a little different. A woman flying with bat wings and a large ogre. If it weren¡¯t for the priest¡¯s uniform and the guard¡¯s badge, I wouldn¡¯t have recognized them. ¡°Barbaroi, who are those people? Is there a problem?¡± Jung Yu-shin looked around at the party members and the Night of the Dead clan members. ¡°These guys in black robes did something suspicious. That¡¯s why I brought them here.¡± ¡°Is that so? Let¡¯s interrogate them separately. What about that golden-haired warrior?¡± ¡°She lost consciousness for a moment. We¡¯ve already treated her external injuries.¡± ¡°Okay. We¡¯re busy right now because explorers are coming in, so let¡¯s contact you later.¡± ¡°Do you know where I live?¡± The priest and the ogre made dumbfounded expressions and frowned. ¡°Unholy Barbaroi, wouldn¡¯t it be weirder for us not to know you?¡± ¡®It¡¯s a bit unfair.¡¯ What on earth did I do? I¡¯ve lived without a single shame, looking up to the sky. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m busy right now, so I¡¯ll contact you later. Okay.¡± After a short conversation, the guard and the priest dragged away the members of the Night of the Dead clan. Jeong Yu-shin packed his backpack and headed to the Explorers'' Guild Exchange. He approached the receptionist and reported the completion of the request. The monster bone fragments were collected. The missing amount was made up by picking up the bones of the skeleton soldiers around the room where the red orb was broken. The magic stone collection was obtained by exchanging some food with the Labyrinth Wanderer. Everything was collected sufficiently and resolved. After receiving the reward, he spoke to the guild member. ¡°I have something to report about the abnormality in the Labyrinth.¡± ¡°Yes? Yes.¡± He continued to explain the red orb to the receptionist. Karin and Barion made up for the missing parts. The receptionist¡¯s face turned pale and he trembled. ¡°Is it really S-Sweeper?¡± ¡°Yes. The Night of the Dead clan member will confirm.¡± ¡°Go, thank you. I will report to the higher-ups. If additional investigation is needed, I can request a revisit. Is that okay?¡± ¡°No problem.¡± After finishing the report and leaving the currency exchange, it was night. Many people were sleeping, but not ordinary explorers. The starry night sky. The street was filled with explorers. I went against the crowd heading to the entrance of the labyrinth and arrived at the southern area. Barion said he was taking Delia to the Mother Earth Church. He decided to take care of himself there and come back to get Delia¡¯s ¡®personality¡¯ after recovering to some extent. After parting ways with Barion, I walked down the street again. Mari woke up on the way to the inn. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Are you awake?¡± ¡°Scar.¡± Karin dropped Mari off. Mari staggered and looked up at Jeong Yu-shin. Jeong Yu-shin silently looked down at Mari. ¡®What should I do?¡¯ The reason I saved Marie was because of Tarman and Anne. The people who took care of the inn¡¯s work instead of me. They wake up every morning, prepare fresh ingredients, and prepare food. They have endured hard labor without fail and without complaining. I didn¡¯t want to hurt their feelings. ¡®I can¡¯t do that.¡¯ Jeong Yu-shin raised his head and looked up at the sky for a moment. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the inn first. Let¡¯s meet Tarman and Anne and talk.¡± ¡°Yes...¡± When he entered the inn, Anne and Tarman were cleaning up. ¡°Huh?!¡± Tarman looked at Marie and made a surprised expression. ¡°Marie?!¡± ¡°Tarman.¡± Anne, who had been in the kitchen, ran out in a panic. ¡°Marie?!¡± Tarman looked down at Marie with a confused expression. ¡°What the...what the hell is going on...?¡± ¡°Stop what you¡¯re doing and sit down.¡± He sat Tarman and Anne down at the table and explained what happened in the labyrinth. When the story was over, Anne suddenly got up and knelt down in front of Jeong Yu-shin. As expected, she was quick-witted. ¡°Ska-nim. I¡¯m sorry. If you forgive Marie, I¡¯ll work for 10 or 20 years without pay.¡± Tarman also got up right away and knelt down in front of Jeong Yu-shin. ¡°Ska-nim! Please forgive me!¡± Marie also knelt down in front of Jeong Yu-shin. Jeong Yu-shin closed his eyes and folded his arms. Instead of darkness, he saw the Four Great Saints in the distance. They were smiling and clapping. ¡®Yes.¡¯ If he had done this much, shouldn¡¯t he be called the Five Great Saints? He realized his merit by emptying his mind during the battle, so he¡¯s Buddha. He died. He came back to life, so he¡¯s Jesus. This time, I realized that I knew nothing, so I''m going to be a Socrates. I realized the essence of humanity and did good deeds before I turned thirty. Even Confucius would open his arms and hug me tightly. "Both of you, get up." Anne and Tarman didn''t move at all. Jeong Yu-shin sighed deeply. "I''m fine. The party members are fine too." But I realized that there was still a fundamental problem. Marie was alone. It seems that Anne and Tarman didn''t have many opportunities to meet Marie because they were busy. So Marie, who was left alone, came here to overcome her sense of loss. "Honestly, I don''t know what kind of punishment the Earth Mother Church will give you. However, I will let go." Anne, Tarman, and Marie raised their heads. "Ska-nim!" "Thank you!" Tarman''s face was covered in tears. ¡®Awkward.¡¯ Jung Yu-shin scratched his cheek and looked at Mari. I need to make this clear and move on. ¡°Mari, there¡¯s no next time.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Thank you.¡± Mari bowed with tears in her eyes. Jung Yu-shin thought deeply and opened his mouth. ¡°You guys seem to need a vacation.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Everyone widened their eyes as if they had heard something out of the blue. ¡°Work is important, but is it as important as people? I think we need to take a break and spend time together.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°I¡¯ll ask the owner of the Demon Dismantling Center and Deulchangko to run the inn, so take a rest and come back. I¡¯ll also see Dean.¡± ¡°Is that okay?¡± ¡°Of course. Let¡¯s take a break and live.¡± ¡®I¡¯m so tired.¡¯ Jung Yu-shin rubbed his eyes and got up from his seat. ¡°Let¡¯s meet at the Mother Earth Church tomorrow morning. Let¡¯s go back and sleep together today.¡± ¡°Thank you!!!¡± Jung Yu-shin smiled once after seeing the three childhood friends bowing deeply and went up to the second floor. Karin followed her and said. ¡°Isn¡¯t it too soft?¡± ¡°So you don¡¯t like it?¡± ¡°No. I really like it.¡± Jung Yu-shin snickered and patted Karin¡¯s head. ¡°Wow. Karin, what¡¯s with the oiliness?¡± ¡°Hey! It¡¯s because I haven¡¯t washed my hair in over a week!¡± Karin blushed and hurried into her room. Jung Yu-shin also went into his room, unpacked his stuff, wiped himself with a wet towel, and sat down on the bedside table. ¡°Squeak!!!¡± A familiar sound was heard from under the blanket. ¡°Rin?¡± Jung Yu-shin got up from the bed and lifted the blanket. Lin was lying flat with her limbs stretched out. ¡°Lin, you punk. Didn¡¯t you follow Ingrid?¡± ¡°Click, click!!!¡± ¡®What the hell is going on?¡¯ Is it right to assume that she left it behind? Jung Yu-shin tickled Lin¡¯s stomach as she got angry and put her down. ¡°Lin, look at this.¡± ¡°Click?¡± Lin looked up at Jung Yu-shin as she straightened her white fur. She searched through her leather pouch and took out Delia¡¯s ¡®personality.¡¯ A golden slime wriggled like an earthworm and slowly climbed up the pouch. Da. ¡°Tick?!¡± Jung Yu-shin pushed Delia¡¯s ¡®personality¡¯, which was giving off a fragrant smell, into Lin. ¡°Lin, say hello. I¡¯m a new friend.¡± ¡°Tick? Tick tick?!¡± Lin shook her head, seemingly confused. ¡°Say hello.¡± Lin stood on both feet, faced the slime, and bent her waist slightly. Her gaze was still fixed on Delia¡¯s personality. ¡°Let¡¯s go to sleep first. I¡¯m so tired.¡± She put Delia¡¯s personality back in her pocket and lay down on the bed. Lin crawled inside her shirt, perhaps because she was scared. She closed her eyes, feeling Lin¡¯s pounding heartbeat. There was a lot to do tomorrow. She had to check the imprint she got in the labyrinth. She had to meet Mion at the Earth Mother Church and consult about Marie. The broken equipment also had to be repaired. ¡°Haa. I want to go on vacation too.¡± A quiet room. Jung Yu-shin¡¯s sighs filled the room. Chapter 155: Bomb I had a dream. I had a dream where I was in the arms of the priestess Mi-on and sucking her breast. She pulled down her lace bra that showed her nipples and put her breast in her mouth. ¡°Our Lady Ska, you¡¯re great. You¡¯re great. You saved many people this time too?¡± Mi-on smiled and gently stroked her hair. ¡®I¡¯m happy.¡¯ Bbaa bbaa. Did I come to a world of regressive infants where I was praised just for breathing? On the contrary, it was good. The memory of standing on the brink of death and swinging my sword like crazy gradually faded away. ¡°Ah! It¡¯s Ska. S-suck it gently.¡± Mi-on caught her breath for a moment and barely managed to smile. ¡®No!¡¯ Anger suddenly welled up in her. I suffered so much in the labyrinth. This much is okay, right? He gently chewed Mion¡¯s nipple with his teeth. ¡°Hot! Ahh!¡± Mion lowered her head and trembled. A wet desire rose from deep within her heart. I want to see more. I want to make Mion uncomfortable. I want to break Mion¡¯s gentle expression. He gently rolled Mion¡¯s nipple, which had become stiff, in his mouth. ¡°Hoo. Hoo.¡± Mion gasped and convulsed. ¡°S, Ska-sama, the way you lick is so lewd.¡± ¡°Byebyebyebye.¡± Wait. But that¡¯s strange. Why doesn¡¯t Mion¡¯s sacred pouch smell like thick milk? Instead, it smelled like lilac flowers. ¡®Lilac?¡¯ Jeong Yu-shin opened his eyes wide. ¡°Ugh?¡± There was something in his mouth. ¡®What the fuck?!¡¯ He urgently raised his hand and pulled out the long object that filled his mouth. ¡°Tch!!!¡± Golden slime wriggling and soaking in saliva. ¡°What the hell?!¡± Jung Yu-shin looked down at the slime with trembling eyes. When on earth did it get on the bed? No. That¡¯s not important. ¡®No way?¡¯ In his dream, what he had sucked hard on wasn¡¯t the nipple of the Mi-on priestess, but Delia¡¯s ¡®personality¡¯? Barely holding back the rising nausea, he put the slime back in his leather pouch. ¡°Haa. What the hell is going on this morning?¡± He sat on the edge of the bed, clutching his head, and ? N§àv§Öl?g?§ä ? (Continue reading) looked out the window, seeing that it was getting darker. He got up, changed into light clothes, grabbed his toiletries, and headed out to the yard. ¡°Karin.¡± ¡°Scar?¡± Karin walked over, shaking off her wet hair. She was holding wet leopard-print underwear, as if she had done laundry. Karin blushed and hid her wet underwear behind her back. Jeong Yu-shin turned his head and pretended not to see. ¡°Karin, I¡¯m going to the Earth Mother Shrine in the morning. Are you going with me?¡± Karin nodded. ¡°Of course. It¡¯s none of your business. We should go to the same inn. And I got the seal this time. I have to go to the shrine anyway.¡± ¡°Really? I got the seal too, so that¡¯s good. Then I shouldn¡¯t be doing business today.¡± ¡°Yeah. I knew that would happen, so I put up a closed sign at the front door of the inn. I also contacted Ddalchangko. Don¡¯t worry, and wash up.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± He went to the well in the yard, scooped up water, and poured it on his head. He soaped his hair and washed off all the dust and grease that was left behind. As he returned to the inn hall while shaking his head with a towel, Karin brought out the food. ¡°Let¡¯s eat quickly and go.¡± Eggs, toast, bacon, and vegetable juice. It was a simple but nutritious breakfast. After finishing the meal quickly, I went up to the second floor to collect my money. I watched the slime that had escaped my pocket and Lin¡¯s fight for a while before heading to the Earth Mother Temple. Jeong Yu-shin walked down the southern street and looked around. There were more explorers with monster marks than usual. A strange tension filled the streets along with the exotic atmosphere. ¡°Karin, do you have a lot of friends with monster marks?¡± ¡°I heard that people from the eastern district often travel to other districts around this time of year.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Maybe they want to enjoy their freedom? My mother left and Lord Astaroth came. I heard that since they are from the eastern district, they are a little more friendly to people with monster marks.¡± ¡°There are a lot of people coming from outside the city, so why don¡¯t accidents happen?¡± ¡°So that¡¯s why they placed monsters dressed as guards at the gate. I haven¡¯t checked it out in detail.¡± ¡°I see.¡± A cool breeze blew past Jeong Yu-shin. Autumn was just around the corner. He thought he might see monster explorers at his inn. ¡®Is autumn the time for monsters?¡¯ Jeong Yu-shin and Karin arrived in front of the Earth Mother Temple. There stood Tarman, Anne, and Marie. Marie had taken off her priest¡¯s uniform and was wearing ordinary clothes. Anne approached. ¡°Ska-nim.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t Marie being severely punished or anything?¡± ¡°Considering that Marie¡¯s mind had not fully recovered, that Priest Diego was in charge of everything, and that Lord Ska-nim did not hold Marie accountable, the church decided not to impose excessive punishment on Marie.¡± ¡°Did you tell my story?¡± ¡°Mion Priest asked us about Ska¡¯s intentions. So I explained what happened yesterday.¡± Jung Yu-shin smiled. ¡°Well done. As expected of Anne.¡± Her determination to protect her family no matter what happened was pleasing. ¡°Even so, a mistake is a mistake, so she was dismissed for about 3 months. It seems like she won¡¯t be able to work as a priest for a while.¡± ¡°Really? That¡¯s good. It wouldn¡¯t be bad to take a good rest. Where do you plan on going?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to where Dean is. If you leave the Labyrinth City and go a little further north, you¡¯ll find the Magic Tower City where Dean is recuperating.¡± Jung Yu-shin nodded and handed Anne a leather pouch. ¡°I put the bonus in. Take a rest.¡± ¡°Thank...thank you.¡± Anne, Tarman, and Marie¡¯s eyes turned red. ¡°I¡¯m giving this to you because you worked hard to run the inn. If it weren¡¯t for your dedication, I probably would have gone broke.¡± That¡¯s true. If it weren¡¯t for them, running the inn would have been much more difficult. ¡°Don¡¯t cry. I¡¯ll see you later.¡± Anne, Tarman, and Marie bowed their heads deeply and left, repeatedly expressing their gratitude. As they watched the backs of those leaving, Karin carefully placed her hand on Jeong Yu-shin¡¯s arm. ¡°Are you lonely?¡± ¡°A little.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll meet again.¡± After seeing Anne and her party off, she went into the temple and met the receptionist. ¡°Ska-nim, Priestess Mion is waiting.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± She headed to Mion¡¯s room with Karin. Mion was standing when she entered the room. ¡°Ska-nim, Lady Karin is here too.¡± ¡°Priest Mion.¡± Mion took a step closer. ¡°Scar, I heard the whole story.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Mion bowed her head deeply. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I had no idea that Father Diego would do something like that. I apologize on behalf of the Earth Mother Church.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°If there¡¯s anything you want, please let me know. I¡¯ll gladly give you any compensation.¡± Jeong Yu-shin stroked his chin. He didn¡¯t really have anything he wanted right now. ¡°I¡¯ll think about it. Anyway, I¡¯d like to check the imprint. Do you have time?¡± Mion smiled. ¡°Anytime.¡± He knelt in front of Mion and bowed his head. A soft hand gently stroked Jeong Yu-shin¡¯s head. He felt a little embarrassed because Mion appeared in his dream this morning. ¡°I¡¯ll check the imprint.¡± Mion¡¯s chanting began and light filled the room. Mion, who had her hand on her head, froze for a moment. ¡°This...this?!¡± Mion¡¯s voice trembled. Jeong Yu-shin¡¯s face also hardened. What is it? Did I get another strange pervert imprint? Could it be an imprint that would make you stronger if you squeeze the clitoris of the person you like? Or an imprint that would heal your body if you sucked on your breasts? Or maybe there was an imprint that would revive you if you put on the panties of the person you like. Because, the darkness of the labyrinth is deep. I didn¡¯t limit my imagination. There was also an imprint that excreted personality. It¡¯s a party. There must be a greater imprint than that. Why, whenever he checked the imprint, his anxiety grew more than his anticipation. Jung Yu-shin¡¯s voice naturally trembled. ¡°Mi, Mi-on Priestess, did I get another strange imprint?¡± ¡°Oh, no! It¡¯s a really good imprint.¡± Mion shook her head hurriedly and continued. ¡°Ahem! The imprint you got this time, Ska, is the ¡®multi-casting¡¯ imprint.¡± Multi-casting? ¡°What kind of imprint is that?¡± ¡°The multi-casting imprint is a imprint that allows you to cast multiple spells at once. Originally, it was a realm that a magician could reach through long training, but with this imprint, you can immediately use multiple spells at once. If the imprint grows, the number of spells you can cast at once will increase.¡± Jung Yu-shin nodded and paused. ¡®I¡¯m not a wizard?¡¯ The only engraving magic I can use are Sacred Weapon and Venom Protection. Revenger is an engraving that activates when you get hit. Death Suspension is an engraving that activates when you get hit until you die. It seems like the route is going towards the Magic Warrior. And since it¡¯s divine magic, is it going to make you a Templar? Jeong Yu-shin was lost in thought. Mion opened her mouth again. ¡°Scar, that¡¯s not why I was surprised.¡± ¡°Huh? Is there another reason?¡± ¡°I felt a faint sense of an alien energy in your heart.¡± An alien? ¡°Ah.¡± It was when I was fighting a guy called Sweeper in the passage to the other world. While I was dying, a ray of light flew in from a distant universe and struck my heart. At that moment, I felt the sensation of the engraving connecting with the engraving. Mi-on looked down at Jeong Yu-shin¡¯s face. ¡°Scar, is there anything you can guess?¡± ¡°Yes. I think I received that power when I fought that guy called Sweeper.¡± He had a faint memory of swinging his sword while on the brink of death. It seemed like the sword glowed at that time. What if that was the power of the alien? Mi-on¡¯s expression hardened. ¡°Scar, are you really okay? The alien does not see people as individuals. They see them as mere playthings, toys. If you were by any chance fascinated by the power of the alien¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± Jeong Yu-shin shook his head. ¡°Mr. Mi-on, I have never been fascinated by the power of the alien, nor have I ever desired it.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤Is that so?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Jeong Yu-shin asserted with his straight eyes. Mion smiled faintly and gently stroked Jung Yu-shin''s hair. Karin quickly interjected, frowning. "Mion, check the imprint for me too." "Did you get it, Karin? Okay." Mion approached Karin and began to chant. After a while, a light flashed and Mion stepped back slightly. "Hit?! This is?!" Mion blushed and let out a cute moan. Karin tilted her head. "Why?" "I... that." Mion hesitated for a moment and looked at Jung Yu-shin. "I think Ska-sama should leave for a moment." "Yes? Yes. Okay. Karin, I''ll wait in front of the reception desk." "Okay." Squeak. Thump. Jung Yu-shin left, leaving only Mi-on and Karin. ¡°Karin¡¯s imprint...¡± ¡°Imprint?¡± * * * Jung Yu-shin waited with his arms crossed in front of the reception desk. While he was spending time thinking about this and that, Karin approached him. ¡°Are you done?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Karin nodded with a blush on her face. ¡°What imprint did you get?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a bad imprint, exactly. Just a little. I¡¯ll tell you later when I¡¯ve sorted out my thoughts.¡± ¡°Really? Got it.¡± Jung Yu-shin left with Karin. He thought about seeing Barion, but he let him rest. When he returned to the inn, there was a stray nose. ¡°Scar.¡± ¡°You¡¯re here? Who¡¯s going to help?¡± ¡°Lord Aldain, please give me a little bit of your time. I¡¯ve been busy lately and it¡¯s hard to send anyone. Can I take care of the inn for a while?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. Let¡¯s take it easy.¡± Since we had some time, we all did our laundry together and cleaned the empty rooms in the inn. For dinner, we bought food from a street vendor and shared it. A sandwich with grilled chicken skewers and steaks seasoned and grilled. It tasted even better because it wasn¡¯t something we made ourselves. After finishing the meal, we opened a bottle of alcohol and chatted with Karin and Ddulchanko while looking at the darkened streets. As time passed, the alcohol in the bottles dwindled and the people¡¯s faces turned red. Boom!!! Someone burst open the door and came in. Jeong Yu-shin¡¯s eyes widened. Orange hair. Twin tails that dangled. A black horn on the left side of his forehead and sharp fangs. And pitifully flat breasts. The representative of the Labyrinth City Committee Release. It was Astaroth. ¡°You little Scar, you set off a bomb at the Explorers¡¯ Guild and now you¡¯re lying around so comfortably? You¡¯re the only one causing trouble right now.¡± Astaroth approached Jung Yu-shin and said. Jung Yu-shin asked with a dumbfounded face. ¡°A, a bomb?¡± What¡¯s going on now? Astaroth grinned. ¡°Yeah. A big bomb.¡± Chapter 156: About the high-ranking officials of the Labyrinth City being obsessed with Barbaroi Jung Yu-shin looked at Astaroth who had come closer. A giant suddenly appeared. Karin and Dwarf Nose were unconscious and couldn¡¯t come to their senses. It meant that there was no one to help them. ¡®Let¡¯s calm down.¡¯ He calmed his nervously pounding heart. No matter how high his status, he was still a humble person. Astaroth¡¯s face turned slightly red when he received Jung Yu-shin¡¯s gaze. ¡°Barbaroi, isn¡¯t that too rude?¡± ¡°In what way did I offend you?¡± ¡°If staring at a lady¡¯s chest like that isn¡¯t rude, then what is?¡± ¡®Lady...lady?¡¯ How dare she call herself a lady when she had chests that were too pitiful to fit in one hand. Only a woman with breasts as big as Priest Mi-on would be qualified to be a lady. That aside. My head started to spin as I got drunk. Jung Yu-shin hesitated whether to use the Venom Protection Seal to drive away the intoxication or not, but decided to put it off for a moment. ¡°Astaroth, that¡¯s a misunderstanding.¡± Astaroth tilted his head at Jung Yu-shin¡¯s answer. ¡°Really...?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Jung Yu-shin glanced at Karin¡¯s plump breasts after saying that. ¡°Tch!¡± Astaroth bit his lips and covered his flat chest. The man said it was a misunderstanding, but compared their chests with his gaze. ¡®How dare you!¡¯ Anger suddenly welled up and subsided. Aren¡¯t you criticizing your own weak body? Because you have the Mazo female corruption seal, a dark desire welled up. Naturally, your pelvis loosened and your heart pounded. ¡°Astaroth, this topic is uncomfortable. Let¡¯s stop here. Do you have any other business?¡± He looked at his chest with a reproachful gaze and changed the subject. Astaroth glared at Jeong Yu-shin with a resentful gaze and coughed in vain. ¡°Big! Let¡¯s get to the point. The reason I came here is none other than the red bead you reported.¡± ¡°The red bead?¡± ¡°Yes. I heard that you discovered that the red bead was a passage to the other world and defeated the Sweeper. Is that true?¡± Jeong Yu-shin nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. However, I didn¡¯t defeat it alone. We all worked together to barely win. And although the red bead came into existence recently, it was already being talked about in the Guide Guild. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s appropriate to say that I figured everything out.¡± ¡°You were the first to reveal its identity.¡± Is that so? Astaroth took out his pouch and placed it on the table. Boom!!! A heavy sound echoed through the inn hall. Crackle!!! ¡°30 gold coins. This is the reward for revealing the identity of the red beads and subduing the Sweeper. This is my personal thanks as the Labyrinth Committee.¡± Jeong Yu-shin rested his chin on his hand and looked at the pouch that Astaroth had placed down. ¡°...¡± A high-ranking person came all the way here to bring a reward? I could have ordered my subordinates. Isn¡¯t there another reason? ¡®But what can I do?¡¯ The other party was the Labyrinth City Committee. He decided to wait quietly for the next topic. He reached out and grabbed the pouch of gold coins on the table. ¡°I¡¯ll use it well...¡± Fault! Astaroth reached out faster than light and grabbed Jeong Yu-shin¡¯s arm. [Venom Protection] Jung Yu-shin immediately activated the imprint and drove away the intoxication. The redness on his face disappeared immediately. He wasn''t flustered like last time. The reason was that the female corruption prevention ring was working properly. "Why are you doing this? Let me go." Astaroth smiled coldly. "Scar, don''t you owe me an explanation? Why you spat in my face. I want to hear it now." "..." Jung Yu-shin was silent for a moment and then opened his mouth. "If you''ll keep my secret, I''ll tell you." "Do you have such a great imprint? I''ve seen many people hide it like that, but they were all the same imprints?" "So will you keep my secret?" "Fine. I swear on Lilith''s honor. Don''t forget that the reason I''m doing this is because of the devotion you showed to the Labyrinth City." ¡°...¡± Jung Yu-shin¡¯s eyes sank. I think I¡¯ve been hearing the word ¡®devotion¡¯ a lot lately. He even said it out loud. Diego, who served the spirit god with all his might, called it a betrayal of his devotion when he heard the news of his sister¡¯s murder. Anne and Tarman, who worked hard at the inn. Because of their devotion, Jung Yu-shin stepped forward to help Marie, who was in trouble. Of course, it was also because they had spent a long time together that they had grown attached to each other. ¡®It¡¯s difficult.¡¯ It¡¯s the same for Astaroth and the others. If paying the right price for devotion is the virtue of a leader. Am I a good leader? It was a question that I had to think deeply about. ¡°What? What kind of imprint is it that makes you look so [N O V E L I G H T] serious?¡± Astaroth asked. Jung Yu-shin shook his head and shook off his thoughts. ¡°Is Astaroth a ¡®virgin¡¯?¡± ¡°What...what?!¡± Astaroth looked at Jung Yu-shin with a surprised face. Her round, orange eyes were quite cute. It might be because she was wearing a sleeveless shirt and a short flared skirt. ¡°T-what does that have to do with anything?!¡± Astaroth¡¯s voice got slightly louder. ¡°Please lend me your ears.¡± If she kept talking like that, she felt like she would say her imprint out loud. Astaroth put his ear toward Jung Yu-shin. Her orange hair and Jung Yu-shin¡¯s face came closer. Her loose sleeveless shirt fell down, revealing her plump, chewy breasts covered by a cotton bra. Astaroth didn¡¯t notice because he was so focused on his ears. Jung Yu-shin pretended not to see. Because he felt bad. ¡°My imprint.¡± ¡°G-what is the imprint?¡± As the man¡¯s breath tickled Astaroth¡¯s ears, her heartbeat quickened. She wondered if she had ever been this close to a ¡®man¡¯. ¡°It¡¯s a virgin female corruption imprint.¡± The secret was finally revealed. ¡°Whew!¡± Astaroth inhaled urgently. The fluff on her earlobes stood up. However, Scar¡¯s words did not end. ¡°If a virgin who has ¡®favorite feelings¡¯ for me touches my body or is exposed to bodily fluids or saliva, a vulva will be engraved on her lower abdomen, causing her to become a female corruption. This is a terrifying imprint.¡± Astaroth¡¯s body trembled. ¡°Huh...huh? Really? It¡¯s nothing special.¡± Astaroth tried to make a solemn expression, but he couldn¡¯t stop the corners of his mouth from twitching. This black-haired man. Did he see himself as a ¡®virgin¡¯ and a ¡®female¡¯? I was treated as a ¡®woman¡¯ for the first time by a ¡®normal¡¯ man. My head was spinning and my heart was pounding. The pure baby room of Astaroth, who didn¡¯t know men, was suddenly released. Astaroth came to his senses and held back the muscles in his face that were about to loosen up. ¡°Ha, but that doesn¡¯t fully explain why you spat.¡± ¡°What woman would be able to maintain ¡®favor¡¯ after getting spit on her own face? It was my fault for acting so extreme. But it was hard to say this kind of negative impression when so many people were watching.¡± ¡°...¡± Astaroth remained silent. ¡°Why, why do you think I have feelings for you? Isn¡¯t that overly self-conscious?!¡± ¡°Why, because you smiled and grabbed my hand.¡± Jung Yu-shin smiled and lifted his other hand to brush his hair. ¡°Because I¡¯m handsome.¡± ¡°You... are a bit unlucky.¡± Astaroth frowned and replied. However, he couldn¡¯t hide the blush on his cheeks. ¡°But it¡¯s okay now.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± He showed the ring on his finger. ¡°The virgin female corruption seal was sealed with a magic tool. At that time, the magic power was low, so the seal was released and I¡¯m sorry for being rude.¡± ¡°Ah... I see.¡± But do you still have a heart that cares for other women? ¡°Is this a sufficient explanation?¡± ¡°No. No matter how much I think about it, I think spitting on the face of a perfectly normal ¡®virgin¡¯ was a bit much.¡± ¡°...¡± Jung Yu-shin remained silent. In fact, it was a bit too much. It was because the darkness of the labyrinth in his heart was deep. Astaroth turned his head away, leaning back slightly. ¡°Well, I understand what you were thinking when you acted like that. Don¡¯t do that again. Got it?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Astaroth looked down at the table. His throat burned for no reason. ¡®Was I too foolish?¡¯ How could he forgive the man who spat in his face so easily? He thought he was being too soft. ¡°Come to think of it, I think I let it slide too easily.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Should I drink some free alcohol?¡± ¡°Okay. Can I leave Karin and the boar friend in the room first?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Karin and Dulchanko were slightly drunk, so they couldn¡¯t come to their senses and were mumbling something with their faces buried in the table. Jung Yoo-shin helped Karin and Dulchanko up to the second floor, and they each got separate rooms and laid them on the beds. He opened his room before going down to the first floor. Delia''s ''personality'' and Lin were fast asleep on the bed. Jung Yu-shin quietly closed the door and went down to the first floor, searched the counter cupboard, and brought out alcohol and glasses. He poured the dwarf liquor into Astaroth''s glass. Crunch. "You brought strong alcohol? Are you doing something?" "If you don''t like it, drink it. I brought you some decent alcohol." "No. I like it." Astaroth smiled and lifted the glass to his lips. "Oh...now that you mention it." The moment Astaroth was about to move on to the next topic. Crunch. The inn door opened again. A woman in a white uniform entered the inn. In her early 20s. A woman with short blue hair that fell to her shoulders noticed Jung Yu-shin and approached him. ¡°Black-haired Barbaroi. Name is Scar. A mid-level explorer who took over Darmon¡¯s inn. Is that right?¡± The tone was harsh. ¡°I¡¯m leaving.¡± The woman bowed her head slightly in greeting at Jeong Yu-shin¡¯s answer. ¡°Hello? I¡¯m Nelia, the vice-chairman from the Explorers¡¯ Headquarters.¡± ¡°Is something wrong?¡± ¡°The report of the Sweeper subjugation came in yesterday. It was something that simply didn¡¯t make sense, so I came to investigate further.¡± I heard that the guild called me separately, suddenly, a high-ranking person came to visit. Astaroth raised his hand and shook it. ¡°Hello, Nelia.¡± ¡°Lord Astaroth...what on earth are you doing here...no, that¡¯s not good.¡± Nelia sighed and sat down on an empty chair near the table. She straightened her back and looked at Jeong Yu-shin with sharp eyes. ¡°Sweeper is a monster that should not exist in the corridor area of ??the 6th floor of the labyrinth. It means that it is something that a newly-advanced explorer cannot deal with. I need a more detailed explanation of the battle situation.¡± ¡°¡¤¡¤¡¤That¡¯s it.¡± When reporting to the union, he hid the fact that he had received the power of an outsider. And his own imprint of deferred death. There was nothing good to be done about it. Just as Jeong Yu-shin was about to open his mouth. Squeak. The door opened again. A dark elf woman wearing a black robe came in. The long silver hair and the bewitching eyes were impressive. ¡°Wow, there are so many high-ranking people here.¡± The dark elf slowly approached and sat down at the table. ¡°Barbaroi, our Death Night Clan owes us a lot.¡± The elf smiled brightly and said. ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°Me?¡± The elf crossed his legs, rested his chin on his hand, and smiled broadly. ¡°I¡¯m the clan leader who runs Death Night and sells various magic tools in the eastern district. Karin bought some interesting things there. Do you know?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Your expression is scary. Call me Vivian.¡± Astaroth, Labyrinth City Council. Nelia, human female, vice-chairman of the Explorers¡¯ Guild. Death Night Clan Leader, dark elf Vivian. Three women gathered in one place. None of them were ordinary women you would see on the street. Their looks and behavior clearly showed that they were of high status. In order of the size of their breasts, Vivian, Nelia, and Astaroth? Because she was wearing a black robe, I couldn¡¯t see Vivian¡¯s breasts properly, but judging by the way they were bulging out so plumply that they seemed to pierce through the robe, it was clear that the dark elf Vivian had the largest breasts. They were almost as overwhelming as the breasts of the Mion Priestess. Astaroth clapped his hands. ¡°Since we¡¯re all here in one place, how about having a drink?¡± ¡°Lord Astaroth, I¡¯m busy, so I don¡¯t have time for that.¡± Nelia responded in a stiff tone. On the other hand, Vivian smiled. ¡°I like it. Since we¡¯ve all gathered like this for a long time, we could have a drink.¡± Jung Yu-shin scratched his head. Suddenly, high-ranking people came, and it was extremely burdensome. And they were all women. It was uncomfortable because the seats were seats. ¡°I¡¯ll bring you some alcohol and glasses.¡± He went to the counter and grabbed a few glasses and bottles, then went to the kitchen and brought some dried fruits, cheese, and nuts in a bowl as a side dish. ¡°Ew.¡± When he left the kitchen, there was a golden slime and Lin on the table. He was clearly sleeping on the bed, so when did he wake up and climb up to the table? Jung Yu-shin hurriedly approached and picked up Lin and Delia¡¯s ¡®personalities.¡¯ ¡°I, I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°What is it? Is that the slime monster you¡¯re raising, Ska? It¡¯s even cuter because it¡¯s in the form of an earthworm.¡± Astaroth said with a smile. ¡°That¡¯s right. Yes, yes. It¡¯s a slime.¡± Nelia frowned. ¡°Barbaroi, you¡¯re lying.¡± A definitive tone. Jung Yu-shin¡¯s body froze. ¡°Yes?¡± Vivian smiled broadly, her chin raised. ¡°That¡¯s right. Barbaroi¡¯s magic is shaking.¡± ¡°Scar, wasn¡¯t that a slime?¡± Astaroth pointed to Delia¡¯s ¡®personality¡¯. ¡°Uh...¡± Jung Yu-shin was at a loss for words for a moment. He wanted to keep Delia¡¯s secret, but when he thought about it, no method came to mind. ¡°Barbaroi, do you know that you¡¯re very suspicious?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°...¡± The vice-chairman who was questioning and the night of death clan leader who seemed to have seen something funny. And the Labyrinth Committee executive who looked up with his arms crossed silently. The atmosphere became even more subdued. A cold gaze poked at Jung Yu-shin. ¡°That, that¡¯s it.¡± Sweat formed on Jung Yu-shin¡¯s forehead as he tried to explain. ¡®Ha. How should I explain this?¡¯ His head was throbbing.